I’m Actually Here
Before I left on the race, Africa was the continent I was most excited about. I can’t say for sure I know why that was the case. It could be the culture, or it could be the sceneries that I have seen displayed on TV (Lion King!) and pictures throughout my life. Now that I have come, I can say that I would love to come back here at some other point in my life because of the people.
I grew up in the south where hospitality is a thing, but it doesn’t even begin to match up to the hospitality here. Their love for us and each other amazes and humbles me. I’m beyond blessed to have served in Zambia for our first month in Africa!
We lived and served with Pastor Bryon and his family. Ministry looked different from day to day, from door-to-door ministry and preaching, to praying for people at health clinics and visiting an orphanage. The soul purpose for being there was to take out the gospel and inviting people to become apart of the Lords Kingdom and church.
I’ve had some surreal moments when closing my eyes and hearing the sounds of Africans singing and dancing. It’s a scene that we find quite often here. We tend to need more to have moments like that: nice comfortable buildings, top-notch speakers and lights, and a perfectly planned out music program in order to set the mood, to invite the presence of the Lord. Oh, and air condition.
What we found in Zambia was several Christians packed into one small living room about the size of our bathrooms singing, dancing, and studying the Word. Would you walk to church several times a week if that were what you were coming to? Perhaps I was back in the States, I probably wouldn’t have. Hmm… But now that I’ve experienced that, I don’t think I’ve experience anything so genuine. I don’t cast judgment on anyone but challenge us all, including myself to really take that, think on it, and get to the bottom of what we are really loving in our walk with the Lord. Is it the flashy attraction that we display in our churches, the musical instruments we play, that feeling (the goose bumps) we get when being emotional with the Lord, and/or hanging with our social groups? Or do we really desire a relationship with the Lord that may require sacrifice and suffering? If you took all those things away, would the Lord still be in the picture? Just some food for thought…
