ok it’s been months since an update…my bad. I’m currently in the Philippines eating all the rice and balut (some delicacy about half developed chickens still in the egg and hard boiled….it’s pretty gross but #yolo). but I wanted to share about last month in Mozambique. going into the month, I was very much ready to get out of Africa and experience cleanliness and modernization and chocolate and the freedom to show my knees. but I serve a surprising God and it turned out to be my favorite month so far on this race. Mozambique was by far the hardest country we have had to get into (half my squad was rejected and stayed behind in Malawi). and I kept thinking, “why are we trying so hard to get in? lets just go to another place? this isn’t worth all the trouble and money.” but it was. and some of us got through. and the team I was with ended up spending January in a magical place that constantly had me thinking I was living in Neverland with the lost boys. it’s called kedesh. it’s a home for boys that come from really difficult and abusive backgrounds. they lived downstairs and we lived upstairs in the treehouse. and we really lived fully. I saw that what we refer to as ministry is not this compartmentalized thing..it’s just living and loving like Jesus. maybe that means “controlling the goats.” or making donuts. or teaching English. or having dance battles in the cashew orchard. or sorting beans. or baking and then breaking bread for communion. I saw life and life abundant and I’ve never felt so content because Jesus is in the big and the small. just find Him and give Him glory for His goodness and His sense of humor. I wish I could better describe the beauty that I saw of God in this place or better yet take you with me. but then I’m like….nahhh…God wants to show us the vastness of His character right where we are. same God here as there. same goodness. challenge: find Him and give thanks for the small. we can praise and glorify through an amazing worship service, but we can also praise and glorify through sweet popcorn and laughter. it’s a beautiful thing. here are some pics of the hooligans I now love with my whole being…
