A Day of Déjà vu

Right now, I’m sitting at a quiet little guest house in Dar es Salaam, enjoying the quiet evening as our newly arrived guests sleep off some of their jet lag. Meet Shaina and Nathan, a brother and sister who love each other and love the Lord so much. That was evident in spending merely one day with them! I’m looking forward to serving with them at camp in June. 

It was so interesting being on the receiving end of the journey this time. As we entered the airport to wait for them to walk through the gates, the nervous, overwhelming, yet exhilarating feelings that were so familiar to me on the day I arrived came rushing back… I felt like I was in a déjà vu the entire day, as if I was re-watching myself go through all the culture shock, jet lag and the surreal feeling that I had actually arrived. In a way, I really was watching it through Shaina and Nathan.

I hadn’t realized how independent and confident in the language and culture I had grown through these last few months until I had returned back to the place where my journey began… obviously I have a LONG way to go in all of this, but it was encouraging being able to feel like I sort of new what I was doing. I also hadn’t realized how much my perspective has changed. Oh darling reader, how dearly I appreciated a chance to use clean restrooms with actual toilets, classy restaraunts with soothing atmospheres, and of course, a chance to order a good latte.

Enjoying the view at the Indian Ocean.

But not only have I come to appreciate these simple comforts I used to take for granted, the lack of cleanliness no longer makes me turn away, the smells associated with poverty no longer makes me cringe, and the sight of all things unfamiliar and foreign no longer frighten me. I suppose living in a 3rd world country will do that to you.

I can’t say that none of that bothers me, I hope it always does to some degree. For the moment that I become so comfortable with all of the poverty and needs surrounding me will be the moment that I cease to care. I hope that day never comes. I hope I always care enough about the world around me that I always do everything I can to better it. May I see the world through Christ’s eyes, so that I can be His hands and feet. …

I covet your prayers as we prepare for camps in June!
Blessings,
Em

P.S. Bartering at souvenir shops is much more fun when you can speak some of the language. Hooray for some successful good deals!

Graduation week

If I wasn’t halfway across the world, I would have been busy with graduation last week… To be honest, darling reader, there were a few bittersweet moments, knowing that I wasn’t around to celebrate all the hard work from these last few years with my friends and family, but TZ had many wonderful activities to keep my mind off all the events at home!

This included an scrumptious pizza party, a birthday party for Jenna (one of the missionaries serving here), and a trip to town. One of the biggest highlights though, was camping on Mt. Memya. The Mumba missionaries packed up some gear and hiked up the beautiful mountain and camped out to see the sunrise in the morning.

I’m not typically the “outdoorsy” type (is that an understatement?), but I enjoyed the trip immensely! Being surrounded by the breathtaking view, the challenge of the hike, the camaraderie and fellowship with friends made it the perfect little getaway.  Here is a link to an album detailing our trip. (you don’t need a Facebook account to view!)


can you spot us?

cue the Lion King theme song...

Sunday, we had a joint service outside with three of the area churches and I got to perform with my choir.

To top it all off, my little Mumba family threw me a surprise graduation party last night! They had me wear a cap (homemade by Jenna) and gown for the evening and we celebrated with cupcakes and tea. I was so touched! In retrospect, my graduation week was lovely, and knowing that this is where God has called me I wouldn’t want to be any where else in the world…