Home Again

Yes! I am finally home again. What a relief after a full 26 hours of travel/delays. God be praised I was able to make it onto a flight on standby, otherwise it would have been even longer. So much is going through my brain about what I learned, saw, and experienced that I'm not sure how to put it all into words. I will try to organize my scattered thoughts and make some post-trip blog posts with more pictures.

It's amazing that as soon as you get home you hit the ground running -things to do and people to see. I thank God for allowing me the opportunity to go on the trip and for the work that He has done on my heart and in my life. I pray that I never loose sight of North Africa.

No Witness

Today we went to a costal city with a population of about 200,000. We ate a nice lunch, enjoyed the breeze, and even went into a castle-like wall that is on the coast. The people are friendly and it is just an overall nice city.

There is a major problem. As far as we know, there is no church there. Not one believer. This thought broke my heart today. I live in a country with a church or three on every corner. Not here. How can we feel that we do enough for Christ and look out over a city that does not even have a church to worship Him and bring Him glory?

I Feel Like Traveling On

Right now we are traveling through the country. We do not have guaranteed interent access, so this maybe my last post until I get back home. Pray for us as we travel for safety, but also that God will give us a greater burden to see this country reached for Christ. One thing I noticed as we were riding through the countryside is the towers that proclaim the call to prayer 5 times a day. There are only a few farms in one location, but there is a tower there. Everywhere you go you see them. It's just another indication of their spiritual state.

As much as I love the US and want to be back home, I hate to leave. I know I've used this verse many times, but there is much work to be done, and few laborers.

People Are the Same Everywhere

One thing I have learned on this trip is that people are people. Profound, I know. Even though things may be incredibly different here, people are still the same. Kids say "mom" a thousand times until she acknowledges them, women love shoes and bags, men love sports, everyone seeks out friendships, etc. Even though many women here will look very different with their head coverings and all, they are still women who want to look nice and have friends - they are not people to be scared of. In the States, many times we will look from afar and not want to approach to talk or anything. I have learned that these ladies are very nice, and VERY hospitable.



We so often pray for missionaries across the world and the people they are trying to reach with the Gospel. Many times we pray not knowing really how to pray for them so we just pray rather generically. No longer are these people nameless, faceless blurs to pray for: they have faces, names, dreams, hope and desires, and are trying to please the only god they have been taught about. They sincerely believe that Islam is the true religion. I ask you to pray that God will open their eyes to the truth, to wonder what was so different about those Christians who came to teach English this summer, to plant seeds of doubt into their hearts. I have left the city I was in for 5 weeks, but God can still work in their hearts. Pray for Jihane, Asame, Mohommad, Wafa, Miriam*, and many others we were able to speak to. Pray that they will be saved and bring God unusual glory.

*names have been changed

Traveling -Third World Style

We left Wednesday to travel through the rest of the country. The country is beautiful. The major mode of transporation for long distances is train. The trains aren't bad at all - you can get up and move around if you wish, meet lots of new people, and there is even a guy with a beverage and snack cart if you get thirsty or hungry. The worst thing is how hot it gets. The cars are "air conditioned" - it said so on the sign with a pretty little snowflake on it. What that means is there is a tiny bit of air that blows out from below the window. When the natives here are so hot they are fanning themselves, you know it is hot. So far we've had 2 train rides each about 4 hours. We have 1 more long one, and one short one before we leave.

The other thing about going somewhere for 6 weeks is luggage. I'm a self-professed heavy packer. Wow does it get heavy after walking down the street for 10 minutes. The wonderfully amazing guys on our trip lift our suitcases onto the train, into the overhead storage, and even up stairs. I have to give credit where credit is due - they have been a HUGE blessing.

We are in a major tourist area in the country for the next few days. It's very close to the desert and therefore hot. Our hotel is close to the plaza where all the snake charmers, dancers, and fresh squeezed oranged juice booths are. We ate a late dinner on the roof. It was breezy up there, but even the breeze was very warm. We got into our hotel room and looked above the window and there was a beautiful white rectangular box that produces cool air! I think I almost cried. To get back to the hotel and go to bed with the window closed (no mosquitoes!!!) and cool air - it was amazing.

On the spiritual side of things, this is the 3rd city that we have visited here. We again see so many people who live here who do not know Christ. We were supposed to meet with a contact who is the pastor of a church, but our leader could not get in contact with him. This man pastors perhaps the largest evangelical church here we know of - about 30 people. Compared to a bustling city the ratio is not very good. Pray for this pastor and his church. They meet Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, Friday night, AND Saturday night - wow do I feel lazy! There is a great work to be done - pray that the Lord will send more laborers into His harvest.

Eating Food That Looks Back At You

I have a confession. I am truly, utterly, an American. When I eat meat, it looks nothing like the animal it used to be. I go to the store and buy it in nice and neat packages, and most of the time, the bones are even taken out! What a priviledged life I have led!

Well Friday we took a trip to the beach with three sisters. They brought everything we would need for a nice, typically native lunch. They even brought a small gas tank so we could have hot tea and cook the food! We sat down at the table and uncovered the food. Through the steam eyes began to appear; not of the people sitting around the table, but eyes of the fish that had been cooked! There were many whole fish sitting atop vegetables. I have no problem eating meat, but when it's staring back at you - that's unnerving!

The only other thing was that even though I was careful not to eat the bones, it was still crunchy. Maybe it was because I was eating skins, scales, and all. Other than that, it tasted good. Afterwards we had watermelon, so it helped to replace the memory of picking off the sides of helpless fish to eat.

I guess I have just had a very sheltered life, never having to look into the eyes of something I eat. It's just something I'll have to learn to deal with.

Worship in North Africa

I have had the opportunity to attend 2 different churches here in North Africa. They are not "traditional" churches in the least. They are house churches. People do not come to the churches here to be seen, or heard, or to look pious. They come because they love the Lord. While the singing goes on, many people close their eyes. They are singing to their Lord and Savior. I just got this overall impression of true worship. They don't care what they sound like or who is listening.

Many of the natives here give up much when they become Christians, of course come do not, it just depends. One lady I was sitting next to spoke English. She was actually visiting her family here, because she lives in Canada now and her 27 year old son was visiting with her. She appologized to us because she was wearing a sleeveless dress. She told her parents she and her son were going to the beach and did not tell them she was going to church. She had to sneak out of her parents house to go to church. She did not do it for glory; she did it for love for God.

People worship here because they love the Lord. They do not expect any glory from singing well; they sing from their heart. Never before have I had the chance to see people who possibly gave up so much sing to the Lord.

Super Spiritual...or not

As a fellow intern said, sometimes we think that just because we're on the mission field and doing "missionary work" we become this super spiritual person. Well...it doesn't. Never before have I truly seen the need for a strong walk with the Lord. It's funny, but living here, in the States, or whichever continent you choose, it's still a battle just to do the simple things. The difference is that here we are so busy doing missionary work, sometimes it's easy to neglect the one thing I need most, spiritual food and drink. Isn't it funny that the easiest thing to do can also be the hardest? It's not hard to read your Bible everyday, but it is difficult to set aside that time dedicated to the Lord and nothing and no one else. Going to the mission field does not make you a "super spiritual" person. No matter where you live you still have your ups and downs. God has shown me a lot of areas I need to work on: having a strong walk with the Lord is number one.

Never Enough

Our time in this city has almost come to an end. We have one full week left here before we travel through the rest of the country. One thought has greatly consumed me: I haven't done enough. I haven't talked to enough people, I haven't given out the Gospel enough, I haven't met the people I have talked to enough, etc. There is so much work to be done. I understand that the city will not be evangelized in 6 weeks. How much will be done in 6 years? 60 years? One thing is evident: more laborers are needed. All you have to do is look up to see 1.5 million people who are lost and going to Hell if they don't hear and accept the Gospel. Staring into the face of this is burdening, overwhelming, and moving. If we don't go with the truth, how will they hear?

Frogger

A major aspect of life here is just getting around. Most people walk a lot. Crossing the street has never been quite so fun. As long as no one is coming you walk out into the road and cross lane by lane as it clears. One day I had an epiphany as we were crossing the street. It's just like the old video game Frogger!! So if you've ever had to urge to play Frogger in real life, just come visit.

Condemned Already

Today we stood on a hill overlooking the city - only 1/3 of the city actually. Just to give a conservative estimate, about 96% of the people have NEVER heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. If that many have never heard, how many are Christians? Very few.

God has been working on my heart with this very thought. A couple of my fellow interns have already written about this on their blogs - amazing stuff. A few days ago God brought to my mind the verse John 3:18 "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already..." I went to Peru 5 years ago and the preacher preached on this passage. He told us to imagine a red A on everyone's forehead for "Already." All I have to do is look around. Everyone has an A stamped on their forehead for "condemned already." What the Lord has really laid on my heart is the ladies. I don't need to imagine: the sign that they are condemned already is the head covering. Each time I see a lady, her head covering reminds me that she is condemned already.

Between the Dead and the Living Dead

This post was written by my fellow intern. She did such an incredible job writing this.

Today we stood between the dead and the living dead. Behind us centuries of decaying bones, before us millions of decaying lives. From a graveyard we overlooked a city full of people dead in sin, dead in idolatry, dead in a lie.

Eph 2:1 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins."

The only difference between the living of this city and the dead is that the people here have a chance. They only lack messangers.

Rom. 10: 14b, c "And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

This city of more than of a million is lost and next to no one stands between them and a graveyard of eternal damnation. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Christians are spending their lives on legitimate ministries, but ignoring a needier field.

Ezek. 22:30 "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none."

Is there a man who will stand between this one city, or any city like it, and the grave?

Go with God
--Mira

American Holiday - Foreign Country

I've never been out of the country for an American holiday. So today is a first. Of course no one is off of work or anything: we still have to go our Arabic classes and what not. So my American team here decides to at least celebrate a little. We have an all-American lunch of cheeseburgers, (grilled out, of course) fries, and apple pie. The only thing is there are no pickles. It's the little things that you miss when you don't have them. Other than that, it was really really good. Then we have a good round of some games like catch-phrase and imaginiff.

We did have a couple of believers from here with us, and also a visitor who does not know Christ. So three native people were able to get a small lesson on American culture by spending some time with us today.

So in our own way we still celebrated America's Independence Day. After having spent a few weeks here, it makes me more thankful for all the freedoms we have and honestly take for granted. The Gospel is freely given anywhere in the States. That is not the case here. Sometimes I ask God why am I so privileged to have been born in America. It sometimes doesn't seem fair. It's those times I just have to stop and thank God. Also, as an American, I am one of the most able people to go to the world with the Gospel. With great privilege comes great responsibility.

July 1st ? Already?

I can't believe it is already July 1st! This month has flown by. We've settled into somewhat of a routine now. So everything that has been new and exciting has settled down a little more into normal. Yet nothing in really normal. We only have 2 weeks left here in this city, and the last week of the trip we will be traveling around the country. I can't believe it's half over already. After being here for about 3 weeks I do have some observations that are a little more in depth than all the new and exciting things I've been seeing for the first time. I'll focus on one today.

The variety of dress here is amazing. You have the staunch conservatives: the men wear the Islamic dresses and the hat, the women wear djallabas (i guess this might be how to transliterate it - the Arabic script is VERY different from our English alphabet) which are like dresses, head coverings, veils to cover their faces, and sometimes gloves to cover even their hands. The conservative women wear head coverings and the djallabas (with pants of course underneath in order not to show skin), the moderate (mainly single women) wear head coverings, long shirts that cover, long sleeves, and usually pants, and there are liberal women who wear short sleeves and sometimes even knee length skirts, and the ultra-liberal who wear low-cut shirts and and things that we see all the time in the states. The men for the most part just look normal - very European, but normal dress.

People who are friends here will walk hand in hand (YES! guys will hold hands, and girls will hold hands or link arms). You see people who are dressed differently walking together arm in arm. But usually only one, maybe two degrees away from their position (whether conservative or liberal) We know there are many divisions in Christianity, but there seems to somewhat of division in Islam as well. It's not as clear a line as we Christians draw, but there is one. Everyone still believes the same things and everyone we speak to (no matter staunch conservative or ultra liberal) says they are a good Muslim. You can almost draw a parallel because everyone in the States would say they are a good person. In order for a person to be saved, they must first realize they are lost. No one wants to admit they are a sinner. The same goes in Islam. I cannot tell people they are lost - that is the job of the Holy Spirit. We (really I'm speaking to myself first) need to pray that God will work on their hearts. I may speak to someone for 5 minutes, or maybe 5 hours, but God can work on their heart 24/7.

The Seven Zillion Mile Journey

This post was written by yet another intern on the trip. They do such a great job with what they write I wanted to share it with all. What he is writing about actually took place last Wednesday, June 25, 2008.

Written by Paul

Today was a 'free' day for our team, so Bro. Omar (who kindly asked me to stop calling him "Bro. Mustard") took us to one of the Spanish enclaves in North Africa. It was a really neat experience! This morning, we rode in two very cramped taxis for an hour. Then, after going through one of the sloppiest, most confused borders in the world, we entered the Spanish city. (At this border, some girls on our team saw someone bribe a cop... !) Once we entered, we walked for about 45min to McDonald's. After lunch, we spent two hours passing out Gospel materials in the city. The city itself is not very big, so there was no danger of getting lost. The city is actually a peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea, so the view was incredible all day long. After passing out our tracts and Bibles, we went to a hilltop to take some pictures, then headed back to the border, and drove home.

Yes, the title is somewhat of an exaggeration, but in reality, we probably did walk about 7-10 miles today, so everyone is exhausted. One interesting fact - this is the city where Omar is planning on moving to in a year's time. There is religious freedom here, even though it is located in a closed country. It's also a strategic position to reach other closed countries. Please continue praying for the work here in North Africa!

My God Splits Moons - by Mira

My God Splits Moons

This was written by a girl on my team. We spoke to Jane* again and we had a very interesting discussion.

Did you know that Einstein went to the moon and discovered that at some point it had been split in half? Afterwards he exclaimed, “I must find the religion in which the moon was split in half!” He discovered it was Islam, converted instantly, and lived happily ever after!

At least, so one of my friends told me in a very sincere tone. Granted, her English isn’t perfect and we already had her fairly confused. I hope she realizes that Einstein didn’t really go to the moon.

We didn’t try to argue with her. What she really wanted to know is: “Mohammed got God to split the moon. Did your Jesus do anything that left evidence?” A sort of ‘my dad’s taller than your dad’ view of theology. At first we found her question discouraging. After all, Jesus never split the moon. (As if creating it in the first place wasn’t enough.) But the more the other girls and I thought about it, the more we realized that our God doesn’t need to split moons. Our God is a personal God. He’s never flashy unless He needs to be. Splitting the moon serves no purpose. When Jesus was on earth He proved His deity and His mission by helping people, by healing and comforting, not by flexing His godly muscles. Now that He’s gone He proves Himself the same way. Jesus proves Himself by taking drug-dealers and race car drivers and molding them into preachers and servants. He takes recluses and makes them missionaries. He turns wretches into His children.

If Islam did that then I wouldn’t have to shut my ears to the catcalls and comments of the men here. I wouldn’t have to count my change every time I bought something. I wouldn’t be afraid to walk by myself through the city at night. I wouldn’t have to the cringe a little every September the 11th. And everyone here is a Muslim so if Islam changes lives like Christianity changes lives, there would be no War and everyone would want to live in the Middle East.

Her prophet Mohammed may have gotten God to split the moon. But my Jesus is the God that changes hearts.

Go with God
–Mira

Meet Crunchy!

I would like to introduce to you Crunchy. We're here in North Africa, visiting friends, who live in an amazing apartment built on the roof of the apartment building. They have an especially amazing apartment because they have their own patio just to themselves. We're sitting out there enjoying a breeze when all of the sudden, Crunchy comes out! Needless to say it was quite funny
when a turtle greets you on a roof. What an interesting pet for a roof in North Africa!

Closed Doors

The place I am at is very steeped in Islam. They have many arguments about why Christianity is wrong. I guess it's not that different from many people in the States honestly. But the second they find that you're a Christian, or you start talking about Christ, a wall goes up. God can break down the walls though! On Tuesday we were out meeting people and we met a teacher who spoke very good English. We talked to her for about 45 minutes. (When I say we I'm talking about my team of girls) We were able to give her our testimonies!! What a great opportunity that God gave to us! One thing we try to emphasize is the fact that I was not born a Christian - I had to make that decision. She asked how I could decide at such a young age. I told her even though I was so young, I knew I had sinned and needed forgiveness. We also told her we serve God because of what He did for us, not in order to go to Heaven. PRAY God will plant a seed in her heart about what we spoke of. God has given us so many opportunities - PRAISE the LORD! Pray that He will continue to lead us across the paths of those who might have an open heart, an open door for the Gospel.

First Tea!

I've heard so much about the tea here. When you go out with friends, many times you will go have tea with them. Well yesterday (Saturday) I was able to go have tea with some friends. On Wednesday, my team of girls was out meeting people and we were actually about to turn around to go another way when we met Jane*. She and her friend were on their way back to the university where they are both business majors. We talked to them for about an hour. Then we asked her if she wanted to meet up and do something and she said sure. (Where else can you meet someone for an hour and then go hang out again and it not be weird - certainly not in America) So we said we'd meet on Saturday at 10am. So she came and she brought 2 other friends. One of whom was a guy - we were a little nervous about that, but it turned out ok. We had a great time walking around town, and they took us to have our first tea. Wow! It's strong stuff - it's very very minty. Not bad though. I tried to talk to the girls about spiritual things, but they would change the subject fairly quickly. We talked to the guy about religion and he would talk about it for a long time.

We learned several things from them. One thing is that they have watched a lot of American television and movies. I think he's watched more movies than I have! The girls know of many different actors and actresses and told us who they like and dislike. We had a great time getting to know them and the city. We're going to do something again this Saturday - maybe see some caves that are nearby. Pray that we'll have the opportunity to talk about more spiritual things and maybe plant a seed of doubt about Islam. I'm so excited to see how very friendly the people are here and willing to spend time with you even though you're a stranger - a foreigner at that.

One thing is were are making time every day to just go out and meet people. Then we go do stuff, and for hours, not just a few minutes. I think I need to make it a bigger priority when I get back to just work at getting to know people and spending time with them. One of the leaders here mentioned that it seems that only in America do we have compartmentalized relationships: work, church, family, friends, etc. Other countries have friends and you do anything and everything together. They really develop relationships. This is one lesson I think we should definitely learn from the rest of the world.


*names have been changed to protect the innocent - well...they really have been changed just to be careful

Language School - Welcome to Arabic!

Language School. I don’t know what I expected. Maybe I expected it to be similar to my high school French classes. Just to give you an indication of what it’s like to take Arabic, here’s a picture of what my teacher wrote on the board.

I look at it, look at him, and just stare. So then he’ll point to it and say it and I just memorize where it’s at on the board so I can say it again. Well…I guess that’s not really what we’re supposed to do, lol.

The thing is, if we want to be able to speak to people and tell them the gospel, we must learn the language. We will not learn it in 6 weeks, but it shows the people here we are interested in them and their culture and opens doors. Pray for me as I try to learn the language to try to be a witness.

Friday we went to the beach - my first time in the Mediterranean! It's so beautiful! Everyday we go out to meet people and try to build a relationship to be able to witness to them. Actually, the beach is one place where ladies (the only people us girls will talk to here) will sit and not be on their way somewhere. Unlike elsewhere in the world, even on the beach women are covered here - I mean from head to toe. So we go and try to talk to people who are either sitting along the road or on the beach. We've met several contacts this way. Pray we'll be able to share the gospel with them.

I was really worried about the heat here because I don't do hot very well...but with the constant breeze from the ocean it hasn't been too bad yet. We'll see how it goes.

I haven't had the chance to share the Gospel with anyone yet - I'm praying we'll start to really build some relationships with some ladies this week to be able to witness. So far we've made contacts (to find ladies able to speak English enough for us to really talk to has been somewhat challenging - but God has led some across our path!) but now we really want to begin to step it up. When I say we I mean the team of girls I'm working with. So please pray that God will allow us to do that better. We are supposed to meet a girl this Saturday morning for tea - pray that we can share the Gospel!!

Praise the Lord everything is going well here. Keep praying!

Breaking the Law! (Sunday)

Today I broke the law. I attended a Christian Church Service. Wow - my first illegal church service I've ever been to. There were only 3 who were not from our group at the service. One man is still a Muslim - pray for him. He is searching. The preacher preached in Arabic, so we only understood one word. (The word is the Arabic word for Thank you) I think it's the least I've ever gotten out of a church service before! It was still very interesting. We still sung songs (well...they did ask us to sing one in English for them) and there was preaching. No piano, no choir, no offering (I know - can this REALLY be a Baptist church??? LOL) but it was a church.

That night we had a time of testimony and prayer. We heard the testimonies of 2 believers who live in the city. One of our leaders said that many people who become Christians here have dreams. I was a little unsure of what he meant, but in the testimonies they mentioned dreams. In one person's dream, he saw first (in Arabic) the New Testament. He had the dream again, but this time it was written in English. So He looked up that word and found it was the Bible - God's Word. He began to search. So, what started his search was these dreams. I stand amazed at how God can work in places we think are "closed." God made the earth and is the King of it. No place is closed to Him - PRAISE THE LORD!

Some Morning You'll Find Me Touring That City

I don't always have an internet connection, so I'll try to update several days. Here's Saturday.

Today we just got on buses (groups of 2 girls and one or two guys) and went around the city. Our goal was to meet people, try to talk to them and develop a relationship. Also, we were to try to find our way around the city to get our bearings. WOW! At first, honestly, I was a little skeptical. I really hadn’t met a person here yet and wasn’t sure how they would respond to me (the white skin, strange dress, and blue eyes really gives away the fact that I don’t live here LOL). The other girl and I decided to sit apart to try to get someone to sit next to us. It worked! The ladies here are very nice – they will try to communicate even if it doesn’t go very well. The first lady I was able to talk to spoke English fairly well, and we were able to carry on a conversation for a while. We exchanged e-mail addresses – pray that I can really develop a relationship with her and will be able to tell her the gospel! We also were able to invite some more ladies to English class – pray they will be able to come. I am amazed at how many languages everyone here speaks. More often than not they speak 2, 3 or even 4 languages! I’ve been butchering some French to try and communicate with many people – I think I can get the point across about English class, but I’m not very sure how well.

One thing Saturday taught me is the need for communication. That may sound very obvious, but it put a burden on my heart to learn the language to be able to talk to people. Limited language limits your witness. It brings to mind the scripture in Romans 10:14 “…and how shall they hear without a preacher?” If the preacher can’t speak their language, how shall they hear?

Miracles Happen

Wow! What a journey! I've dubbed a name for the traveling to North Africa - a comedy of errors. One thing after the other happened. We missed our flight out of JFK to Africa. So we were booked on the next flight - 24 hours later. Even in what seems to be bad circumstances, God was good. We were able to stay in Manhattan at a Pastor friend's church - WHAT A BLESSING! We were able to see some of the city and he spoke with us about really studying scripture - eating the meat and not just drinking the milk.

We made it in plenty of time to make our flight to Africa, and it was delayed. We were supposed to leave around 8:20pm. Apparently they combined a couple of flights and we finally took off around 4am or 4:30am. It's kinda crazy on those international flights. The flight crew was French and they speak to you in French and then will switch to English if you don't understand. All those years in French class are definitely paying off!

We landed in Africa around 3pm. We got through the passport stuff just fine and went to baggage claim, only to find out our baggage was not there. We had to go to the counter and describe our bags and stuff. I learned my first lesson in culture: there are no lines. You just push your way to the front and whoever is there goes first. Finally we meet the person who is supposed to travel with us up the city we will be staying in - he had been waiting 2 days! We got on one train, switched trains, then arrived in the city. Total train time: 7 hours. Needless to say, we were exhausted. I honestly think it was better NOT having our luggage on those trains. God was watching out for us - it would have been very hard to handle all that luggage up and down the aisles, on and off, and all that kind of stuff.

We found out where we were all staying, got to take a shower AMEN and slept for about an hour. It was very interesting when we went shopping for clothes and toiletries to last until we got our luggage. It was kinda like a market in Peru. After dinner we had to go back out for somethings we forgot. There were many more people out and about at night than during the day. One thing I saw while we were out shopping was quite interesting. The call to prayer sounds (you can't help but hear it) but no one stops to pray. I expected everyone to stop what they were doing and pray, but that is not the case. From what I've seen so far, there are so many groups of people and everyone does it a little different. For the most part all the women have head coverings, but not all. Some men wear the long robes, but not most. I'm not sure what I expected, but I don't think this is it.

So Praise the Lord, He is still in the business of miracles! Honestly, it's a miracle I'm here: from the health stuff, to the travel comedy of errors. Plus, He knows better than we do and what we need. It was very nice not having massive amounts of luggage on the train. I'm praying God will give me a great love for the people, and allow us to speak boldly for Him. Keep on praying!

14 Days and counting

I can't believe I'm writing this - only 14 days until I leave for North Africa. That's 2 weeks! It's all overwhelming. There is still so much to do before I leave - and now is the first time in about 2 years I get sick. Perfect timing. Actually it's very good that I got sick now, not a week from now. Even during the seeming bad, I must praise the Lord for His goodness to me. It would be awful to be sick on the plane, or perhaps have to postpone my flight.

I have some prayer requests for my trip. I sprained my ankle about a month ago and it still hurts after being on it all day - so pray that it will fully heal because we will be walking A LOT in North Africa. This may sound really silly and funny, but pray for me as I pack. I need to know what to take with me and what to leave behind. Pray for our protection and safety. Most of all, pray for souls to be saved and lives influenced for Christ. We are going to a spiritually dark place - we will be shining our light to those who need it most.

Glory to God!

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! I just wanted to share this praise - all of the support for the cost of my trip has come in!! Anymore money that comes in will be used to support me over the summer while I am not working. Well...not working in the States for a salary that is - I will be working, trust me.

I was reading just a little while ago in the Psalms about how Israel limited God. Because of their unbelief, they limited His limitlessness (if that is truly a word). So many times I limit God, the Holy One of Israel, by my unbelief. If He will give me this money for me to go, what else could He do? Anything. I'm overwhelmed by how great God is! And over just a relatively small amount of money. If we were to completely and utterly give ourselves over to God, what could be accomplished? I'll end this post with a quote by Andrew Murray:

"God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to him."

The "Untouchables"

I've been reading a book by Ergun and Emir Caner entitled Out of the Crescent Shadows. Basically, they tell about Muslim women and what they believe, compared to what we believe. It's a very eye-opening book. (A very good read for anyone who's interested)

In one section of the book, Muslims are compared to the Samaritans back in Jesus' day. They are almost considered "untouchable." Everything about Muslims, the way they dress, act, eat, worship, etc., is much different than what we're used to, so we don't go near them. We avoid them in fact. The Samaritans were descendants of Jews and Assyrians, so they were considered half-breeds. Jewish people wouldn't have ANYTHING to do with them or their land. In fact, the very devout would travel days out of their way to avoid going near the land of Samaria. These were truly "untouchable."

I want you to keep this in mind while I share a familiar verse with you. "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8 KJV) Jesus is giving instructions in this verse. It is a command. Mostly Jews are listening. He tells them to go to Jerusalem (their capital), Judaea (their country), and in Samaria - OH NO! Anything but Samaria!! They were told to go to the people they considered to be the lowest of the low and preach the gospel! Then, He commands to go to the rest of the earth. Jesus specifically tells them to go to these people. As the author puts it, "If you do not go to Samaria, the Lord reasoned, then how shall you go to the rest of the world?"

I considered that was a very intriguing thought. I knew of that verse. I even knew that the Samaritans were considered almost sub-human. I never put the two together. But the audience who was listening to Jesus would have understood the meaning. WOW! I really do see the comparison between the two people groups. If we're not willing to proclaim the name of Christ to those who are in utter darkness, in bondage to this religion, how shall we go to the rest of the world?

It's very interesting how the culture of that day brings new light to a very familiar verse.

The Little Picture

I just wanted to give a quick update about the trip. I have about 45% of my support raised - PRAISE THE LORD! There was a payment deadline I did not know about (which they needed the money in order to purchase plane tickets - so I guess a little important :). All my support is being sent through the church, so I went to the office to get a check in order to send it in. The secretary got it for me, and it was the last check that had been signed by the missions director - AMEN! It's just a small thing, but it's God. If she didn't have that signed check the money might not have made it in time to buy tickets with the rest of the group and would have cost more money. I just needed that little encouragement from God. Sometimes when God does little things for me it just reminds me that he is in control (and interested in) the little details along with the big things. It also reminds me that nothing is too small for God to be interested in and care about - even me.

Changing Heart

It is absolutely amazing how God can change your heart. I got an e-mail about Muslims (basically against a certain Presidential Candidate) and I got mad. I wanted to rant and rave about how Muslims aren’t bad people; they need Christ! Before I committed to this trip I knew we needed to reach them with the Gospel, but now it has really hit home. Don’t get me wrong, I do not want a Muslim president for my country - a great country with a Christian heritage. I want people to stop talking about how awful they are and see them as Christ sees them; sheep without a shepherd, lost people who are dying and on their way to an eternity in Hell. They have such strong faith, but their faith is misplaced. Christ is what they need!

First Post

God is good! I am amazed at our technology that will allow me to write on a blog that people anywhere in the world can read. I plan on giving updates about the trip, what God is doing in North Africa and in my heart. I have just send out my letters, and support is already being given. PRAISE THE LORD!! Sometimes I really just cannot fathom the fact that I’m going to North Africa this summer – it is amazing! I just want to make sure that this is not about me, it is all about Him and giving Him unusual glory.