Easter in Africa

All my life and all the years that i have been going to church, this is the first year i have fully understood Easter.

Easter to me used to mean wearing that new sun dress my mom picked out, easter egg hunts and going to church early Sunday morning wether i wanted to or not. 

This time its different, this culture that i have been immersed in, is different.

Here, i have a faith of my own, no one here to force me to keep reading my Bible, pray or go to church, here i have to have the strength and endurance to do it myself, i have to want to have a relationship with God. That has been a lesson to me in being independent here, something that would be very difficult for me to learn in the comfort i live in at home. 

In this culture, church is a huge deal. Here churches are a party, every week its a celebration; which it totally should be! It has become my favorite part of church here. People sing so loud that you cant here your own voice, there is constant dancing and rejoicing because there in celebration of what God has done. (Which is a constant reminder to me that God is good all of the time.) Churches here are packed over capacity, so much so that people will sit outside pressing their ears to the wall just to here the word of God! People here get to church early hours early just so they can get a seat, people crowd the doors before service as if they were waiting for a black friday sale at Wal Mart. 

So here i am sitting in church, remembering all of the times i had dreaded waking up early for church and all of the times i had walked into service half an hour late. 

So why in a culture where there is so much hurting, pain, reasons to be angry with God and poverty surrounding these churches that people are in constant joy and have faith to be envious of.

Im continually dumbfounded and inspired by these people. they have showed me how to genuinely rejoice in Him and to live with a faith not to be afraid of and hide. They showed me that today is a day of rejoicing that the tomb is empty and will forever will be, that no other god did what our God did, he loved us enough to pay the ultimate price, he is a great God! 

  

Kupenda

I have been learning so much here. God is providing me with so many reminders of Himself, teaching me more about His love that He continues to give me, His protection, His grace, His provision. He truly is a great God. 

Coming here i came with many insecurities and flaws that i continued to beat myself up about. Sometimes at home i feel uncomfortable in my skin, self conscious and have felt like i don’t have a voice for people to hear or are interested in hearing. I think a lot of times that shines through at home.

But God has placed me somewhere where those problems that i face with myself everyday are exposed. He provided people in my life here with listening ears, he has placed me in a culture that comforts and loves people regardless of their flaws and imperfections, a culture that embraces goofy, fun, crazy and not wearing shoes all of the time. He has placed me somewhere where i am tested and challenged in my faith, strength and trusting in Him through all of good and bad times.

He reminds me everyday that He is good, not some of the time, but all of the time.

Hand in Hand

The other day i was walking to work by myself. as usual it was a hot and dry day, the fifteen minute walk felt long and never ending. There is one part of our walk everyday that sometimes we dread because its a fairly steep hill especially in the heat.
As i walked up it that particular day i had dreaded it more than most days, i began the, what felt like trek up the mountain, a little girl that i had never seen before came running up to me and immediately grabbed my hand. Shocked, because kids dont ever do this to a mzungu walking along the road. From the bottom of the hill to the very top she held my hand, walking along side me until we reached the top, she let go and slowly walked right behind me until i reached our work compound.

In that not so significant earthly moment, i knew God had designed that for a heavenly meaning. God knows that the way i best see and understand Him is through moments like these.

In that moment i was reminded that, God never abandons us, sometimes it may feel like He is very distant but He is standing right behind us, testing our faithfulness in Him. he is always there walking the tough climb with us, hand in hand.