hello

We apologize for the lack of communication to you all! The orphanage we're staying at does not have internet, so no texting, emailing, or blogging. Until tonight...we just arrived in Richard's Bay at a beautiful bed and breakfast run by friends of Glynn. This home is filled with eucalyptus stairways, ceilings, a gorgeous backyard that has a large deck overlooking a coi pond, pool, and bright green grass. The three of us, Anjuli, Branyn, and myself, were overjoyed at the flushing toilets, shower, and yummy smelling soap. We may each take three showers before leaving in the morning for church. tee hee

I can't possibly condense the last five days into one blog...but I'll do my best to express just a smidgen of it tonight. The over arching theme that characterizes my time here is joy and obedience. We've been, for the most part until tonight, with folks that have nothing in the world's standards. Yet they bubble over with joy and generosity that doesn't seem to have an end to it. The couple running the orphanage and school, Clement and Thuli, get up at sunrise and cook, clean, wash clothes, repair the buildings the children live in, raise their own children and do more than I know. There's not much rest for them. The work has to get done, so they do it with joyful hearts.

Thursday, after teaching in their 7-9th graders, Anjuli suggested we pick up trash scattered every where. (At the time we didn't know the orphanage was built on an old trash dump.) So we took some bags and began to pick up glass, rusty nails, and random objects stuck in the dirt. Without a word to the kids, they came over, took the bags from us, and helped clean up their home. We stayed at it for at least 35 minutes with no complaining, whining, or arguing from any of the children! With smiles and laughter, we served each other...yes, four, five, and six year olds served me as I to them.

That's the funny thing about going a trip like this, or any missions focused trip. John Piper says this, Jesus asks us to give up a good thing for a great thing. This is the great thing. God wants hearts willing to obey and then He showers that obedience with abundant joy in the serving. Why do we as Children of God find this so difficult and inconvenient? Have we forgotten Christ's body broken for the trespasses we committed, not His? If we can only have the clarity that a trip like this gives to remain once we're home and back into routine....serving should be like breathing, what else are we to do for whom we call our King, our Abba, our Savior? He doesn't require "pay back", but certainly from the body He's redeemed and soul saved, the heart wells up with gratitude for the new life and the desire for all to share in the everlasting hope of knowing Jesus.

--Christina