01.24.2017
Today was a whirlwind. It was our first full day in Zavala. We traveled here yesterday in preparation to do village ministry, plant seeds for Africa On Fire, and help breakdown and rebuild the village church that we brought supplies for. Today was a day full of joy, laughter, a bit of stillness, frustration, waiting, tears, and healing. Literally a whirlwind colliding with a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. Needless to say it was all extremely unexpected for sure.
…I didn’t expect to be told to wake up at 6:00 to help breakdown and rebuild a church, only to be told since I was a woman I couldn’t help, but I did. The village community asked us at the service the night prior to be up, ready to go at 6:00, to help the village begin working on the church. We arrived and there were about 5-7 men working. We jumped in, helping where we could. I had picked up a rake and started raking the scraps and old broken pieces of wood and debris. This was when another boy who was raking got scolded in Chipe, the native language of this village. He was scolded because a woman was helping, and it was then that my rake was taken from me and we were no longer given any tasks to do. We went and sat down in chairs until breakfast/tea time, twiddling our thumbs. We kept asking how we could help and time and time again we were told “one minute.” We didn’t lift another finger the rest of the day when it pertained to building the church.
…I didn’t expect to be blessed with fresh coconut water and coconut meat, but I was. One of the guys who works with us, Emedio, grew up in Zavala and still had family there. After our scrumptious breakfast of bread, peanut butter, and jelly, Emedio brought out 5 freshly picked coconuts and then went to get more for the rest of our team. He also opened them for us. I don’t think I have ever been so happy in my life! We basically had an endless supply of coconut water and coconut meat. It was such a blessing! I was in heaven! We had so much that we became full since we has already had breakfast, tea, and coffee, so I figured to recover from this morning’s catastrophe and still be helpful I would pass out the remaining coconut meat to the village.
…I didn’t expect that while sharing the coconut with those throughout the village, I would be mocked and laughed at, but I was. To be quite honest, it was degrading and humiliating. Zavala was filled with a lot of darkness. Combine that with the language barrier and the lack of our Chibuto friends, our time there was already hard enough. The experience reminded me of how Jesus was mocked and laughed at at times while sharing the Gospel. When I got to the first set of men, they wouldn’t accept the coconut from me. Then one of the translators convinced one of the boys to take some coconut, explaining that I was trying to bless them. The boy preceded to open his mouth and motioned his hands towards me and said, “Serve me,” and shoved his mouth around my spoon. Then laughed in my face. At the next group of women I came to they all laughed at me and teased me as I was passing out coconut. In their broken English they said things like “Give me glasses,” “I want shorts.” It was like they didn’t even care that I was attempting to share in community with them even though a language barrier kept us from communicating. It took this experience to show me that not all cultures function the same, especially the way women are viewed. I simply wasn’t expecting it.
…I didn’t expect to go swimming in the Indian Ocean today, but after twiddling our thumbs most of the day , Pastor Artur decided to surprise us and take us. We all hopped in the flatbed truck and headed for the beach. We picked up some locals on the way to help us find the beach. Our trip to the beach turned in to an unexpected adventure. When we arrived at the beach it was unlike any “beach” I had ever seen. There wasn’t an actual “beach” like we are used to in the states. There was land and then there was a beautiful teal blue and green ocean. The locals were in the water in two seconds, and the rest of us soon followed. It seemed like the 4 feet of water went on forever. We actually never reached a part of the ocean that was over four feet. We had gotten pretty far out and didn’t really want to push our adventure too far. We swam and played in the Indian Ocean for a few hours. It was refreshing and invigorating!!
…I didn’t expect to rededicate my faith in the Indian Ocean either, but Alicia, Ariane and I did. This was a symbol that God was doing something new in us and that we were declaring to the “church” (our team) that the people we used to be were left in Atlanta were never coming back. Although we have walked with Jesus for most of our lives, this trip was different. God was going to work in us in all new ways. He was going to push us and mold us in unexpected ways – we just needed to be ready. Rededicating our faith was a vow to God that we were ready, our hearts were open, our minds were not bound by the thoughts or restrictions of our previous selves. We stood in the water as children of God, bound by the thoughts and stipulations of the American Church, but as we were dunked into the water, we came out children of God with no stipulations. There is no holding back now!
…I didn’t expect the Holy Spirit to use me as a vessel to heal a bound and fully paralyzed woman, but it did! During the prayer section of service one night, the Holy Spirit lead me to a woman who had been placed on the ground. Her arms were entangled with the right arm bound behind her back and her left arm bound in front of her. Her legs were twisted together and bound under her body. I prayed over this woman and after a while Ariane joined. Through the prayers coming out of us, the Holy Spirit filled this woman, freed her from her bondage, and gave her the ability to move freely again. She had been pushed around in a wheelchair for 18 years without the ability to move her arms or her legs. Her name was Teresa and tonight she danced in His glory and praised the Father. She could not contain her excitement and sang praises of joy. I love that she gave all of the glory to God and clearly knew He was the one that healed her and gave her mobility again. What a great God we serve!!!
Fast forward to the next day during my follow up with Teresa in her home… Last night she received a dream from God. God was speaking to her. He told her that she had been suffering for a long time. He asked her why she couldn’t come and receive the love that He had for her. She responded that she was scared to share what she experienced last night out of fear that people would not believe her. God told her that as her strength returns and as He continues to heal her, her testimony will grow. During my visit Teresa crawled and spun around, she clapped, she sang, she gave God all the glory for her healing. Neighbors in her village could not believe what they were witnessing.
Today was a whirlwind. Even though things didn’t go as my team and I expected they turned out just as God our Father had planned them to. Today was just another confirmation that God does things in His own timing, based on His own plan. We will have good days and bad days and going-half-mad-days, but if we continue to press into Him “we know in all things God works for the good of those who Love Him, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Love,
K
