Hello Friends!
Recently scrolling back through my photos, I noticed my tendency to snap pictures to remember a specific moment rather to document the actual objects or people on the screen. I especially enjoy saving moments of time and space where the God of the universe has entered my life personally! I wanted to share a few of them to show how diverse the physical reality around me has been and how life-changing it is to experience God wherever I am!
The things I bring to my quiet times with Jesus: the biggest coffee cup I can find full of (instant) coffee, headphones for music, the Bible Project reading plan I have been following all year, my Bible and my journal. I brought 12 thin Moleskin journals on the race with me – one for each month + one extra. The first page of each month’s journal is a gratitude list where I record small things I’m grateful for each day. You’ll see these same objects often below:)
The photo above was taken in the back room of our host’s home in Maputo, Mozambique. The long wooden table, covered in that red plastic table cloth, is lined with benches and used for everything from quiet times to meal times to team times. Around it we shared testimonies, played card games, braided our hair, won at Resistance and organized our team finances.
This photo was taken as I sat on top of the picnic tables in the outdoor kitchen at Beacon of Hope, Mozambique. Everyone (racers, boys, dogs, goats) sat on top of them and walked on the benches to climb into seats and we would all cringe as the boards creaked beneath us. Each morning around 6am, a few of us would meet out here to read our bibles and share what God was teaching us. This outdoor area was also used for dance parties, dice games, art classes and watching storms and sunsets roll in.
Debrief in South Africa after Month One was full of reunions, plans, activities, sessions and external processing. But when I climbed down through the hostel property, hopped over the brick wall and slide gracefully down a grass hill – I had peace. I could take my shoes off, perch on a rock along the edge of a running creek, stick my feet in the cold water and listen intently to God’s voice. In this photo you can see the water splashes making the ink run in my bible notations. This was also the first time I had worn jeans in a month and it felt amazing.
This photo shows another area at the Old Vic where God met me. It was on this cement patio table that I sat down and wrote a good-bye letter to fear. It actually turned into a poem as I wrote which was strange and unintentional, but it gave me reassurance that God was leading me with joy, creativity, beauty and peace. I was also near the property’s aviary so the sound of birds calling and chirping filled the air as I wrote!
In Swaziland I quickly learned that if I missed my 6am quiet time, I would never have any alone time all day. So, I began looking forward to rolling out of my tent, grabbing my bible, journal and coffee and trudging through the mud to the front porch of the blue preschool you see on the left of this photo. Preschool started around 830a but kids arrived hours early and would often sit next to or on me as I read. Although it was constantly covered in dirt (and so was I), the step protected us from rain, stayed cool in the mornings and provided distance from the main house – although it was close enough to hear the call for breakfast! For me, this dirty concrete front stoop represents God meeting me in the wilderness.
After the constant dirt, tenting and general struggle of Swaziland, my quiet times in Madagascar during month three looked radically different. The clean white bed (BED!) you see revealed just how brown the edges of my bible and the pages of my journal had become. With breakfast being served at 630a and the van for campus ministry leaving by 730a, I typically waited until the late afternoon to read and write. After spending the entire day listening for direction and guidance from the Spirit, these quiet times were often one of pure worship and joy at what He had done and was doing all around us. You can also see the different journals around me as I transitioned from one month to the next.
As wonderful as our Madagascar accommodations were, I was sharing a bedroom with three other girls so my hammock became an oasis of space and silence. There were dozens of our colorful hammocks set up in these trees – above the wandering chickens. This place holds a special place in my heart as God specifically led me to the hammocks several times throughout the month to hear from Him and to meet with friends to learn through conversation, community and fellowship.
The last week and a half of Madagascar, my team moved into Antananarivo to find contacts and ministries for future teams in the country. We stayed in a hostel that had a backyard you wouldn’t expect – with pomegranate trees, banana trees, a small pool, a wild bunny, a little swing set, a slide set in the hill and a little gazebo. Most mornings I brought my instant coffee, a croissant and an avocado with me to read it in – which was wonderful! The hostel itself was a place where my anxiety from years past was suddenly brought back by the enemy to stop the work we were doing for the Kingdom, so this outdoor area became my escape. Some mornings I had no other option but to pace back and forth, praying and reading and repeating psalms over and over until I felt His peace break over me and free me to breath again. He always did.
It is very difficult to keep any sort of routine during travel days across continents for normal activities such as eating, sleeping or reading. Overnight flights using florescent lights to initiate sleeping and waking hours recently led to my inability to sleep for days. In desperation, I read. After a particularly frustrating and uncomfortable flight from Ethiopia to Bangkok, our flight hopped over to Kuala Lumpur and sneaky Jesus blessed me with an entire row of empty seats. In praise and gratitude, I balanced my bible on the wobbly tray and read and took this picture to document His continual love and goodness toward me.
I left Kuala Lumpur with a new (temporary) girls team. We felt called to head south and picked the town of Malacca to stay for a few days and see what was next. Upon arrival to this historical, artistic, simple, relaxing and welcoming little town, we knew we would stay longer. A short walk down the lane from our hostel, Backlane Coffee became our team’s daily morning devotional spot. Sipping coffee, reading and connecting to our Father independently, we would move into a time of sharing and growing together each morning. This is our precious space of impeccable design, a constantly repeating french song and attempts to plan days that were in His hands all along.
The most recent picture is from another adorable and delicious cafe in Melaka, Malaysia called The Daily Fix. On our first day of wandering, we met a hostess who we immediately knew we had to be friends with! So we returned several time to read, write, eat and develop friendships with the employees. While pursuing God, we get to experience His pursuit of our hearts and partner with him as he pursues others.
I hope this gives you a brief insight into the most important daily activity in the life of a Racer, a follower and a human. But more importantly, I hope it reaffirms your innate knowledge that God is everywhere and that He longs to talk to you in a coffee shop, on an airplane, off a dirty floor, at a wooden table – anywhere you can take a moment to open up your heart, ask and listen.
Love You All!
Hannah
