I was talking to a new friend the other day about Mercy Project, telling her the nuts and bolts of what we're doing in Ghana and what this upcoming (umm... tomorrow!) trip will mean to us and so many people who have supported and carried us to this point. Her response was, "You really have a dream job." To be sure, I tend to agree. I can't imagine doing anything else and simply can't put into words how honored I am to be making this journey, and even more, to be making this trip.
We fly out tomorrow, headed for Ghana. Headed to a lake, home of 7,000 child slaves. Headed to a little village in the bush, not even a spot on the map. Headed to a group of 25-30 kids who are days away from new identities as FORMER child slaves. Headed to those empty, reserved faces that no doubt will produce beaming smiles by the end of the week. Headed to reclaim new life and play a very small role in this great big plan of redemption.
This trip is the culmination of over two years of work, and while I try to be mindful of and think logically that things will likely not go "according to plan", I cannot help but be downright giddy with excitement and anticipation of what the next 8 days will bring. I feel like in the midst of several challenges leading up to this (and those to still come, I am sure!), God has been filling me up with a deep love for these kids that is a reflection of the love that He feels for all of us. A love that says, "I got this, I'm bigger than this, and you're mine". I'm so in. And I absolutely cannot wait.
Two things that have spoken truth to me this week:
"Everyone I know, it seems, wants to go to Africa, wants to volunteer for a few days in an AIDS clinic or an orphanage. And that's good. It's a good impulse to want to see it with your own eyes and to want to be a part of the solution. I encourage them to go and recommend organizations and churches to connect with, but inside myself, I whisper to them, Be careful. You will be haunted by what you find there, and you won't be able to wash away what you've seen and heard. You will see things and hear things, and then you will be responsible for them, for telling the truth about who you are and who you discover you are not, and for finding a way to make it right... Because once you see it, you will never be able to un-see it, and once you see it, you will be responsible for it, and for the self it reveals back to you." – Shauna Niequist
This was me. I had "travel to Africa" on my brain and when the opportunity came for me to go to Ghana in the summer of 2010, I jumped at the chance, wanting to see and take it all in. But I don't recall the meals that we had, the dust and dirt, the songs we sang, the hours we traveled. I do however, very distinctly remember the return and the acknowledgement that I was completely captivated by the children on the lake – even more, that I was absolutely responsible for helping do something about the things I witnessed. And the "revealed self"? Oh, yes. Yes, yes, and yes.
"One thing that struck me is that these Ghanaian boys and girls may not be her children, or mine, but they are God's -- and all we have to do is look at the Cross to see what kind of an "all-encompassing, bloody, sweaty fight" He put up to set His children free." – Hannah Miller
When we launched our Mommy Blogger initiative, this is one of the comments I saw posted. I immediately saved it to share. Remembering that these are God's kids makes me feel as if they are my kids in a very small "I will fight tooth-and-nail for you" kind of way. There is a resounding call for us to defend the helpless, yes? One of the things that Chris often says, that helps keep me grounded and retaining perspective, is the fact that God has known these children way longer than we have. He has been in Ghana way before we got there and deeply desires these children to be free way more than we ever could. And that is all the confidence I need for this week. It may not go according to our scheduled itinerary or look anything like what we have pictured in our minds, but it will very much go as He intends, and there is no doubt in my mind that we will walk out of that village on Sunday holding the hands of a group of precious little ones that are all His. We are ready. We are so incredibly hopeful.
Would you pray for us this week? Pray for the relationships we've built with the fisherman, that the release of the children will go as smoothly as possible. Pray for the transition of the children, and our long trek from the lake to the rehab shelter. Pray that we would learn well from our mistakes. Pray that our actions and words would be full of grace and joy. Pray that we will all be able to be fully present in every moment of each day. Pray for our hearts and the ways in which they will never be the same (praise God!) after this journey.
Check in on FB: we will be updating as we are able to over the next 8 days. Game. Time!
Archive for September 2012
I've mentioned a brilliant little book I recently finished, Cold Tangerines. My entire copy is now full of starred paragraphs and sentences, thoughts leaking out into the margins that I want to read over and over again, that I want to take a deep breath and soak in. I think should I ever write a book, this is the style I would like it to be in: quips and quotes and run-on thoughts that simply can't be contained within the confines of grammatical correctness but that instead overflow from each page into the hearts and minds of the readers.
Eh, one day.
For now, some thoughts on friendship from the book:
"Friendship is acting out God's love for people in tangible ways... It is an opportunity to act on God's behalf in the lives of the people that we're close to, reminding each other who God is... We get to remind one another about the bigger, more beautiful picture that we can't always see from where we are... True friendship... happens when we drop down into that deeper level of who we are, when we cross over into the broken, fragile parts of ourselves. We have to give something up in order to get friendship like that. We have to give up our need to be perceived as perfect. We have to give up our ability to control what people think of us. We have to overcome the fear that when they see the depths of who we are, they'll leave. But what we give up is nothing in comparison to what this kind of friendship gives to us. Friendship is about risk. Love is about risk. If we can control and manage it and manufacture it, then it's something else, but if it's really love, really friendship, it's a little scary around the edges."
It's like making 11 phone calls back and forth just to finish a conversation when you keep getting cut off, perfecting the cinnamon roll recipe and finding as much joy in the making as the eating, a 30th birthday party and staying late because the company is just that good, grilling in the rain just to share a new food, the final two minutes in a soccer game, hanging out all morning at Autozone because sometimes you just need a sidekick, and not being able to imagine life without these moments.
Life is ever changing, ever evolving, never predictable or stable. Just when I think it is, I am proven wrong. But, I am realizing more and more that in the same way that life around me changes, I am ever-changing, ever-growing, never staying the same. Obvious, really, but I often overlook the connection of those two things.
Outwardly, my tendencies are to be a bit free-spirited and somewhat nomadic (understatement). I've lived in 4 cities, in 6 different houses, with 6 different roommates, and held at least 15 different jobs in the last 6 years. I can be very sporadic and scattered and do things on a whim but inwardly, I tend to weigh everything to the extreme, prolong decisions until the last possible moment, and measure outcomes before I'm willing to jump in or commit.
Sometimes I am held captive by the naive thought that when things are going well and are settled, I don't have to change or do things differently. Who wants to rock the boat when there's even a hint of stability? Not this one! But then a new day comes, and I am forced to push further, called to do more and think bigger; it is then that I am reminded that life doesn't set up camp for long, and so I shouldn't either. I am challenged to consider new possibilities, to adapt, to be changed.
A few ways I am being challenged this week:
Give sacrificially: We are collecting clothes to take to the kids in Ghana next week who will be in our first rescue group and asking folks to donate/buy for that collection. Within an hour of posting the announcement, my inbox was overflowing with people wanting to help; 2/3 of those families/individuals were from out of town (think Washington, Ohio, Florida!) and willing to ship them. Wow. How many times do I discount opportunities because they are "not in my neighborhood" or would take a little extra time and effort to achieve? "Could we buy for more than one child?"... "I just heard about MP and saw your video; can I help?"... "I went to 9 different stores to find just the right outfits." I am challenged by these generous hearts.
Try something new: Along the same lines, we have some incredibly talented ladies who have used their sewing skills to put together hand-stitched quilts for each of our rescued kids. No small task, and I am amazed by their dedication and willingness to put so much love, time, and care into each creation. But check this out – it's not just ladies who joined in on the project! This is a behind-the-scenes look at a small group of guys from our church getting in on the quilting. Absolutely amazing. I am challenged by the ways in which they are willing to try something new and different and attempt (and succeed at) a not-as-manly task in order to help our kids.
Push harder: I've been blessed to run with a group of JH/HS cross country students a few mornings here and there as they are learning about pacing and running as individuals and as a team, learning to push themselves to go faster and further than they thought they were able. But, let me just say, I got owned the other morning on our run! I can go run 10 miles at a slow pace, but a fast 5k? Yep, that was me at the back of the pack. You guys go right on ahead... It cannot possibly be a sign of my getting old; it's much more likely that I just haven't run fast is quite some time. Yeah, yeah we're gonna go with that. These guys motivate and challenge me with their youthful energy.
Take a deep breath: Sometimes I let little (or big) changes affect me too much. Sometimes I make things into a bigger deal than they really are. Sometimes I need a reality check. But I've been hearing a lot lately to just "be present in the moment", "be willing to be flexible", "don't stress about it", "stop rambling and listen", "love each other well", "we'll cross that bridge when we get there", "enjoy the little moments", "pray more", "treat people better than they deserve", and on and on. I want to soak these things in! I am challenged by those who are investing in me.
Trust: Oddly enough, I've been asked several times lately what I think life will look like 5-10 years down the road. Based on how quickly things evolve around here, I honestly can't say. But I can answer with confidence that life will probably look a lot different than it does now. Not because I dislike the now (I actually very much like it), but because there is always a constant ebb and flow and change, and because I hope I'm not the same person 5 years down the road that I am now.
"God has a way of using inadequate people, and sometimes He calls us to reach a little higher or to stretch a little further, even when we feel we can't do any more. We simply trust Him. And then He gives us everything we need to do the "more" that He is asking of us." – Katie Davis
My compadres and I camped at Lake Whitney in Hillsburo, surprisingly the only tent campers in our area behind the RV spots. Come to think of it, that's likely why we were the only ones there. That, and I choose isolation over crowded lake-side sites every day of the week. Any PC folks remember this camping trip to Lake Whitney?
Ironically, that was one of the coldest nights I've ever camped... ever. We kept the same fire going all weekend and hardly strayed 10 feet from it except to play so many Nerts games I lost count.
Anyway, Amber and I perfected our ziploc bag omelet-making skills on this trip; we also tried out pizza skewers which were absolutely amazing. Sausage, green pepper, pineapple, and pepperoni on a skewer wrapped in cheese and crescent roll, cooked on the campfire and dipped in pizza sauce. Yes, please. Those will be making a comeback. We then drove in to Cameron Park (about 30 minutes) for the day on Sunday.
Cameron Park is truly one of my new favorite places. We hiked in the morning while it was still "cool", found a few geocaches, and then spent the afternoon running through a Splash Pad with 6-year-olds and playing disc golf in the shade. By "playing", I mean that I launched a piece of plastic about 10 ft each throw. Let's just say I have some practicing to do on that. I did, however, redeem myself in multiple games of Jungle Uno that night as we waited for brats to grill.
This was actually from two weekends ago, but since I'm so timely with my posts (though this week has been better... points?), I figured it would fit right in. It's not really exciting, but I'm loving Instagram and, well, I'm addicted to lists.
a. Coffee shop: this was at Sweet Eugene's which rounds out my visiting of every major coffee shop in town. (Weird personal goal?)
b. New recipes: I go through seasons of wanting to cook and try something new and wanting to just eat nothing but peanut butter and eggs. Thus are my eating habits. This time around was Southwestern Rice and Tilapia, a definite win.
c. Homemade Laundry Soap: loving it! I made a two gallon bucket recipe and while it doesn't have any scent to it, my running clothes came through without stench – a sure sign of success. This is super easy and dirt cheap too, also a win.
d. Blue Like Jazz: I've been wanting to see this for awhile, and talk about creative! I think it was pretty edgy and maybe a bit "out there" if you haven't read the book but overall very well done. And revolutionary. And gutsy. Speaking of gutsy, this is way late in the game, but I fine it compelling. I know nothing about the guy who wrote it, but I appreciate his boldness.
e. Book time: Life gets busy, and I tend to forget quiet time. But every now and then, I'm able to sneak a bit in. Worth it.
f. Pavement: Been hitting a lot of that lately, and it's been good. 5:30 Saturday morning group runs have been so great, way more enjoyable than I anticipated. Actual race training commences in two weeks!
Next up, one epic 101 degree day at Cameron Park.
Two posts about MP in one week, you ask? Why yes! It's been an amazing week for us here and just an exciting season overall; I can't help but share! After our Blog success early on in the week, we launched Building Hope on Wednesday – a campaign designed to raise the funds needed to build our missionary home on-ground in Ghana. Next summer, we will be sending two missionary couples to live in Ghana where their relationships and interaction there will allow us to be more effective and further our work to bring freedom to the kids still working on Lake Volta.
When I was in Ghana in March, we scoped out and purchased a 10-acre plot in Makongo for such a purpose; since then the land has been surveyed, and architectures are hard at work drawing up plans for the building. Our goal this month is to raise $60,000 to fund the building – a place for the couples to live as well as a place for family and supporters to stay while traveling over. The best part is, we have some incredibly generous people who will be matching every donation made this month up to $30,000.
Check out this video to see the design of the house and meet one of our missionary couples.
Fundraising is going so well, and we are just in awe of those who are supporting and affirming our work in Ghana in big ways. Our hope is that at least 150 families and individuals would get involved and truly share ownership of this home. More info can be found here if you'd like to join our efforts – it's not too late!
Topping the charts of excitement, a small group of us leaves for Ghana in less than three weeks, headed to rescue our first group of kids. We are so pumped about the culmination of this journey, about seeing God restore life for ~25 kids and return to share it all!
If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. –Abe Lincoln
There was quite the buzz going around about Mercy Project yesterday (and still today) – a buzz, as in 200 new Facebook fans, 400 unique visitors to our website, and nearly 700 new views of our documentary. Needless to say, we think this is absolutely fantastic. A dream was cast that we would set aside Labor Day as the perfect time for broadening awareness of the plight of the kids in Ghana and our efforts to help them. With the help of a friend and huge Mercy Project supporter, we started planning for and seeking 100 Mommy Bloggers to help us with an initiative to spread the word about the children in Ghana and our work to rescue them from slavery.
Because while we celebrated the social and economic achievements of American workers by enjoying a day off work and school, 7,000 children worked a 14 hour day in Ghana. As we hung out with friends and family, perhaps grilling out or spending time on a short vacation, 5-year-olds in Ghana spent their time paddling wooden boats, bailing water our of leaky canoes, and pulling small fish out of sticky nets.
And so, it seemed appropriate that we take the opportunity to seek advocates for our work and to not be merely satisfied with freedom in our immediate American circles but to demand it for those who are not blessed in the same manner, to shed light on situations of injustice, to further works that bring hope and redemption.
We have been so blessed by the 160+ people who joined our efforts yesterday and the estimated 100,000 new people who heard about Mercy Project as a result.
But the dream for freedom continues today and into the next; it continues until each child is brought out of slavery and is able to instead run and play and learn their ABC's. It continues until families are reunited and granted the ability to dream for a future that involves the health and happiness of their children and grandchildren.
Would you join us on the journey?
