NO AC! Feel itchy all the time!! Feels like bugs are on me 24/7! heat rash! No fan! Scraped up knee, cannot sleep, and so much more. These are all things which were happening and could not even focus on ministry 100%. Anxiety came over me and for a second I just wanted to go to the comfort of my home. Thoughts were just about me and not about what God wanted. One day it finally hit me that this suffering is nothing to what the Lord suffered and sacrificed for us. If he could go through so much, then why couldn’t I deal with being uncomfortable for just a little while. It states in Romans 8:18 -Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. Never will I ever take for granted all the blessings the Lord has given me. I will be honest and say that I did not want to come to Africa. When I first saw all the routes for the World Race, I completely skipped the ones with Africa in it. I had no interest in being here. Nothing I had ever heard or seen captured my attention. Being here has opened my eyes to so many things. Looks completely different than on TV. At least where I have been.
I learned and lived the true meaning of the word in Cote D’Ivoire. I had stated before that I had put myself in people’s shoes before, but I lied to self. I had not known the true meaning of humility until arriving to Africa.
We got off the plane in Abidjan and I thought oh boy was I going to be hot. Started sweating right off the plane. So many new things, different environment, and finally a language I did not understand. Such a culture shock as well. The day after arriving to Abidjan we traveled to Ferke which is in the northern part of Cote D’Ivoire. Travel day was quite the experience. To find the bus was insane. I have seen markets but nothing crazy like the one’s I experienced. Had to be in a taxi car in a street where you cannot even move, people are hitting the car, vendors everywhere and no direction at all. There are just no words to explain the madness. We were dropped off at wrong bus station which is just a hole in the wall kind of place and had to walk through sketchy area for maybe half a mile with our packs to find the correct one. I knew God had our back but could not help but still feel a bit scared. Team had been warned that there were lots of thieves and area was not good. Made it to CK bus stop. I was so happy to see the rest of my team since we had taken separate taxis to bus stop. We headed to what we were told would be a 5-6-hour bus ride to Ferke. Not so much, took 12 hours to get there with no food and little water. Very bumpy road. No sleep, my feet swollen, thirsty, hungry and had to experience the squatty pottys for the first time. That was a culture shock. At places we stopped for restroom break, the people provided kettles full of water. For what I don’t know, but I used it to clean area around me. I knew to carry toilet paper though (very vital, TP not very popular in Africa). All this beat the alternative which was using the “bathroom” on the side of the road. What I learned was that you keep your eyesight straight ahead in those situations. Talk about out of comfort zone. Yes, I ended up going on side of the road a time or two. Soooo uncomfortable……
After the 12-hour bus ride, the team finally made to Ferke. A primarily Muslim area. Los Mensajeros were the only team sent to north of Cote D’Ivoire. Even though I had heard we were in a Muslim area, I was so surprised how open people were to prayer. God is moving there. We stayed in a hospital compound for 10 days. We prayed by faith around the outside walls of hospital like Jericho, knowing God will do some miracles and change people and situations. We believe God has no limitations nor has exceptions for anyone. My team and I also got to meet Glenn and Linn. They are a couple who is working on translating the bible for the first time to the Nyarafolo people and helping widow women. How cool is that. It was amazing just being there and getting to spend time with the widow women. In their culture, pretty much widows mean nothing. God is doing some wonderful things. Our team joined the widows to their new land which was purchased to help others like them. It will be used as a chicken farm. Seeing their excitement and how they praised God was such a joy. Our host there Linda, Sharri and GOZA were so wonderful. I felt like I was home. Well that is their hospitality which made it seem like it. There were many ways God moved there, but me being so uncomfortable took away from me seeing the entire picture to God was doing. After 10 days in Ferke, my team and I went to a village for another 10 days. There what me thinking felt miserable just got worse, I still itched, but now I thought I had bugs on me all the time. Still hot and now my knee banged up after I fell the first day running after some kids while playing. It was hurting and could not sleep well because of the pain. I made sure I was taking appropriate care of the knee because I did not want it to get infected and my leg fall off. My team told me to leave it alone and probably thought I was nuts and exaggerating for wrapping it so much. I don’t know about them, but here in Africa even a little cut or mosquito bite will turn into something big. I have seen too many infections go wrong. I will have to say though that I was using honey as an antibacterial ointment and surprisingly it helped my knee heal. God gave us natural medicine and I thank him for it. Now I see how God puts us through situations at times that we are uncomfortable for our own good. It took me 3 weeks to get what God was trying to show me. I was there suffering for just a tiny bit and soon would be leaving, but the people there will stay. It is their life and it is all they know. Even during their situation, they still praise God.
I had the privilege to meet two teams who were in the process of translating the bible in the people’s native language for the first time. Here In the village Denny and her team were also translating the Bible. Dara, Cristen and I were able to participate in printing and putting some books of the Bible together. Romans was one of the books printed and given to the Palika women during lady’s night. It was so heartwarming how they reacted to receiving this book. They were excited and stated that now they did not have to wait until Sunday to study the word of God. Some women could not read but will make every effort to learn so that they can read the Bible. It made me think twice and those women have encouraged me to dig deeper into God’s word. I am blessed with being able to read and have the bible yet I do not read it as much.
After changing my perspective and remembering why I am on The World Race, I could see what God was showing me. If I had to suffer a little while to really understand humility, then it was all worth it. I can now also say that how I felt about Africa is different. I really enjoyed the people in the village, especially the children. Being able to love on them when they are not shown love or a hug after the age of 2 was heart breaking. But Jesus is love and he is who I always want to represent. To him be the glory and will continue strong even during tough times. I left a piece of my heart with the Palika people in the village. Denny and Vern who were our host and really spoiled us will also be remembered as well. I thank God for putting them as our host because they felt like mom and dad while I missed mine. I thank God for what he does and for giving me the strength to continue while I felt like I could not. Days that I wanted to cry or scream seemed so hard, but God never leaves our side. If we continue seeking the Lord, he will remain faithful. I had to change my focus and perspective of things. I am here to serve my God who has never failed me and will continue strong until the end. Wish I could tell every single detail of how the Lord worked with me in Cote D’Ivoire, but I would not end. Know it was the hardest month for me and it came to a point where I considered going home. But when the thought came I just prayed and prayed. I remembered how before the race the Lord had told me he would bring me through all these nations and then take me back to my homeland. He told me to do his work and serve Him faithfully and that he would be with me every step of the way. Well again he reminded me of this in my low point. I am holding on to this promise and will serve him with all my heart. I will continue being his hands and feet and ready for the next step of this journey. NOT GIVING UP!!!
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now, rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
