Swaziland.. what a beautiful country. Our third African country.. in two weeks we will be headed to Europe.. that just sounds so crazy to say. We are currently working at an AIM (Adventures in Missions) care point outside of Manzini, Swaziland. This place is sponsored by a church in California and the work they have done is amazing. We are living in a blue hut.. which is so awesome.. I don't know what they make these things out of but it really helps it stay cool in here. Here are a few phrases i have learned of their language- Swati
ligami lami Crystal- my name is crystal
Ngiyakuthandza– i love you
moyaloyincwele– holy spirit
umuhle– you are beautiful
Loads of children come here everyday to get food. They show up in the morning and play and get fed two meals a day. They have a huge play ground to play with. It is such an amazing set up.. and the women give so freely of their time to come here and cook for all the children. We have been partnered up with another team this month- the Fruits! And we couldn't be happier.. we have been praying for this partnership all year! Talk about community.. in a round hut with 9 girls.. sharing very little space and air. It's been nice to have other people around to hear their stories.. and worship has been awesome. Pressing into a completely new level.. A few nights ago Misty, Berdien, and I had such an awesome worship session and were so heavy in the spirit that we had jello legs and could barely walk out of the room! It twas awesome.. made me want more!
So this month has been awesome for me. During month 8 debrief i was in a funk. I couldn't quite figure out what was wrong. I was over community.. didn't want to talk to anyone about my "feelings".. i was fine with coasting through the rest of this year in the same level i was at. I couldn't concentrate during worship.. and honestly i didn't have much to say to anyone at this point. But during our debrief meeting.. we were challenged to go deeper. Don't let this be the end.. yeah there is only 2 months left but lets let these 2 be the best two of the race. Lets have as much, if not more, fire for the last few countries as we did in the beginning. I didn't want to hear it at first.. i was at a point that i was done with people trying to tell me what to do.. cause obviously i know what's best for me right? haha… So I was still slightly annoyed with people trying to encourage me to reach new levels as we started into month 9. Finally i talked myself off a ledge.. decided to get over myself.. which i have to do quite often.. and give in and surrender it all the God.. again. Once again found myself drowning in his mercies and grace.. He is so good.. and what he did was show me many more sides of who is. Things i would have never seen unless i had decided to quit being so stubborn and be intentional about seeking more of Him and His perfection. He has been revealing Himself to me through his Word, through worship.. through my prayer life. It has all increased more this month than it has all year. Just proof that He isn't done with me yet this year.
So while in a bible study with my team last night.. we are studying 2 Corinthians.. I found myself feeling really conflicted about a few things. Paul is talking about a lot of the persecutions he is going through and how tough life as a believer is for him… but that it is al worth it to spread the Gospel. I am reading a book called radical.. and it is amazing.. I'm just a quarter of the way through.. but it is one of those "life changer" books. I can't stop thinking about all the things I'm reading about. I started thinking about all the people i know back home.. that go to church on Sunday.. pray before meals and bed.. and this is the extent of their relationship with God. That they believe that they are saved and that this is what Christianity is all about. This year has opened my eyes to so many different things and this is one of them. The amount of faith other cultures have to rely on God for all of the things they need is shocking. The way that in closed countries people have to sneak around to houses just so they can read the Word of God and pray together. The way people walk for miles in raging heat to attend the only church in the villages they live in, while we complain about hopping in a car and driving over 15 minutes to the church of our choice. Their bibles are sacred and weathered from usage.. while ours are usually collecting dust on the shelf.
I have realized this year that the American church is in desperate need of the Holy Spirit. We need a intervention! Its sad how little we rely on God for anything.. How most of us can look at our schedules and if there is time or space we will squeeze a little Jesus in there.. The way God had envisioned Christianity is a life full of Jesus and then if there is time or space then we can squeeze a little more Jesus in.. Most people look at this as being restrictive.. but its quite the opposite! There is so much freedom in knowing that God has created us to live lives fully devoted to him.. and with this freedom we have an unexplainable joy that is a part of living in the Spirit! 1 Peter 1:8 says "You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious inexpressible joy." This comes with fully relying and trusting that He is who he says He is!
This trip has changed me so much.. and has changed my perspective on so many things. It breaks my heart not only for the people i have met this year on the race; the poor, the hungry, the sick, the lost, and the homeless. Though i have met many of these.. My heart is currently breaking for the "saved". The people back home that are Christians just for the mere fact that they grew up in a Christian home. They go to church,they do all the things that you are supposed to do… according to what they know. But it breaks my heart that they are all fooled..
This is not how God had intended the church to be. Its not supposed to be easy. Some of you think that when you become a Christian,life becomes easier. You become a Christian and bad things will never happen to you. You become a Christian and you will always have a job and your families will live in the protective little bubble. But this isn't true.. God said it would be tough.. maybe even harder for us than for non-believers.
What breaks my heart even more.. and i discussed with my team the other night, is that enemy has so many people fooled into thinking that they are ok. That the lives they lead are right.. and that they are living good and holy lives without even knowing that there is so much more to be revealed to them.
Most Christians just believe what they have always been told and what they grew up learning in church. It wasn't till this year that i actually have read the bible and started to realize that what i thought i had learned all years isn't at all what i was reading.. I think huge things would happen to the American church if everyone would pick up their bible and let God reveal himself to them. The bible doesn't say that life is going to be easy.. quite the opposite. That life is going to be hard! There WILL be suffering and persecution! Romans 8:23 says " And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Sprit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day with God will give us our full rights as his adopted children."
God has put a calling on each and every one of our lives .. and it isn't an easy calling… but the reward is unmatched. We have been commissioned and chosen to spread the love of Christ.. to make sure that everyone has heard and seen what truly following Him and seeking after His Kingdom looks like. There are different ways of showing this.. you may not even always need words. Just live a life of love, edification, servant hood, of giving generously (not necessarily money or things, but of time and energy- it is so much more meaningful to most people) And others will see the love of Christ all over you and will know something is different.. and they will want it. We are holy- to be set apart… can most of you say that you live a life set apart? Would the people around you know that you are different?
Be Holy
Be Contagious
Be Radical
Do great things for His Name
Change the World
Kingdom Come!
