let heaven and earth collide: the motherload of posts has arrived. [8.18.2011]

I know, I know. It’s been a while since I posted something on here. So go ahead and get mad. I honestly didn’t realize that it had been so long since I had written on here. But, today, all that is going to change. Trust me, I’ve deleted and rewrote this thing about 5 times now. So this sucker is going up, one way or another. But before I even start I want to pass out some awards.

The award for MCT (most consistent texter) goes to Jenna Rae. You're the best.

The award for CFBTWWMIA (come from behind texter who was MIA) goes to Dock. Love you man.

The award for MRASWT (most random and sometimes weird texts) goes to... I mean, who else would it go to... Bailey. haha.

**If you want to appear on the next award give out, then you more than likely know my number if you're reading this... so what are you waiting for? Getting texts from home are the best way to wake up or have a smile throughout the day!

The Falls were amazing again this year. Pictures will come at the end. But I think what really did it for me this year was being able to raft the Zambezi. Freaking awesome day. I'm so glad that we did it, and we got to meet some awesome people in our raft, too. Not to mention being surrounded by the beauty of the gorge the entire day. So often I found myself with my head pointed up looking at the gorge and all the nature and not paying attention to the water. It was breathtaking, quite literally too when we decided to ride through a rapid outside of the raft. Our guide said jump out and hold hands, so we did. With hands clinched our raft crew had no free hands to hold our noses or clear our eyes - we probably looked completely stupid, but it was an experience I'll never forget. Check that puppy off the bucketlist of life!

The majority of my work so far has been creating and recreating worksheets, charts, forms, and tables for the medical staff at the hospital. One of the first days I was orienting to the floor, I spotted some forms that didn’t look to swell to me. (I know, I’m OCD. So what?) So in some down time I began recreating them on the computer, saving them to their databases, and printing out the new and improved forms (I know some of you are probably laughing right now, because you know that making forms and improving old ones actually makes me happy and puts a smile on my face.) The Ward Matron caught wind of what I was doing, glanced at the forms, and was impressed. Oh yeah! Great success! So that started a process of pretty much recreating E-V-E-R-Y form that they use on the Ward, all 20some of them. Then she bragged about me at an interdepartmental meeting – so now I’m in the process of recreating the operating theatre’s forms. I’m guessing that next will be outpatient. Haha. I knew my OCD would come in handy someday other than being registrar at Cowen!

So that’s the days, but the nights – man, they are slow. Nine days have passed since the team left, which has truthfully made this week the hardest one yet. It seems like it wasn’t that long ago that they were still names-without-faces, contacting them with trip details and having our conference calls. Then all of the sudden, we met as a team and made our way to Zambia for three weeks. Battled the bush for 7 days, tackled Victoria Falls in style, and spent some amazing moments with children that will touch our lives forever. And now, well... they’re back home and I’m still here. And to add misery to defeat, two of my favorite kids on the ward left on Friday while I was helping do first-aid at some random German-Japanese-Zambian soccer match. (Oh, excuse me, football match.) But have no fear; I’m going to post a picture of them so you can see they’re smiling faces. The thing that you won’t be able to hear though is the oh-so-amazing way they say my name: Jona-fun! It’s awesome! Here the two are: Grace and Thomas.

Grace and Thomas were at CURE receiving treatment for clubfoot. Not only do the two of these little bundles of joy have clubfoot, but they both are orphans. Yes, orphans. Looking at their faces, you wouldn’t guess a single thing was wrong though. Try and enter into a smiling competition with them and you’re not only bound to lose, you’ll get creamed. How though? If truth be told, the two of these kids have gone through more crap in their 6 years of life then I have in 23. So how is the smile on their face not only bigger, but more consistent than mine? Man! What a reality and attitude check the two of them have been for me. The joy that they have isn’t circumstantial like mine; it’s pure. They love life. Which has made me think a lot about how much my joy is dependable on things, whether it is circumstance or what I have. I’m sure going to miss them.

Pressing on. With the team leaving and two of my favorite smiling jacks, adjusting has been rough, but it’s also been good (maybe). I’ve had a lot of time to read. Yes I just wrote that I have been reading, and I can honestly say that I’m not lying this time. I finished Red Letters finally, a book I actually started back in January. It was a good book, but I honestly think the best part about it is the thick list of awesome organizations that it houses in the “additional resources” at the back of the book. There are some amazing organizations with their websites listed, so if you have the book, make sure you read all the way to the end. I also finished Born to Run, which makes me miss running so much. I don’t think I’ll ever cave into the crave to run barefoot, but it was a thrilling read about an amazing, epic race with the Tarahumara.

[As a disclaimer, I hope that this does not come across as pessimistic. I know that I can tend to write that way sometimes. If anything, it’s a self-realization that I’m a part of the American Church, and therefore a part of the American Church problem, not apart.]

As I have had tons of time to think about what I’ve learned here in Africa, I’ve picked up two more books: Erasing Hell and Not a Fan. I would highly recommend either one of them to you. They are books that approach two of the most important topics in our lives - what GOD said about Hell (and not what we’ve made up or added on) and what CHRIST said about following Him (and not what we wish He said). I could quote pages and pages of stuff for you, but in an attempt to try to keep this thing somewhat short, I’ll let you read the books for yourself. The only point I’ll make is that context is... everything. Thankfully God has put some great guys in my life (thanks Adam, BJ, and Mark) that have emphasized this over and over again. And Francis Chan pays much recognition to that statement in his book Erasing Hell, and so does Kyle Idleman in Not a Fan. These books explore what the Creator of the universe said on these subjects, and point out what we have tried to erase, edit, or add on. The books are trying. They are not books that you should get amped up to read and be excited for. Both talk about destruction and death, and both offer radical alternatives to the path that Christianity in America has taken. However, I think they are books that are dead-on and talk about vital issues for “followers” of Christ to face and think about. So grab these books if you see them and let God rip you up. After the hurt and the sting of realizing how dangerously complacent we’ve become as “Christians” in America wears off, you’ll feel empowered to be reminded that we just need to let God be God, and take His words to heart. Isn’t it crazy that empowerment can come from abandonment of control? Oh the mystery.

Back on track, again. I think.

I’ve realized that being a pastor in Zambia is not an easy calling, and is one that might at times leave you with no income or financial means of support. Try having a family on top of that – with a newborn daughter. Without money, bills don’t get paid, companies get angry, and lines are shut off. And that is no environment to try to raise an infant in. So what happens? The mother and children have to turn to extended family and friends (miles and miles away) for adequate shelter and means of running water, while the dad has to stay at home and tend to his church.

Think that this is just a story – think again. I know four faces (and names) that have been on my mind constantly that are in that exact situation right now as I type this. So please pray for the Church here in Zambia, for the pastors that have been called to lead it, and for the pastors’ families. It is this pastor’s passion and love to lead a body of believers, and to shepherd them. So here is a family who is currently hundreds of miles apart due to their commitment to the Church, while I have had to spend the last week reevaluating where not only my joy, but my commit, lies. I once saw a killer shirt that said "I need Africa more than Africa needs me"; I've never thought otherwise. Don't fall into the trap either. There's always a lesson to learn.

Here are some more pictures from Victoria Falls, since I hear that Jo and Susan have been putting them up on a slide at Beulah Ann whenever I post them. Thanks guys. You're the bomb. Once BJ gets the pics from whitewater rafting, you can rest assured I'll have them up.