Lately, I've had the great pleasure of seeing several of the children in my baby house get adopted or reunited with family. It's such a blessing to witness and be a part of the adoption ceremonies. I see these kids who I've come to know and love with their new parents. More often than not they're sitting quietly and acting shy (which is generally very out of character). The ceremonies are always a mix of emotions for all involved. They are full of laughter, singing, tears, and, most of all, joy. Joy for the creation of a new family. Joy for God's promises being fulfilled. Joy for another child with a hope-filled future. I love adoption days. They are the reason we do what we do at Beautiful Gate. However, they are the special days. They only happen once in a while. They aren't the bulk of what we do. While our purpose is helping to create forever families, our means of doing that is taking care of the least of these day in and day out.
The truth of the matter is the only way we can help create forever families is to have kids that require a need for a forever family. I consistently pray that the number of kids we have on campus will decrease. As a child care provider it's sort of an odd prayer because I'm essentially praying myself out of a purpose for being here, but the alternative seems like a worse thing to pray for. Nevertheless, God continues to lead new children to us and I realize there's still work to be done. It's always kind of strange for me when new kids arrive. I never know how to feel. On the one hand, it's a child. I love children, so I'm excited at the idea of getting to know and love this particular child. I'm thankful that we can provide for child needs and that he or she has a safe place to live now. On the other hand, I think about what the child may have gone through in order to end up with us at Beautiful Gate. Did his mother die in childbirth? Was she abandoned? Do they have any living relatives at all? When I think of the circumstances that must occur for a child to come to Beautiful Gate it almost feels wrong to be grateful for their presence. But I remind myself that's why we are here. I think about how much worse off the child could be if he or she wasn't at Beautiful Gate. And I remember that God has a perfect plan, regardless of how bleak or unfair it seems to me.
Over the past month or so, in addition to seeing some of my kids be adopted or reunited, we've also welcomed two little boys into our Khotso 1 family. The first boy, probably about 4 years old, came about a month ago. Neither my house mother nor myself were expecting his arrival. It had been a normal day for the most part and we were just finishing up dinner with the kids when 'M'e Matsukulu came into the house with a child I didn't recognize in tow. She said several things to my house mother in Sesotho that I didn't understand. Shortly after she left, leaving the child with us. Before I could ask what happened, my house mother was undressing the boy and taking him to the bathroom for a bath. That's when I knew he was one of ours. Those first few days he was very quiet and fairly emotionless. Until then I'd really only seen babies come to Beautiful Gate. This boy was old enough to understand he was in a new, unfamiliar place with new, unfamiliar people though. He didn't play with the other kids, he didn't say anything, and he hardly ate unless we physically fed him. Like anything, though, the transition took time. Now he laughs, jabbers, sings, and plays with the rest of the kids. He feeds himself and makes a huge mess while doing it. He comes up to me while I'm sitting on the couch, gets right in my face, and says a lot of gibberish and makes faces at me. All things considered, he's a happy child. This past week we got the second new little addition to our house. He's a two year old boy and he acts very similarly to the way the first boy did when he first arrived. This time around I'm confident he will eventually get accustomed to life at Beautiful Gate, but he needs time, care, and lots of love.
When I think about how different the first little boy is now compared to when he arrived, I'm reminded of my purpose. Though I could never imagine going through what most of these kids have in their young lives, I know that God has called and equipped me to love them well and to help prepare them for what He has planned next. It will help me walk into my baby house tomorrow, pick up that little two year old boy and whisper in his ear, "Hey little man, I love you. Jesus loves you. Everything's going to be ok."
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Friday, October 31, 2014
God's Perfect Plan
What could be better than getting
to know a child and learning to be a family to her because she doesn’t have
one? The time spent laughing and comforting her is indescribable. She finds a
way of crawling into the deepest recesses of your heart, to that place where
love is raw and unconditional. Before today I wouldn’t have thought there could
be something that would rival the joy that comes from loving a child who has no
one else. I was wrong, though. Today I had the unique blessing of witnessing
one of these blessed babies whom I’ve loved for the past two and a half months
be united with her forever family. Today I got to witness the promise of
Jeremiah 29:11 come to life.
”For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future.”
God
knew that this beautiful baby’s birth mother would be unable to care for her
the way she needed to be, but He used her to bring a precious gift into the
world anyway. He provided a temporary home for her here at Beautiful Gate. He
provided her with housemothers and volunteers who cared for her needs and loved
her the way Jesus would. And then He did the most miraculous thing of all. He
moved in the heart of a woman, previously a complete stranger to this child, to
be her mother for the rest of her life. My precious little friend’s entire
story has been a part of God’s master plan. Nothing has happened to her that
God hasn’t known about or allowed. And now, seeing her in the arms of a mother
whose heart overflows with love for her, it is evident beyond a shadow of a
doubt that He plans to prosper her and give her a hope-filled future. Praise
God for His perfect plan!
Abba Father,
Thank
you for the gift of witnessing your plan in action. Thank you for taking care
of this beautiful child and orchestrating every aspect of her life. Thank you
for a mother who knows you and listens to the call You have placed on her life.
May Your blessing be with them always. I pray Your protection over them every day.
And finally, thank you for such an exciting picture of what my eternity as your
adopted son looks like. Thank you for loving us!
Amen!
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Coming and Going
I knew going into my time here at Beautiful Gate that not everything would be easy. I wasn't so naive to assume that the life of a missionary is a piece of cake. In fact, when missionaries my churches support would come to visit to update us on their lives and work I heard time and time again that there were challenges and difficulties alongside the blessings and successes. Even being as sure as I was that Beautiful Gate Lesotho was exactly where God wanted me to come, I knew better than to think doing God's work meant life would be easy. God calls His people to suffer from time to time, after all. So over the past couple months I've been somewhat surprised at just how easy life has been. From the moment I stepped off the plane Lesotho has had a sense of home to it. People at Beautiful Gate, church, and other missionary organizations have gone out of their way to be friendly to me and make me feel welcome. I've even noticed a new boldness in myself when it comes to meeting new people and trying new things. I'm slowly picking up bits and pieces of Sesotho. The Basotho employees at BG are extremely gracious as I learn the language, helping to teach me new words and phrases every day and celebrating when I successfully complete an exchange as simple as "How are you?" I knew I'd love working with the BG kids, but even that has proven to be an easier transition than I expected. I assumed it would take a few weeks for the kids to get used to me and for me to get used to them. The moment I stepped into Khotso 1 on my first day, though, I had several kiddos clinging to my legs, begging to be loved. Don't get me wrong, the kids like to test boundaries and push my buttons and by the end of the week I can be pretty drained, but all things considered, my transition from life in the States to life in Africa has been smooth and, dare I say, relatively easy!
When I signed up to work at an orphanage for a year I expected it to be an emotional job. I mean, I work with kids who have no home and, generally, no family. Those who do have family aren't with them because the family can't take care of them or just doesn't want them. It's heartbreaking. I look into the eyes of the kids in my house, listen to them laugh hysterically, hold them when they're crying or tired, and I think who in the world wouldn't want the opportunity to love this beautiful child. I pray over and over again that God will bring healing to their lives, that they would know they are precious and chosen and are princes and princesses - sons and daughters of The King. I pray that God uses me to love them in such a way that there is no doubt in their mind that their Father loves them too. Ultimately, I pray that God will bring along a family who will do what I do every day. I pray that a mommy and a daddy will be moved to adopt from a tiny country in the south of Africa that many people have never heard of. I pray they will come after spending an insane amount of money and waiting an unbearable amount of time and, when they look into the eyes of a child God has chosen for them, they will fall in love. I pray these kids find their forever families, whether they are adopted or reunited with their birth families. While all of this can be emotionally draining, for me it's not the hard part. This is what God has called me here and specifically equipped me to do. I never would have fathomed that the hard part would be when God started answering my prayers for these kids.
The only thing we can every really count on is change. Over the past few weeks there has been a lot of change on the BG campus and I'm realizing that it's going to be one of my greatest struggles as a missionary. Before I arrived, I've been told, Khotso 1 (my assigned house) has been one of the more stagnant houses in terms of children being adopted or reunited. Apparently it's been several months since any kids from my house have found their forever families. Heartbreaking, I know. But God loves His children. In the past two weeks or so three of the beautiful kids from my house have been either adopted or reunited. One of them was one of the oldest boys in my house. He was my big helper. He helped me to keep the little kids under control when the Bo-Mme were busy working. He translated what the younger children were saying to me when I was at a loss. He helped me find things around the house when I had no idea where to even begin looking. A couple weeks ago he was adopted by a family the BG community knows well and loves very much. They live locally and I'm thankful I'll still get to see this guy from time to time. Another one of the kids to leave was a little baby girl who I considered "my baby." She is absolutely beautiful. She smiled whenever I walked in the room. She loved to suck on my finger as long as I'd let her. The only time I ever heard her cry was when I'd been holding her for a while and I tried to put her back in her crib (woops!). About a week and a half ago I got to witness her being reunited with her family. Unfortunately her mother passed away shortly after giving birth, but her aunt came to get her as soon as she discovered this precious little girl existed. Seeing the tears of joy this auntie cried when she saw this little gift of a girl for the first time was enough to make me cry as well. I think that must be a reflection of how God feels when He looks at us.
The hardest part of working at an orphanage for me is the coming and going. Perhaps I should have anticipated this considering the whole point is to care for the kids on an interim basis until they can become a part of their forever families. Silly of me, really, not to have realized this, but these kiddos have a way of crawling into those spaces of your heart that make you love them as if they're your own. And they don't leave. They stay there. It makes seeing them leave a bittersweet affair. I've gotten to know them, care for them, and love them and then I just have to say goodbye. I'll probably never see them again. Many of them probably won't remember who I am when they get older. "But that's not the point!" I have to remind myself. As difficult as it is to see them go I find joy and take comfort in the fact that God is answering the prayers of His people. He sees these children and loves them even more than I do. He knows what's best for them and He's going to provide for them. The joy I experience when I remember that far outweighs any sadness I feel at seeing one of my kids go. It's something I pray I remember well in the next several weeks. In addition to the three kids who've left my house recently there are five more who are scheduled to be adopted, reunited, or moved soon. I love them dearly, but I know I can't love them nearly as much or as well as their families will. I'll just have to be content with the time God's given me with them.
When I signed up to work at an orphanage for a year I expected it to be an emotional job. I mean, I work with kids who have no home and, generally, no family. Those who do have family aren't with them because the family can't take care of them or just doesn't want them. It's heartbreaking. I look into the eyes of the kids in my house, listen to them laugh hysterically, hold them when they're crying or tired, and I think who in the world wouldn't want the opportunity to love this beautiful child. I pray over and over again that God will bring healing to their lives, that they would know they are precious and chosen and are princes and princesses - sons and daughters of The King. I pray that God uses me to love them in such a way that there is no doubt in their mind that their Father loves them too. Ultimately, I pray that God will bring along a family who will do what I do every day. I pray that a mommy and a daddy will be moved to adopt from a tiny country in the south of Africa that many people have never heard of. I pray they will come after spending an insane amount of money and waiting an unbearable amount of time and, when they look into the eyes of a child God has chosen for them, they will fall in love. I pray these kids find their forever families, whether they are adopted or reunited with their birth families. While all of this can be emotionally draining, for me it's not the hard part. This is what God has called me here and specifically equipped me to do. I never would have fathomed that the hard part would be when God started answering my prayers for these kids.
The only thing we can every really count on is change. Over the past few weeks there has been a lot of change on the BG campus and I'm realizing that it's going to be one of my greatest struggles as a missionary. Before I arrived, I've been told, Khotso 1 (my assigned house) has been one of the more stagnant houses in terms of children being adopted or reunited. Apparently it's been several months since any kids from my house have found their forever families. Heartbreaking, I know. But God loves His children. In the past two weeks or so three of the beautiful kids from my house have been either adopted or reunited. One of them was one of the oldest boys in my house. He was my big helper. He helped me to keep the little kids under control when the Bo-Mme were busy working. He translated what the younger children were saying to me when I was at a loss. He helped me find things around the house when I had no idea where to even begin looking. A couple weeks ago he was adopted by a family the BG community knows well and loves very much. They live locally and I'm thankful I'll still get to see this guy from time to time. Another one of the kids to leave was a little baby girl who I considered "my baby." She is absolutely beautiful. She smiled whenever I walked in the room. She loved to suck on my finger as long as I'd let her. The only time I ever heard her cry was when I'd been holding her for a while and I tried to put her back in her crib (woops!). About a week and a half ago I got to witness her being reunited with her family. Unfortunately her mother passed away shortly after giving birth, but her aunt came to get her as soon as she discovered this precious little girl existed. Seeing the tears of joy this auntie cried when she saw this little gift of a girl for the first time was enough to make me cry as well. I think that must be a reflection of how God feels when He looks at us.
The hardest part of working at an orphanage for me is the coming and going. Perhaps I should have anticipated this considering the whole point is to care for the kids on an interim basis until they can become a part of their forever families. Silly of me, really, not to have realized this, but these kiddos have a way of crawling into those spaces of your heart that make you love them as if they're your own. And they don't leave. They stay there. It makes seeing them leave a bittersweet affair. I've gotten to know them, care for them, and love them and then I just have to say goodbye. I'll probably never see them again. Many of them probably won't remember who I am when they get older. "But that's not the point!" I have to remind myself. As difficult as it is to see them go I find joy and take comfort in the fact that God is answering the prayers of His people. He sees these children and loves them even more than I do. He knows what's best for them and He's going to provide for them. The joy I experience when I remember that far outweighs any sadness I feel at seeing one of my kids go. It's something I pray I remember well in the next several weeks. In addition to the three kids who've left my house recently there are five more who are scheduled to be adopted, reunited, or moved soon. I love them dearly, but I know I can't love them nearly as much or as well as their families will. I'll just have to be content with the time God's given me with them.
Something You Should Know About Me
By now you've probably realized I'm not the greatest blogger. I don't publish posts nearly as often as I'd like or probably should. For the most part I can attribute that to being present here at Beautiful Gate and actively engaging in life in the place God has placed me. I'd be lying if I said sometimes I just put it off because I didn't feel like writing, though. I also tend to think too hard about what to say and that keeps me from posting as well. I tell myself what I say needs to have meaning or depth and strike a cord in the people reading. I'm working on remembering that the purpose of this blog is to keep people updated and to process through things myself. All that to say, I'm going to try to be better about posting with a little more regularity. Thanks for all the support and prayers.
Khotso,
<>< Tyler
Khotso,
<>< Tyler
Monday, September 22, 2014
A Day in the Life
I've been at Beautiful Gate almost two weeks now and I've pretty much got a routine set for the week. I thought I'd take a post to lay out what my average day looks like! Don't worry, I'll actually start talking about the kids next time!
6:00AM: Wake up and get ready for the day.
7:00AM: Arrive at my house.
When I walk in the door of my assigned baby house (Khotso 1) I am greeted by the chants of 8+
children shouting "NTATE! NTATE! NTATE!" 'Ntate' means 'father' in Sesotho, but is more
generally used the way we might say 'Sir.' I immediately get swarmed by all the kids in the living
room and often have difficulty walking through the door. It's one of the best parts of the day. By
this time the primary and pre-school kids are getting ready to leave for school, so I help feed the
younger kids who will go to playgroup later. After feeding, I walk the pre-schoolers across campus
to the pre-school and I help hang up laundry on the line to dry. Then I play with my precious
babies until playgroup.
8:30AM: Playgroup
Mme Agatha ('Mme' means mother and is used the same way we might say 'Ma'am') comes by all the houses and the other volunteers and I help take the remaining kids (except the really little
babies) down to the playgroup house. There they are separated into those who can walk and those
who can't walk quite yet. I'm usually put in with the walking group. We start by singing songs and
praying a prayer of thanks for the day. Then we play! Sometimes it's just playing with toys,
sometimes we play with play-dough, and sometimes we color. It all depends on what the playgroup
coordinators have planned. After we play for a while the kids get a snack and then we generally go
outside and play until playgroup is over.
11:30AM: Lunch and Nap
After playgroup I walk back to my house with my kiddos. I help feed lunch to the younger kids
and the pre-school girls get back around the same time. They change out of their uniforms and
have their own lunch. When they're finished I clean up and then I get a break while they all nap.
12:30PM: My Lunch
I head back across campus to my house and throw something quick together for lunch. After I eat
I generally read for a bit and then take a nap of my own. I love those kids to death, but they sure do
tire me out!
3:00PM: Playgroup, Round 2
When I wake up from my nap I groggily make my way back over the the playgroup house. I meet
all the kids there and we usually play outside. By this time the primary school kids are back and
playing with us too! Snacktime ends the second bout of playgroup and once the kids have their
snack we send them home.
4:00PM: Bathtime and Dinner
While they munch on their snacks the kids get ready for their baths. All the clothes come off and
get thrown in the hamper. Then there's a few minutes of mass chaos as 10 little naked children run
around the house waiting for their turn in the bath. After a quick dip in the tub they get rubbed
down with vaseline to keep their skin from drying out and I help them into their pajamas. Once
everyone is clean they get dinner. I once again feed the younger kids. After everyone is finished
eating I clean up after them.
5:30PM: I'm done.
After dinner most of the kids have quiet time for a while and then get put to bed, so when I'm done
cleaning up I head out and am done for the day. I walk back to my house and chill out for a while.
6:30PM: Dinner
Those of us living in the Maroon House generally have dinner together. We take turns making
meals.
7:00PM: Relax
After dinner I chill out and unwind! Sometimes I'll read, sometimes I dink around on the internet,
and other times I'll hang out with the other volunteers. We often set up the projector and have
movie nights.
10:00PM: Sleep
I try to get to bed by 10pm each night. Usually I succeed, but sometimes I don't! Bryan and Anita,
the directors, like to have game night on Wednesdays, so those nights tend to be later ones.
Regardless of the day, though, I'm pooped by the time I finally crawl into bed and it never takes
long after my head hits the pillow before I'm out.
So that's it! Obviously each day has it's own blessings and challenges, but that's the general gist of how my days go. It can feel kind of monotonous by the end of the week, but kids really make it all worth it. When I'm tired and impatient at the end of the day and I just want to go home, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to be here with a hug or a kiss, a smile or a giggle. Even after two short weeks I know without a doubt that my sweet babies love me and, I think it goes without saying, I love them right back.
6:00AM: Wake up and get ready for the day.
7:00AM: Arrive at my house.
When I walk in the door of my assigned baby house (Khotso 1) I am greeted by the chants of 8+
children shouting "NTATE! NTATE! NTATE!" 'Ntate' means 'father' in Sesotho, but is more
generally used the way we might say 'Sir.' I immediately get swarmed by all the kids in the living
room and often have difficulty walking through the door. It's one of the best parts of the day. By
this time the primary and pre-school kids are getting ready to leave for school, so I help feed the
younger kids who will go to playgroup later. After feeding, I walk the pre-schoolers across campus
to the pre-school and I help hang up laundry on the line to dry. Then I play with my precious
babies until playgroup.
8:30AM: Playgroup
Mme Agatha ('Mme' means mother and is used the same way we might say 'Ma'am') comes by all the houses and the other volunteers and I help take the remaining kids (except the really little
babies) down to the playgroup house. There they are separated into those who can walk and those
who can't walk quite yet. I'm usually put in with the walking group. We start by singing songs and
praying a prayer of thanks for the day. Then we play! Sometimes it's just playing with toys,
sometimes we play with play-dough, and sometimes we color. It all depends on what the playgroup
coordinators have planned. After we play for a while the kids get a snack and then we generally go
outside and play until playgroup is over.
11:30AM: Lunch and Nap
After playgroup I walk back to my house with my kiddos. I help feed lunch to the younger kids
and the pre-school girls get back around the same time. They change out of their uniforms and
have their own lunch. When they're finished I clean up and then I get a break while they all nap.
12:30PM: My Lunch
I head back across campus to my house and throw something quick together for lunch. After I eat
I generally read for a bit and then take a nap of my own. I love those kids to death, but they sure do
tire me out!
3:00PM: Playgroup, Round 2
When I wake up from my nap I groggily make my way back over the the playgroup house. I meet
all the kids there and we usually play outside. By this time the primary school kids are back and
playing with us too! Snacktime ends the second bout of playgroup and once the kids have their
snack we send them home.
4:00PM: Bathtime and Dinner
While they munch on their snacks the kids get ready for their baths. All the clothes come off and
get thrown in the hamper. Then there's a few minutes of mass chaos as 10 little naked children run
around the house waiting for their turn in the bath. After a quick dip in the tub they get rubbed
down with vaseline to keep their skin from drying out and I help them into their pajamas. Once
everyone is clean they get dinner. I once again feed the younger kids. After everyone is finished
eating I clean up after them.
5:30PM: I'm done.
After dinner most of the kids have quiet time for a while and then get put to bed, so when I'm done
cleaning up I head out and am done for the day. I walk back to my house and chill out for a while.
6:30PM: Dinner
Those of us living in the Maroon House generally have dinner together. We take turns making
meals.
7:00PM: Relax
After dinner I chill out and unwind! Sometimes I'll read, sometimes I dink around on the internet,
and other times I'll hang out with the other volunteers. We often set up the projector and have
movie nights.
10:00PM: Sleep
I try to get to bed by 10pm each night. Usually I succeed, but sometimes I don't! Bryan and Anita,
the directors, like to have game night on Wednesdays, so those nights tend to be later ones.
Regardless of the day, though, I'm pooped by the time I finally crawl into bed and it never takes
long after my head hits the pillow before I'm out.
So that's it! Obviously each day has it's own blessings and challenges, but that's the general gist of how my days go. It can feel kind of monotonous by the end of the week, but kids really make it all worth it. When I'm tired and impatient at the end of the day and I just want to go home, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to be here with a hug or a kiss, a smile or a giggle. Even after two short weeks I know without a doubt that my sweet babies love me and, I think it goes without saying, I love them right back.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
True Faith
In the few days I've been in Lesotho many of the stereotypes a lot of us Westerners have about what Africa is like have been broken. Beautiful Gate is located in Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho, near the South African border. In many ways it's fairly industrialized. I have indoor plumbing and the baby houses have heaters/air conditioners. We have paved roads and most of the same vehicles as in the U.S. And we do most of our shopping in one of the two local malls that rival, if not surpass, many of the malls I've been to back home. Yesterday I went to Bloemfontein, a city in South Africa, that's pretty comparable to Grand Rapids, MI. Several of the volunteer staff and I went and spent the morning at a large mall before going to a rugby game in the afternoon. I had french toast for breakfast and McDonald's for lunch. In the grand scheme of things it didn't feel that different from home.
This isn't the reality for everyone, though. As with most stereotypes, the ones many Westerners have about life in a third world country stem from some truth. Even amidst the comfortable amenities, cars, and shopping centers I don't have to go too far to see what poverty in Lesotho looks like. It's not uncommon to see a block of really nice houses directly next to one full of small concrete boxes and tin shacks. While I can throw my laundry into the washing machine in my kitchen, across the street people are "washing" their clothes in dirty ponds and rivers. It's overwhelming when I think too long about the disparity between those who are well off and those who are impoverished.
Lesotho is a country that's seriously affected by HIV. Many of our kids here at Beautiful Gate are HIV positive. We are incredibly blessed to have access to medication and a relationship with a local hospital that allows us to take care of our kids well. Yesterday, on the drive to Bloem, I witnessed a visual representation of what it's like for those without those blessings. There are many mountains in Lesotho and the surrounding areas of South Africa. At the base of one of the mountains along our drive there is a cemetery with thousands of headstones, most of which have only been put there in the last 7 years, all of them representing a death due to HIV. Seeing the devastating effects of such poverty makes me sad. It forces you to wonder where the hope is. I was reminded this morning.
Today I went to church at Maseru United Church. It's an interdenomenational and international church and do they know how to worship! We sang, we danced, we prayed, we worshipped with all that we have. It was during the service that I got a clear understanding of what it means to have deep, true, unfailing faith. It looks like trusting that God will provide for you even when all you have is a tin shack to come home to. It looks like relying on God to heal a sick child that has no other way of getting well. It looks like asking God to do things no one else can do and actually believing He will do it. It looks like singing and dancing on a Sunday morning with people of every tribe and tongue in a city suffering from political unrest. It looks like the people of Lesotho on a daily basis. I'm beginning to realize just how much God brought me here for my own benefit in addition to allowing me to benefit others.
God,
To you alone be all the honor, praise, and glory! Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your plan. Even when it seems like there's nothing good left in the world I am reminded just how present you are with us. Continue to open my eyes and my heart to your Spirit's working in this place.
In the powerful and precious name of Jesus,
Amen
This isn't the reality for everyone, though. As with most stereotypes, the ones many Westerners have about life in a third world country stem from some truth. Even amidst the comfortable amenities, cars, and shopping centers I don't have to go too far to see what poverty in Lesotho looks like. It's not uncommon to see a block of really nice houses directly next to one full of small concrete boxes and tin shacks. While I can throw my laundry into the washing machine in my kitchen, across the street people are "washing" their clothes in dirty ponds and rivers. It's overwhelming when I think too long about the disparity between those who are well off and those who are impoverished.
Lesotho is a country that's seriously affected by HIV. Many of our kids here at Beautiful Gate are HIV positive. We are incredibly blessed to have access to medication and a relationship with a local hospital that allows us to take care of our kids well. Yesterday, on the drive to Bloem, I witnessed a visual representation of what it's like for those without those blessings. There are many mountains in Lesotho and the surrounding areas of South Africa. At the base of one of the mountains along our drive there is a cemetery with thousands of headstones, most of which have only been put there in the last 7 years, all of them representing a death due to HIV. Seeing the devastating effects of such poverty makes me sad. It forces you to wonder where the hope is. I was reminded this morning.
Today I went to church at Maseru United Church. It's an interdenomenational and international church and do they know how to worship! We sang, we danced, we prayed, we worshipped with all that we have. It was during the service that I got a clear understanding of what it means to have deep, true, unfailing faith. It looks like trusting that God will provide for you even when all you have is a tin shack to come home to. It looks like relying on God to heal a sick child that has no other way of getting well. It looks like asking God to do things no one else can do and actually believing He will do it. It looks like singing and dancing on a Sunday morning with people of every tribe and tongue in a city suffering from political unrest. It looks like the people of Lesotho on a daily basis. I'm beginning to realize just how much God brought me here for my own benefit in addition to allowing me to benefit others.
God,
To you alone be all the honor, praise, and glory! Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your plan. Even when it seems like there's nothing good left in the world I am reminded just how present you are with us. Continue to open my eyes and my heart to your Spirit's working in this place.
In the powerful and precious name of Jesus,
Amen
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Piggyback Rides > Airplane Rides
So...I'm writing this post from my bed...in my room...in LESOTHO, AFRICA! It's one thing to plan this type of journey, but it's something completely different to actually embark on it! It's totally surreal. It feels unreal, but it's not! It's completely really real!
I flew out of Chicago at 6am on Tuesday morning. About two hours later I landed in New York, navigated my way through JFK Airport (that place is gargantuan; seriously, it's nuts), and boarded a second plane. 15 hours, 1 book, 1 movie, and several fitfully failed attempts at sleep later I arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa. I was done sitting at planes at that point, so, naturally, I boarded another one (luckily only for about an hour) which brought me to Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho. There I was picked up by a couple of awesome Beautiful Gate representatives and brought to my new home for the next year.
Arriving on the campus of Beautiful Gate, I was exhausted, but somehow very awake and alert. Now, at the end of the day, I'm mostly just exhausted. It was a whirlwind of a day. I met a ton of amazing people, toured the campus, ate meals in the fellowship of those I'll be working alongside, etc. Let me tell you my favorite part about today, though. It's the reason I'm here. The Beautiful Gate kids! There aren't words to describe what meeting them was like. For over a year I've been imagining what the first encounter with these kids would be like and, God be praised, reality far surpassed any expectations I had. I was hugged, tugged, and pulled every which way across the playground. I gave piggyback rides, held hands, and sat with probably 15 different kids within 20 minutes! Those 20 minutes made the 18+ hours of tiresome and nerve-wracking travel absolutely worth it. No doubts. No questions. This is where The Lord has called me. This is where He's going to use me for a year. This is where He's going to transform my life.
There's that saying, "Home is where your heart is." I think that's true, but I don't think it's complete. I think a better saying is, "Home is where your heart is filled" or "Home is where your heart grows." I have several places I call home and it's precisely because in those places there are people who pour into me and circumstances that force me to grow. Even after one day I can say with confidence that Beautiful Gate will be added to my list of places I call home. This is going to be an incredible year. My heart is going to grow and it's going to be filled. It's going to be covered in little Basotho handprints that will forever change who I am. All I have to say is, "Bring it on!"
I flew out of Chicago at 6am on Tuesday morning. About two hours later I landed in New York, navigated my way through JFK Airport (that place is gargantuan; seriously, it's nuts), and boarded a second plane. 15 hours, 1 book, 1 movie, and several fitfully failed attempts at sleep later I arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa. I was done sitting at planes at that point, so, naturally, I boarded another one (luckily only for about an hour) which brought me to Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho. There I was picked up by a couple of awesome Beautiful Gate representatives and brought to my new home for the next year.
Arriving on the campus of Beautiful Gate, I was exhausted, but somehow very awake and alert. Now, at the end of the day, I'm mostly just exhausted. It was a whirlwind of a day. I met a ton of amazing people, toured the campus, ate meals in the fellowship of those I'll be working alongside, etc. Let me tell you my favorite part about today, though. It's the reason I'm here. The Beautiful Gate kids! There aren't words to describe what meeting them was like. For over a year I've been imagining what the first encounter with these kids would be like and, God be praised, reality far surpassed any expectations I had. I was hugged, tugged, and pulled every which way across the playground. I gave piggyback rides, held hands, and sat with probably 15 different kids within 20 minutes! Those 20 minutes made the 18+ hours of tiresome and nerve-wracking travel absolutely worth it. No doubts. No questions. This is where The Lord has called me. This is where He's going to use me for a year. This is where He's going to transform my life.
There's that saying, "Home is where your heart is." I think that's true, but I don't think it's complete. I think a better saying is, "Home is where your heart is filled" or "Home is where your heart grows." I have several places I call home and it's precisely because in those places there are people who pour into me and circumstances that force me to grow. Even after one day I can say with confidence that Beautiful Gate will be added to my list of places I call home. This is going to be an incredible year. My heart is going to grow and it's going to be filled. It's going to be covered in little Basotho handprints that will forever change who I am. All I have to say is, "Bring it on!"
Monday, September 8, 2014
Beautiful Beginnings
Beginnings are interesting to say the least. It's the joy of starting something new mixed with the sadness of other good things coming to a close and the fear of the unknown that make beginnings so confusing. It's the hot surge of excitement meeting the cold pang of nervousness that makes you want to embrace the something new and run away from it at the same time. But as I lie awake in this hotel room, listening to my father snoring (and loudly; I don't know how my mother gets any sleep) in the next bed over, considering what this next year could possibly hold, one feeling surpasses all the others: gratitude. I'm grateful for the innumerable blessings The Lord has given me all throughout my life. The gift of faith, loving parents, a rockstar sister, countless friends who support and encourage me, a roof over my head, three meals a day (and oftentimes more), clothes on my back (way more than I need, too), two incredible church communities, a home at Calvin College, wise mentors, life changing opportunities...the list is legitimately endless! My heart swells at the thought of how truly rich I am. And now, despite the fact that I have so much more than many others, God is inviting me on a whole new journey through which I am confident He will bless me even more!
Tomorrow morning (bright and early) I'll be boarding the first of three planes that will take me from all the people, places, and things I know and love to Lesotho, Africa. I've never been to Africa, let alone Lesotho. In fact, I'd never even heard of Lesotho until a year ago. But God is funny that way. Through the help of a great mentor and friend (Nick In't Hout, that's you) I learned about an orphanage called Beautiful Gate in a little landlocked country within South Africa called Lesotho. At first it didn't mean all that much to me, but, in a way that only God could have orchestrated, I repeatedly encountered Beautiful Gate through friends from completely different contexts in my life who either knew about it or had been there themselves. It was probably the 7th instance or so when I finally accepted that God was speaking to me. He was inviting me to consider something I never would have planned for my life on my own and He had something big in mind. So, to make a long story short, over the course of the past year, I've been raising money, working with a travel agent, and preparing for an adventure that begins tomorrow. I will arrive at Beautiful Gate sometime early afternoon on Wednesday and will spend the next year working with and loving 60-70 of God's most precious creations.
My hope is that this blog will be a place both to keep my loved ones back home updated with my journey and process it for myself. Some posts may be short and sweet, and others may be entirely too long. It may be riddled with bad grammar and I might ramble aimlessly from time to time. All I can say about that is #sorrynotsorry. In all, my aim is to be truthful about how The Lord uses this experience to transform me more into the person He's created me to be. If you read this, I thank you for your time and your apparent interest in my little piece of God's big, BIG story. Occasionally I will post prayer requests and I hope that you will come alongside me and pray for those things. I wholeheartedly believe in the power that comes from prayers of God's people and I so often rely on it. There really is no better way you can join and support me in this journey!
It all comes down to this. Over a year's worth of praying, planning, and preparing culminates in just a few short hours. Thank you to everyone who has loved me, encouraged me, and supported me. I wouldn't be where I am without you. I have many hopes and dreams for what this next year holds, but I trust in God's plan above all and my prayer remains "God's will be done." So, my adventure begin. It's going to be beautiful.
Tomorrow morning (bright and early) I'll be boarding the first of three planes that will take me from all the people, places, and things I know and love to Lesotho, Africa. I've never been to Africa, let alone Lesotho. In fact, I'd never even heard of Lesotho until a year ago. But God is funny that way. Through the help of a great mentor and friend (Nick In't Hout, that's you) I learned about an orphanage called Beautiful Gate in a little landlocked country within South Africa called Lesotho. At first it didn't mean all that much to me, but, in a way that only God could have orchestrated, I repeatedly encountered Beautiful Gate through friends from completely different contexts in my life who either knew about it or had been there themselves. It was probably the 7th instance or so when I finally accepted that God was speaking to me. He was inviting me to consider something I never would have planned for my life on my own and He had something big in mind. So, to make a long story short, over the course of the past year, I've been raising money, working with a travel agent, and preparing for an adventure that begins tomorrow. I will arrive at Beautiful Gate sometime early afternoon on Wednesday and will spend the next year working with and loving 60-70 of God's most precious creations.
My hope is that this blog will be a place both to keep my loved ones back home updated with my journey and process it for myself. Some posts may be short and sweet, and others may be entirely too long. It may be riddled with bad grammar and I might ramble aimlessly from time to time. All I can say about that is #sorrynotsorry. In all, my aim is to be truthful about how The Lord uses this experience to transform me more into the person He's created me to be. If you read this, I thank you for your time and your apparent interest in my little piece of God's big, BIG story. Occasionally I will post prayer requests and I hope that you will come alongside me and pray for those things. I wholeheartedly believe in the power that comes from prayers of God's people and I so often rely on it. There really is no better way you can join and support me in this journey!
It all comes down to this. Over a year's worth of praying, planning, and preparing culminates in just a few short hours. Thank you to everyone who has loved me, encouraged me, and supported me. I wouldn't be where I am without you. I have many hopes and dreams for what this next year holds, but I trust in God's plan above all and my prayer remains "God's will be done." So, my adventure begin. It's going to be beautiful.
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