Well, I have officially experienced the heat of Africa. It is a heat that is unrelenting, that leaves you drenched in sweat and in prayer for a faint breeze or some shade. I am drinking about 2 nalgenes a day (1 liter each) and am still thirsty for more. I have been told by the locals that we came at the worst time of year. We are in the dead of summer and the monsoon season. The rain has been sparse and except for that first day we have only had a few short lived showers. I have been pouring two buckets of water (that we have to haul from a well) on myself morning and night to try to keep cool but it only helps for a few minutes before I am drenched in sweat again. But I am still greatful to be here and relishing in this year of Kairos.
We have completed our first few days of ministry. We are working with a ministry called Well of Jacob. It is a community outreach program that was started by a man named Paul. He is a great man of God. He started the ministry about 10 years ago when his church brought up that there was a need for orphan care in the area. He offered a home and his heart to take care of them and has been growing the ministry since. He is also blind, and speaks pretty good english. The ministry has formed to be a kind of community outreach program and he structures the week to provide care to the orphans in the area, spend time with the widows, pray for the sick at the hospital, and build new homes for those in need. It amazes me how much need there is in this area for love and prayer and healing, and how God is using us and locals around to do it.
This week for ministry we spent time with the orphans and prayed for the sick in the hospital. I had a bit of an emotional breakdown (more on this later) on Friday so I missed the hospital but there will be more opportunities. It is both an amazing and humbling experience to see how the people here live and how they are so full of joy. My favorite part was playing African games with the children and just laughing and smiling.
While we were playing a little girl named Rosa came over. She was paralyzed in one leg and had a deformed arm. She was not a part of the orphanage but just sat down beside us. I really don't know how she got there. When I first saw her she looked nearly dead, very skinny and lying on the ground with an empty gaze in her eyes. Andy saw her first and immediately went over to her. He started praying for her and before I knew it nearly our whole team was over her, offering her prayer and love. We also found out she was mentally handicapped. I don't know how she got there because none of us saw her walk over, but she walked home and lead us there with her to her parents who were very excited to see us and wanted us to hang out for the afternoon. By then it was time to leave so we just prayed with them, exchanged smiles, and said bye for now. At the start of the prayer Rosa was sitting next to us and by the time we got done she was across the yard playing with her friends, interacting and all. Praise God.
Also, today I got the chance to go to my first African Church service and boy was it fun! Tons of dancing and laughter and smiles. The service was nearly two hours and was outside in a hut type of structure. They greeted us with smiles and prayers and songs of welcome and asked us to give a 20 minute sermon. Matt who is on my team orchestrated a skit about how the Israelites were cast out into the desert for 40 days and nights and had to rely on God to save them. It was both funny and touching to watch my fellow teammates try to minister to a crowd of people who don't speak their language doing something they has never done before. It was recieved well and luckily we had a translator to tell the story as we flittered about onstage. I am seeing a need for biblical knowledge and teaching all around me. Though there are a high percentage of "Christians" many are unfamiliar with the bible and the gospel and what it means to know christ and be saved. That is the main focus of the Iris missionaries that are stationed here full time and I would say they are having quite the impact.
In all the excitement I still miss my friends and family and the cool mountain air. I had chocolate today that was amazing. Their version of nutella all over a banana for breakfast. Yum.
May God's blessings be all over you as the year progresses.
-Desirae Dawn
