Another month down, only 6 more to go. Month 5 has been an interesting one with its fair share of both highs and lows. Personally for me it has been a very good month. I feel like the Lord has given me a lot of peace with my being on this trip. I feel as if the Lord has shown me a lot of the reason that he has me here, the reason I am gone on this 11 month trip to seemingly all corners of the world. It seems in some way a very strange trip for a 22 year old to take. But I think he has shown me a lot dealing with just the preparation this trip has given me for the rest of my life. It sounds a little silly to a certain extent, preparation for the rest of my life, but then on the other hand seems to make a lot of sense. I think this trip is, one still working on me, but also is a “sharpening of the axe” as my father would say, or a time of realignment with the lord in some big ways. So, not that revelation on this trip is done for me, but it has been nice to receive that.
The month as far as ministry was concerned was a little difficult. We found very few of the people group we were actually looking for and it just seemed as if we could have done a lot more with our time, had we known better what we were doing and how to go about it. Hindsightof course is 20-20 but, it would have been nice. However, we did get to make some cool relationships around where we were staying. We made good friends with the people who worked at Starbucks and I met a really cool guy who lives in Istanbul just today. I feel Istanbul is indeed a tough place to do work, but also a neat one, because people here are so relational.
The highlight of my month was getting to play soccer with a bunch of university guys. Some friends of mine on another team invited me to come play with a few guys, one of whom they had recently shared the gospel with. It was a neat time for me. After we played soccer at midnight, we went back to this guys house. He is a devout Muslim, one of the few I’ve met, but was also very interested in what we had to say about Jesus. We told him that yes we did believe Jesus was a prophet but also so much more. We talked about why we believe there is a need for a savior, and why we believe that was Jesus of Nazarene. It was probably the first time I had a very intelligent conversation with a Muslim about who I believe Jesus is and why. I leave with this guy still practicing Islam, but I really feel as if that is a planted seed. As C.S. Lewis put it in writing to a friend in the book A Severe Mercy, “The Lord seems to have a hold on your life, I’d be surprised if you got away.”
Also, this month was my first Christmas away from home. It was definitely difficult to spend the holidays away from home. I suppose if I think about it, I would have thought my first Christmas away from home would be with my significant other’s family, though I don’t know who they are yet. It was not easy to be away from the traditions and the people I normally associate with Christmas. However we did make do the best we know how here. I did still watch a Muppets Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve as is tradition in the Edquist house-hold.
However, the month has come and gone and I am now in my last night in Istanbul. We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon and heading to Kenya. Its an interesting place to be on the verge of heading to Africa. I feel like when you think poor and you think missions you think Africa, its very much the face of the 3rd world if you may. I am excited and scared, and anything and everything in between. We will be working with an unreached people group in Kenya. We will have, what I’m sure will be, a thrilling 20 hour bus ride to our site from Nairobi straight into the bush. It will be about as Africa as Africa can get. We will be by ourselves and we will be a ways away from civilization is my understanding.
Please be praying for the safety of my team and also the well being. That we can really grow to trust one another this month, that we can love each other well and be a wall of support for one another.
I also really appreciate the comments during Christmas time….it was and is a real blessing to hear from home always, and I really appreciate the comments I got.
Hope all is well back home. God Bless.
