I was sitting at our first debriefing with our ministry contact in Zambia. She smiled and welcomed us and said, “I don’t want anyone to feel at home here.” She let that sit for a moment and my brain was working to figure out what she meant. She winked at her husband and then looked back to us and said, “I want you to be at home here.”
I’ve been thinking about that moment all month. It was a sweet way to welcome 20 strangers. But it also was some of the best advice I’ve received and I’ll carry it with me for the rest of my race.
A month isn’t super long but it is long enough to settle in a bit. It’s long enough to unpack and make a separate pile for dirty clothes. It’s long enough to hang a picture of your family on the wall. Things begin to look familiar in a month.
But here’s the thing, I didn’t have a month. I had about five days before I packed up and moved on to the next ministry location. We were set up on a rotation schedule and my team and I moved on right when we were beginning to learn names.
I’m so glad for the experience of preaching in a remote village. I wouldn’t trade doing door to door evangelism in a different village and I’ll always remember attending a traditional Zambian wedding in the city. But how can all of these places be home if I’m only in them for a few days?
I don’t really know the answer. But I think this is the beginning of learning to let my need for a physical home, go.
The comfort of having familiarity isn’t a bad thing but dependence on it might be.
The Lord took me places this month that I never thought I would go. I met people I never thought I would and I saw animals that I only read about in books.
I was having trouble with words this month, so I thought I’d show you what God showed me
It’s amazing to see the places the Lord is willing to take us!
Pumping water at the well for a bucket shower
Team No Name at a traditional Zambian wedding
Team No Name out enjoying Gods creation on our off day
Some of Gods precious sons and daughters
Nail painting party!
This little elephant is about three months old!
The road we walked to get to our very first ministry location in Zambia.
Our ministry looked a little different every single day. But one thing did remain, we loved these beautiful people with the love that the Lord has been pouring out on us.
