Keeping It Simple

This year was my first Christmas away from everything that is familiar. No Christmas music coming from every speaker starting the day after Thanksgiving. No mall Santa's. No commercials reminding me that the "best gifts" can be bought at certain locations. No hustle and bustle of holiday sales. No making out lists of wants and must haves.

In Mozambique it is simple. Here joy does not come wrapped in paper. Happiness can't be bought in a store. The smiles were pure and the hearts are grateful for gifts that most would have considered rubbish. This Christmas we celebrated with the boys by reading the story of Christ's birth, taking communion, having a nice chicken lunch (they only get chicken twice a year....very special!), giving out gifts, and then eating a cake. The gifts consisted of pencils, small bouncing balls, notebook paper, candy, socks, a spoon, and 50-100 mets ( a little less than $2-$4). As they opened their gift, their face lit up with excitement. You would have thought we just gave them the latest gaming system, a new laptop, or a million dollars. They were so happy. They were so grateful.

The entire day was amazing. The Lord is so good. It is still hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that the our Father loves us so much that He left Heaven, became flesh, was born in a manger, and lived life on earth. He walked and lived among us because He loves us. I often wonder how He feels when He sees us try and fill our lives with so much stuff. I wonder if He is ever thinking "Man, it is so simple. Love Me. Love others."

Our Saviour has offered us the ultimate gift....eternal life with Him. Man, what an honor....what a responsibility....what a joy...what a reason to celebrate!

I am so thankful our Creator has allowed me to be in Mozambique for this time. I am so thankful He has reminded me through the faces of these kids that His love can be simple. My heart is full. This year I received the most precious of gifts....being a small part of these boys lives.

Faliz Natal!

Praising the Worthy One

Here I sit in my new living area, in my new town, in my new country. I have been in Dondo now for a little more than a week, 9 days or 216 hours or 12,960 minutes to be exact...but seriously who's counting. They said the first week would consist primarily of recovering from the ever so fun jet lag. But I got lucky, that never was a real issue. I have adjusted nicely with the time.

In this short time however, I have learned several things...

1) The food is not near as bad as people made it out to be but the spiders are much bigger. Praise the Lord for Shoprite and flip flops (they make a great weapon).

2) We have a leaky roof. Praise the Lord for pots, pans, and a mop.

3) The boys love to be tickled. Praise the Lord for laughter.

4) No matter how hard three of the younger boys try, they will never be able to duplicate my laugh. Praise the Lord for making it one of a kind.

5) The only air conditioning on base is in the car. Praise the Lord for Toyota's.

6) You really can wake up sweating. Praise the Lord for deoderant.

7) Communication with people I love is a complete blessing. Praise the Lord for Skype.

8) The boys and I have played basketball almost everyday and I really am as out of shape as I

thought. Praise the Lord for "half-time."

9) These boys have experienced a hurt that I will never be able understand. Praise the Lord for His unfailing love.

10) Transporting a body and attending a funeral of someone I don't know, can still manifest a deep sorrow. Praise the Lord for bringing comfort.

11) Holding the hand of the sweetest 12 year old, Joao, makes all the discomforts go away. Praise the Lord for the heart of children.

12) Not being able to understand or speak the language is frustrating. But being able to speak love and see a kid's face light up through a simple hug is amazing and transforming. Praise the Lord for being the Translator.

13) Knowing this is exactly where I am supposed to be and having the Lord as my Guide, my Provider, my Father, my Protector, my Refuge, and my King is better than anything the world of convenience and comfort could ever offer. PRAISE THE LORD.

Psalm 9:1-2 I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

An event and a process

As I move forward with what the Lord is asking of me, I am reminded that goodbyes are an event and a process. And that statement has certainly proven to be true over the last few weeks. Although I know the future holds great things, saying goodbye to people I love is never easy. The great thing about the Lord is that He is allowing people to come on this journey with me. No, they will not be walking by my side, but they will be in my heart, my thoughts, and in my prayers. I am leaving FULL! Friends and family gathered together for a going away shindig for me last week. It was so sweet to see different people from different chapters in my life all under one roof. Each one of them hold unique memories and I was reminded the Creator of our lives has placed wonderful people in my life.
Then there was the airport.....
What a strange, yet peaceful feeling I had on that day. My entire family was there, both biological and spiritual. There were more people there for me than there was on the plane! How stinkin' cool is that, what a send off! I even got interviewed by a local TV station about traveling during the holidays. I'm sure it was quiet the scene. And yet once again, the Lord allowed us to have moments that were pure and heart felt. You see....it does not matter where you are or where you're going....the Lord always provides in every way. Afterall, goodbyes are an event and a process.

The Greatest is LOVE

I Corinthians 13

Missionary-Style:

If I speak with the tongue of a national, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.

If I wear the national dress and understand the culture and all forms of etiquette, and if I copy mannerisms so that I could pass for a national, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor, and if I spend my energy without reserve, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love endures long hours of language study, and is kind to those who mock his accent; love does not envy those who stayed home; love does not exalt his home culture, is not proud of his national reputation,

Does not boast about the way we do it back home, does not seek his own ways, is not easily provoked into telling about the beauty of his home country, does not think evil about this culture.

Love bears all criticism about his home culture, believes all good things about this new culture, confidently anticipates being at home in this place, endures all inconveniences.

Love never fails; but where there is cultural anthropology, it will fail; where there is contextualization, it will cease; where there is linguistics, it will vanish.

For we know only part of the culture and we minister to only part.

But when Christ is reproduced in this culture, then our inadequacies will be insignificant.

When I was in America I spoke like an American, I understood as an American, I thought as an American; but when I left America, I became a learner of a new culture!

Now we adapt to this culture awkwardly; but He will live in it intimately; now I speak with a strange accent, but He will speak to the heart.

And now these three remain: cultural adaptation, language study and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

Home of the Rockies.

On November 6th, I finished a three week "before you go" program called SPLICE. I must say I was reluctant to go, but the Lord was quick to show me that this is where I need to be at this time. The content was incredible. We talked about things like conflict, adversity, assumptions, and grief and loss, just to mention a few. It was heavy and eye opening stuff. But, for me, the real learning, stretching, and preparation happened outside of the classroom. The friendships that were cultivated have changed my life for sure. The Lord knew what He was doing (shocking I know!) when He allowed my path to cross with theirs. I will forever be grateful for the late night conversations. I will never forget the song from a friend and the boldness it to took to sing it. I am thankful the Lord provided a friend that thought like me and gave us an instant connection. And I will forever hold the Rumbold 7 in my heart. Now, when I look at a globe, I will not only see countries but faces. Slovakia-The Rumblolds. South Africa- Jamie, Amy, Wade and Tara, Uruguay-Rebecca,Italy-Kyle, Sudan-Ryan, The DR- Bryan, And of course, there will always be Evan! Faces with the places....Let the nations be changed forever for His Kingdom.