Sitting on a bus in africa….amazed that this is my life. Mount Kiliminjaro looms in the clouds on my left; while vast plains stretch for days on my right, for miles. Flat topped acacia trees are backdrops against the sky, as the sun goes down in a red-orange array. Nairobi to Dar sa sallam will end sometime after 19 hours, with very few stops. The bus speeds down the bumpy roads, we are in God’s hands……full trust for survival. We head into a month blind in a way…..no real idea as to what we are doing, where we are sleeping, what we are eating. In a day, we will meet people that will be our contacts for the month……we will have to adjust quickly to living with new strangers. With faith that the blood of Jesus is on both of us, we shouldn’t have to worry too much. One thing we have learned along this trip is God is the base of any tree and all nations are his branches……He is indeed the God of all who choose Him. So, it is with that understanding that each month we partner with a new part of the body to bring the Kingdom.
What do I wnt for this month? I want to not forsake any of my time here and seek all opportunities to show love. Life is but a passing shadow for all of us,…..a countdown with no known endtime. People are but a passing element in that shadow, and we don’t really know the impact we can have in even just a brief second. What journey are they on that a brief acknowledgement or interaction could change their life forever? What journey am I on that the same interaction or simple welcome would change my life forever? So, as the African skies are painted with brilliant colors, so I am going to paint this Nation with God’s love.”par
As we drive along, I think of how this land reminds me of places back home…..until…We pass make-shift wall-less wood shelters, with people playing pool under them; a herd of giraffes and then a lone giraffe staring at our bus; a herd of elephants and antelope; people selling candy and alcohol on the street; a Maasai man herding donkeys; a little barefoot girl herding cows; at every stop someone gets on trying to sell something; we make merciful stops in fields to answer nature calling; and so much more. It’s these things that are a reality check for me, a reminder that I am far from home. It’s not a bad thing……it’s life-changing, a different chapter in my story…..I wait in anticipation of what the next one brings.
