The other day, I told Mr. Fantastic that I don't like to go out of my comfort zone. He replied with some mind-blowing wisdom: "That's why they call it a 'comfort zone', Honey."
Hmmm… Oh yeah. I guess that makes sense.
But I am about to go out of my comfort zone, friends. In fact, I am about to kiss my comfort zone goodbye and make a running leap.
Goodbye, comfort. Hello………………………………. Mozambique!
YES, I am going to Africa—you know, me, the girl who thinks staying at a Holiday Inn is "roughing it." The girl screamed when my husband pretended to throw a dead mouse at me. (Really? Did I honestly think he would do that?) The girl who is addicted to Facebook and my Panini maker and my heated mattress pad.
I'm going to spend almost two weeks in a small village in Mozambique, Africa.
I am quite nervous, but I am also unbelievably excited. Our church has adopted two villages there, where our primary mission is to provide them with clean water and Living Water. The clean water part has been accomplished—we have brought fresh water lines to the villages, which gives them easy access to drinking water, saving lives both because the water itself was filthy and because of the crocodiles inhabiting the nearby river. Now our teams, which go there twice a year, focus on the Living Water, which is Jesus. (See John 4:1-26 if that reference is unfamiliar to you, and feel free to contact me with any questions.)
So a group of 8 of us will be flying out on May 24 to love and teach the people in two African villages. We will be presenting them with highlights from Philippians, focusing on humility, unity, obedience, and stewardship. Another woman and I will be teaching the women, two men will be teaching the church leaders, and the other four will be working with the children.
It is scary and overwhelming and unknown and an amazing opportunity.
And here's the most amazing part. Each time we go, we also do a health lesson. The people in the villages, even those who are Christians, still hold to many teachings of the witch doctors. This means that they believe that sickness is often—if not always—the result of a curse of some kind. During the last trip, they addressed the topic of infertility, since women without children were considered cursed. The team taught the people all about the reproductive system (Can you imagine doing that through an interpreter???) and the possible causes of infertility, and a friend of mine who was there shared with the women her struggle with infertility. And as I thought about that, it reminded me of the emotions that I experienced when Roo was born… I don't know any witch doctors and I don't really believe in curses, but I sure felt that I was being punished—or worse, that Roo was being punished for something I had done. And if I felt that way, knowing all of the things I do both about science and about God, how would these women in Africa deal with Down syndrome or any of the other many, many things that can be "abnormal" at birth?
So I offered to share my story. And I think it's going to happen.
So… pray for me. Pray for our whole team. I will definitely be sharing more in the weeks to come. We have a lot of funds to raise, and I am in the process of finding out if there is a way that people can donate online—which would open great doors for a giveaway… ;-) And pray for my family, as I will be leaving four very special people behind, one of whom will be turning 6 while I'm gone.
And most of all, pray for the people in these two villages, that God will use us to bless them as much as I am certain they will bless us.
I'm being stretched, friends. It's a tiny bit painful, but a whole lot exciting.
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