Ever since I came to know the LORD, one scripture that has always intrigued me is John 10:10. “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I(Jesus) have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Wherever I am, I want to be fully present, fully living and fully aware of what God is doing.
I absolutely love these third world countries because their cultures are so people-oriented unlike than the task and productivity-centered culture that I’m used to. For me personally, it has definitely been has struggle because it is a lot slower paced and I’m used to always being on the go. However, I have learned and found the sweetness of slowly enjoying the time I have with all these new faces and souls. They’ll even say it throughout the day, “Go, slooooow,” “You do too much…”
Zambia is absolutely amazing. I feel so open and free with these people. They are full of so much life and joy despite their struggles and circumstances. Plus, they totally love me because I tell them my name is Chels as “Chelsea”, which is one of their favorite soccer teams (and now mine). I’ve definitely embraced the world’s favorite sport that I am now named after.
It is a beautiful thing to walk out of our compound everyday only to be tackled by a dozen little kids or strolling through the village with everyone greeting you as if you’ve known them all your life. My dream is to bring that atmosphere back to America. I love my country and my people so much, but we don’t greet strangers or talk in the grocery store. I barely see kids playing outside in the streets nowadays.
Whether I make a difference in our culture or not, I just want whoever I am around to feel more valued than my to-do list. I want to give the attention and love that Christ has given me. Life like that is harder, but it is so much sweeter, and to me that is a life more fully lived.
That being said, I see myself coming back to Africa at some point in my lifetime; who knows when. What I do know is that this ministry has been a dream for me. We spend the morning teaching 70 preschoolers and play soccer all afternoon with the village children. Loving these people has become second nature. Embracing every drop of joy on the field has been as easy as breathing.
My team and I have been spoiled this month with the beautiful African sunrises, warm church services full of passion and the very friendly culture of Zambia. I’m soaking up every minute of it. Wherever you are, I hope you are growing in your faith and fully living out the wonderful purpose God has specifically for your life.
