How Am I Really Doing?

I wrote this little diddy in Swaziland! I wanted to update you all from a very personal place in my heart. Since then I have been resting in Hong Kong and am ready to ship out very shortly in a matter of hours to the largest country in Asia.

Hey everyone!
I just thought I’d send out a casual and personal update. Not to worry, I will keep the story telling juices flowing throughout the rest of my faith journey – and by God I will never cease to preach Truth whenever I have a platform! But for now, I’m hopping off the soapbox.

Quite honestly, I’ve taken to the nations like a little duck to the water. I love it out here.

It’s funny how quickly I’ve acclimated to all sorts of living situations and accommodations. The food is food and a necessary evil. (Think lots of carbs and peanut butter and not much of anything fresh!)

There’s a few highlight meals that I’ve had: South African braai (bbq) with a lamb chop, beef on a stick and a local sausage piled up on a plate, a pretty awesome goat cheese salad that Jamie treated me to while on safari in Mongena and also anything that my team mate Abby Twarek whips up is delicious but heavy on the hips!
If I do miss anything it’s all the amazing produce we have access to in California. God has been good to me because I have not lacked avocados or salsa making ingredients!

So as of now, I have not eaten anything on the dare list that the youth group back home asked of me. (Sorry guys, I have yet to encounter an appetizing looking cockroach!)
Speaking of cockroaches: thank you to my special prayer warriors who are committed to interceding against bugs attacking me.

I specifically mention this because, God has been really working through my curious personality and love for nature to show me the beauty in bugs! Yep. It’s true. Not only are the bugs not staying away, they’re abundant out here and as scary as they seem it’s not anything a deep breath and a good smack of a shoe can’t fix! J Some bugs are my friends now, like the praying mantises I keep encountering and finding out here in Africa. I actually am comfortable enough to pick up bugs with my hands now, sometimes with a stick if they’re bigger than any of my fingers, and again if they look hostile they get the shoe smack.

Keep praying for me about the bugs – a big one was crawling on me the other night and I felt it buzzing in my ear. NOT FUNNY!

People on the other hand have been wonderful to encounter!

I’m thoroughly enjoying “making friendsies” with the natives and other locals. Again, my natural curiosity and in part my “sparkling personality” have given me an edge in making inroads and getting to know people. I’m not shy – you all know that – and it’s a huge advantage scoping out whatever area or region I may be working in. I talk to strangers pretty much all the time. Just flash a smile, wave and say hello is the technique I use. Pretty basic.

This aspect of my faith journey has led to many divine appointments and opportunities in meeting people who need to hear the Gospel, receive prayer or are in desperate need of encouragement as fellow saints in the faith! I’m just doing my best to bring Jesus into every situation. People need to encounter God.

Not to worry, I am also rubbing elbows with team mates and squad mates! We are family – in other words, we are all far from perfect and functional together! Ha ha.

Which leads me to updating about community living: by God’s grace here I am. Giving up my autonomy has been the biggest challenge yet. I’m pretty cooperative 99.9% of the time unless it’s anything completely stupid or ungodly/unbiblical that is asked of me. I have to take orders and roll with the punches pretty much all the time.

It’s a strange feeling for sure since I never went through the dorm-living experience or have lived amongst a mixed group of people for prolonged periods of time. I hope living like this doesn’t give me a complex – I only say this half kidding. Stepping on toes is inevitable and mine get stepped on daily.

God is good in that He provides comfort in the form of other like-minded individuals and also people who are just overall really funny and great!

Living in this type of community has certainly taught me a great deal about picking my battles and praying without ceasing. It has also taught me a great deal about being who I am, and not worrying what people think.
The Lord has been good in giving me ample space and alone time opportunities so that I can recharge as an introvert! Don’t be surprised!!!
As friendly as I am and as much as I love people, I have always preferred to be by myself and alone. I enjoy my own company (and Jesus’) more than the company of others. It’s the best.

However, I have grown to love people: people who are annoying and loud, people who are the complete opposite of me, people who are confused most of the time, people who are the opposite side of the same coin, people who are wonderfully sweet, people who want to live like God’s holy people and people who would prefer to exist on the fringes of God’s permissive will and abuse His grace. We’re a mixed bunch!

The bottom line is that I am growing in love. (Don’t misread that as me being in love with this community lifestyle, by any means.)

Growing in love has involved a lot of digging deeper into the Scriptures, finding myself on my knees in fervent prayer, and experiencing God’s attributes through some uncomfortable situations. I get to see Jesus in others. I get to see Jesus working on behalf of others. I get to see Jesus working through others. I get to see Jesus doing all of this for me and in me too.

I won’t lie; there have been days so far on this race where I want to hurry the Lord along and ask Him to either come back or take me home to heaven. I’ve experienced and witnessed some jacked up stuff.     

There’s a whole lot of pruning going on and growing up in the faith for sure – no doubt about that! I can’t help but fall more in love with my Jesus when I see what He can do through the Gospel and how He never ceases to amaze me. Jesus is absolutely glorious. Glorious! This is a new level of honeymooning with the God of wonders as we walk hand-in-hand (and sometimes me on His shoulders) through some really dry places.

But overall, I’m in my element doing missions and my walk with Jesus is enhanced as my faith is strengthened in times of trial. I LOVE just living out my life with Jesus out here in the nations.

Some days I do very much miss home, and the comforts of familiarity and being surrounded by a community of bible-believers and friendly faces. I miss the fellowship. Oh yes, and I also miss the beautiful shores of the Pacific coast! Sometimes, I sit out on the furthest ledge of a big mountainside rock up here in Swaziland and I close my eyes and pretend I’m at the beach…

…and when I open my eyes again, I thank God for being right where He wants me to be, wherever that may be in the moment.

Every day is a gift from God.
Praying for you & loving you with all my heart from afar…
under His banner,
Meldi

Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
[Psalm 27:3-4]