Mzungu (pronounced [m̩ˈzuŋɡu]) is the southern, central and eastern African term for a person of foreign descent. Literally translated it means "someone who roams around aimlessly" or "aimless wanderer"
Here in my little village…this translates to: There's a white person..everyone look!
Do I have a problem with this? Nah, I mean..it'd be awesome to be a person with a name rather than just the white person who's walkin' around town but I knew to expect this in Kenya.
I was given something new at this past debrief in Romania before Africa. A new team. I loved my girls..God, did I love my girls..but holy moly did you bless me with this new team. We found out that mentally and spiritually we were all ready to go. You know what that is like?? To have everyone on the same page as you mentally and spiritually?? So here I am in Romania with these 5 new folks to travel down to Africa with and you know what God gave us?
A village.
It's not even on the map, but Butere, Kenya is about the closest "big market" near us (for those who want to google).
Each day we wake up to go do ministry in the jungle..walking from hut to hut…school to school..talking about the gospel. Praying. Asking for healing. Giving words of encouragment. Worship. Sermons. Do you hear this? I'm the girl who the past three months has been doing manual labor and painting nonstop. I'm the girl who has been terrified of her inadequate knowledge of the bible. I'm the girl who is terrified of playing worship in front of others. I'm the girl who has never given a sermon. I'm the girl. You know what the locals see?
After the first week here I began to see a similar trait of folks wanting the mzungu's
to bless their home, to pray for them, to ask for healing, or to seek words
of encouragment. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've prayed
and tried to encourage these people that their words..are JUST AS IMPORTANT.
I'd like to say that I'm frustrated and just end my blog now to keep it short, but
here we go…
Didn't Jesus wander aimlessly around? Didn't He go from door to door to talk about the gospel? To pray? To heal? My amazing friend/team member, Lauren, spoke Matthew 7:24 over me this month..I had no clue why until I ended up using it at a church meeting. It's said that people in Kenya have a relationship with God that's miles wide but only inches deep..so I would challenge them every time I had the opportunity to speak to get intimate with their Creator.
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on rock – Matthew 7:24
We're all the faces of Jesus. Why should I be offended if people are asking me for prayers, sermons, and/or blessings? I should take every opportunity I can to tell these people to start building a freaking foundation of faith. I should have the same faith Peter and John had and tell people to get up and walk because of Christ Jesus. God placed me on this mission trip to become a missionary..to wander aimlessly and breathe life into people as I go.
If mzungu means Jesus then I'll accept the position.
