The weeks are continuing to get slower. It rains a lot so ministry is cancelled often. For the most part when we do have ministry we still walk up the hill to a villages one way about 45 minutes to do house visits with prayer and minister to people there. The kids that I see who scream out "mzungu" (white person) are my favorite. It is funny to see them scream and scream while they have no idea we know what it means. They will run up to us and want to touch and hug us. They will touch and pinch us to see if we are real or ghosts. Where we go to the village is up hills that only motorbikes can get to. It is away from town and hard to get up and down. White people do not go there unless they are working with our pastor or have a purpose.
(Village kids)
I was talking to one of my team mates Graham one night at the kitchen table. I was explaining to him that I do not feel very useful this month here and we rarely do ministry so I do not feel very beneficial here. I have so many plans when I get home of my "ideal" ministries based on the various passions I have gotten through out the race.
There are times on the race I feel antsy.
There are times on the race I feel fulfilled.
It's not about how I feel about certain ministries.
God has called me during this time in my life to be in 11 countries from September to August.
I miss home more than I ever have in my life.
( Church kids and I after the service in Rwanda)
I was listening to a podcast the other day. ( My team does this a lot when we have a large amount of free time). The podcast was about a "waiting room". The pastor was saying if we feel like we are in a waiting period in our life we need to get to work. What does that mean? It means that if at any certain time you are not sure of your purpose you need to get up and start moving. Turn your "waiting room" into a "work room".
By no means am I saying the whole race has been a "waiting room". There are some days and even ministry months that I do not feel that this is the type of ministry I am supposed to be doing for that month or even a day. Well, what does God want me to do? He wants me to get up when I have time and take the passions I have acquired over the past 7 months and apply them to the present. To find the street kids and play ball with them or go to eat. Find the local orphanages or homeless shelters and show them God's love.
First God wants us to enjoy the journey we are on. I may not enjoy it every single minute of the day but I do enjoy the path that God has brought me on. To know that he called us and no one else to do what we are doing. We are all called to different things. It's what we do with out calling and how we live it out that makes the journey for us.
(Rwandan Church Service)
A few things that I have learned from being present and from this lesson:
* Even though I need to be focused and present on the journey now it is ok to be excited about future things that God has called me to do.
* To stop waiting on things to happen tomorrow and open my eyes to what he wants for me to do today. Open my eyes to the person and/or people God puts in my life through ministries every single day.
* I need to realize that sometimes my detours are God's destinations. God has someone or something to teach me while I am waiting.
I challenge you to work while you wait.
