Teaching some beautiful Gypsy children about Jonah
Me and Maria from the Gypsy village. She is so adorable!
Singing some "American songs" around the camp fire. PS this was after the best dinner I have ever eaten. Cooked by an award winning chef over an open fire. Good stuff!
Tash and I singing in the park. This is alot of what I did this month.
Being the back up band for Danny and Katies fine dancin!
Singin in christ alone in the village church down the road from where we lived.
Giving a little impromtu concert for my friends. The number one hit of the night, the Amanda song.
Playing some music for some school kids.
Cooking dinner for 14 people can sometimes get a little out of hand.
The two best things about this photo. 1. I finally am off the ground in a jumping photo 2. IT'S IN A SWEET CASTLE!
Team Dyno (-John) on the smallest street in eastern Europe.
Our best team photo yet. To bad Jed had to go off in the wood and miss this perfect kodak moment.
We had an 80s dance party and we rocked it out all night long. And yes I did make my outfit from things I found in the second hand store.
Meet our new favorite people Jenny and Jeff from texas. They work at and orphange in Targu Mures.
After such a great month it is no wonder that we are so sad! We will miss you Romania.
Todays song is called "The Gospel" by Jimmy Needham. I just finished a book called Humility by C.J. Mahaney. He spoke alot about what humility is, what it isn't and how to cultivate a life of humility. One of the things he suggested was to meditate on the cross of Christ. When we are completely enthrolled by the beauty, power, majesty, mercy, grace, and compassion shown on the cross it is much more difficult to focus on self or to see yourself having the luxury of affording yourself pride. So in my quest to focus my mind and my heart on the cross of Christ I made a little play list and this song has resonated with my heart the most this week. Let it speak to you and conform your mind to the cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Gospel
The Gospel, the Gospel
Fragrance in words
The sea of my soul
Is calmed when it's heard
Peace to the broken
The captives set free
May the Gospel of Jesus
Wash over me
The Gospel, the Gospel
My freedom explained
No more shall these garments
I'm wearing be stained
The old man is missing
The new man is free
May the Gospel of Jesus
Wash over me
Wash over me
Wash over me
Come make me clean
Wash
The Gospel, the Gospel
She's good and she's true
She cost quite a fortune
To make all things new
So breathe in with faith
And out with his peace
May the Gospel of Jesus
Wash over me
I have decided to do a series of blogs through songs. Not my own songs, but songs that really capture how I am feeling and what I am desiring at that moment. Hope you enjoy!
Today I have posted the song Vision of you by Shane and Shane. Please take time to listen to the entire song. Every word of this song is resonating with my heart right now.
Vision of you
Come meet us, King Jesus
Oh wind of change blow through this temple
Sweet Spirit of God, come and mend our hearts
For all we have are songs
Unless You come
Awaken what's inside of me
Tune my heart to all You are in me
Even though You're here God come
And may the vision of You
Be the death of me
And even though you've given everything
Jesus come
Come free us, King Jesus
It's the only way that freedom's given
From You and You alone
In the work You've already done
For all we have are songs,
Unless You come
Here we are, Lord
In this place
Crying out for
Your embrace
To hear Your voice
More than songs
Please come
Jesus come
This is more than a glimpse in to my prayers right now. I have been litterally praying the words to this song. Lord please come awaken whats inside of me and tune my heart to you. Thank you Lord for giving Shane and Shane the gift of writing your truths. Thank you for giving then the ability to speak what is on our hearts!
Welcome to the inside of my brain right now! It is being blown apart!!!
"They don't belong here!
They aren't our religion! They can't be allowed to speak!" These
were the cries from the opposing elders. Then the Catechist got up
from his chair near the pulpit of the huge cathedral. Dressed in his
colored robes he stepped near the stone steps and gave a talk that
seemed to rebuke the shouts. "They should be allowed to speak!
Christ was not of a certain religion was He?! We should hear what
they have to say!" And these were the cries of the elders who
supported us.
(The Roman Catholic Church Building)
(In our heads)
"What in the world, is
that guy really getting the people to come against us?! Are these
elders really blatantly disrespecting their Catechist in this way?
Wow, I feel like Paul did in the Synogogue when he stood there while
the sadducees and pharisees argued with one another if he should be
allowed to speak! I wish I could say something now in our
defense..."- Jedediah
"Ughhhhhhhh....... what
is going on. I think they hate us. Oh I hope nobody has any rocks! Oh
Jed please don't talk, please don't talk!" Rache
(Jedediah) (Rachael)
At the end of this ten
minute argument, with us standing there at the front, they came to
the decision that they would let me speak after the service, and
those that wanted to leave could leave. So the end of the service
came, and again they called me up to the front. I hobbled up there,
still having a cane at the time, put my notebook and bible down on
some pew, patted the shoulder of my translator and started with the
message...
"My friends, I am very
grateful to be here today, to hear the beautiful songs of the choir
and to have the privilege to speak to you. As I see this cross on the
wall behind me, it reminds me of the common bond that we have
together, that Jesus is our Saviour..." - Jedediah
(This picture is from a different church)
As I Began to speak, the
elder who was first against me stood up very fast, he knelt down,
bowed to pay his respects to the cross at the front, and walked out
very fast. With this some of the other elders followed, and then most
of the congregation followed them out. It got down to only around 50
people that stayed, wanting to hear the message I had titled, "The
Chief's Son". So after the elders who supported me saw so few
people left they kindly sent me a messenger to the front of the room
to tell me that I should summarize the message and finish it at a
different time when there was more people. So for at least ten
minutes I spoke in a Roman catholic church that has never had a
non-RC speak in it, and I saw the result clearly. After the message
the ones that stayed to listen came up asking if they could hear the
rest of this message, that they loved hearing the story of the
Chief's Son already. This was encouraging to hear, and also I felt
reminded of how it's so true that God has called the few and not the
many, with which the path that leads to Him is narrow, and the
majority do not know this path.
After this we made many
more
visits to the Catechist, who still supported us, and even apologized
to us about the elders and the argument, saying to us that he knows
that a lot of his congregation are not true followers of Christ, that
they just come to church but show no change in their life when they go back home. I came to
love this man, because I saw that the change in his life was genuine,
that he desired to follow the King, Jesus, and walk in a way of love.
We had many talks with him while in this village, exchanged emails,
he fed us, gave us tea, we talked even about Mary and how we
shouldn't pray to her at all (because it gives her glory, when all
the Glory belongs to God) and he was very open to what we would say.
He prayed for us, encouraged us in our journies, and Rachael even
played and sang him some wonderful songs on the guitar, which he
loved to hear! He's now a good friend of ours, and he has his own
battles to fight in his village for those around him who do not have
that relationship with Jesus. By God's grace alone He offers eternal
life with Him to all, yet the choice is still up to us if we are
willing to give our all for His gift.
Aww what can I say? I'm
just
a poor awful sinner that has been shown the truth of the dark evil
sin living inside my heart, all I can do with this knowledge of the
truth is to run after the only gift the Father holds in His hand that
I know will save me from myself, His endless grace...
"So Rachee Pagee, it was
some awesome experience in that village eh? And by the way what was
that one song about, the one you played for the RC leader?" -
Jedediah
"They don't belong here! They aren't our religion! They can't be allowed to speak!" These were the cries from the opposing elders. Then the Catechist got up from his chair near the pulpit of the huge cathedral. Dressed in his colored robes he stepped near the stone steps and gave a talk that seemed to rebuke the shouts. "They should be allowed to speak! Christ was not of a certain religion was He?! We should hear what they have to say!" And these were the cries of the elders who supported us. Have you ever stood in the front of a big Cathedral in the middle of Africa, with more than 400 people sitting before you during the service, while an argument breaks out, that is about you, among the elders and leaders of the church? Let's go back to the beginning for this story...
"Aww sweet, we get to go from hut to hut in this small village in Tanzania and share the Gospel!? You know evangelism is like my favorite thing to do right Rachael!?" - Jedediah
"Sure do Jed. My favorite thing is to carry my guitar around all day. Wait you are supposedly a gentlemen. Don't you want to carry it for me?" - Rache
"Hakuna matata Rachee Pagee, I'd offer to carry it ya know, 'cept I'm on this cane, hmm, guess it has it's benefits." - Jedediah
"You always look at the glass half full don't ya Jed" - Rache
(Rachael) (Jedediah)
After this they and the rest of team Dynami started spreading out throughout the village in 2's or 3's with translators and people from the nearby Christian church. From 11am to 6pm they would stay in this village meeting the people, sharing the Gospel and seeing people come to accept Christ. Truly a great experience. But after a week of this...
(Team: Dynami)
"You know I have met so many people recently that are apart of a Roman Catholic church here in the village. But as I've asked them questions about their faith, who Jesus is or how God wants them to live their life, many of them would answer with an, "I don't know", they would just tell me that they go to church on Sundays, and pray to Mary hoping that she would ask God to help them with their needs. When I would even ask them if they knew what sin was I would get blank expressions. It's so sad to see so many people live in this way!" - Jedediah
"It is sad, I have been meeting a bunch of them too. It's very hard to talk to them more about the relationship we can have with God when they think that being a Christian is just about the traditions and rituals they do. It is hard to teach them about a real relationship with Christ." - Andrea
"Aww I Don't know. You know what, I'll see if I can meet the leader of that Roman Catholic church! Then I can see more of what they are teaching these people, aha! That's what I'll do, a great plan I do think."- Jedediah
"You know what Jed, you should do that, go for it!" - Andrea
(Teammate Andrea)
After this I spoke with the pastor we were working with, I asked him if we could meet the leader of the RC (Roman Catholic) church there, he gave me the thumbs up, and said that the next day I could go and meet him. I told the team about this and instantly Rachael said that she wanted to come and meet the RC leader too. So with excitement and a little thinking of, "I wonder what I'm going to say to this guy?", the next day came...
"So this cathedral is more than 50 years old?" - Jedediah
"Yes, missionaries came and built it, and actually just recently we had a RC leader stay for awhile working with this church that was from America." - Catechist
"Wow, that is amazing, so what is a Catechist anyways, I really don't know these terms" - Jedediah
"Well I am pretty much like the pastor here for now in this church, but I still have not gone to priest school yet." - Catechist
"Oh who is that cute little boy over there? Is that your son! Oh he's so cute. Oh he's terrified of me. Don't run away. Come back." - Rache
"Oh it's ok. He's afraid of white people." - Catechist
"Oh well I'm about as white as it gets, oh wait, I forgot about Andrea! Glad she's not here. He'd be crying right now." - Rache
(The Catechist)
Our first meeting went well with him, we both liked him a lot and saw that there was a difference with him. I told him that we were there for a whole month in his village, and we would love to support him and his church more while there, through teachings for his church or just visiting his home and talking with him more (his home was right outside the cathedral). He seemed to love this idea, and invited us to come to his church that Sunday and give a teaching also...
"Whoa Rache, did that just happen? That guy was amazing, I can't wait to talk with him more, and to think he even invited us to come and speak at his church!" - Jedediah
"Ya that's Crazy. Didn't think he'd let us come and talk. Maybe we should not jump right into the nitty gritty right away or they might not ask us back. So maybe your message entitled 'Saints are idols' shouldn't be used this week." - Rache
"haha, right on sista, I guess I'll just stick with the basics of the Gospel for now." - Jedediah
(Rache with a lady from the RC Church and the Quataquiste)
As the service went along in the RC church they had a grand choir that sang beautiful songs, all with elegant robes on (some of these ladies even had babies slung on their back as they danced and clapped!). They read some scripture, had communion, and then it had come time for me and Rachael to be introduced to the church. We walked up to the front, with Rachael looking a little shy (don't tell her I said that!) and stood in a line with our translator...
"Pop click click snap (Praise God), My name is Rachael, Thank you for letting us come visit your beautiful church and be a part of your service."- Rache
"Bwana asifiwe (Praise the Lord), My name is Jedediah, and I come from Florida in America." - Jedediah
Then a man stood up among the hundreds, who was sitting at the front of the pews and asked, "What Religion are you?" Me and Rache both looked at each other and thought it probably a good thing we both were from non-denominational churches back home.
I prayed for alone time, warm, to have lots of time with my sister, to meet the locals. I prayed to get some rest and to have a nice bed to sleep in. I prayed to eat vegetables and to have a warm shower. I even prayed for cereal and milk.
God answered my prayers. Not quite the way I had in mind
I was in a warm building with my very own bed. All the people in the ward with me where 50 year old Irish folks. You know I love me some old people. I had nothing to do so rest was easy to come by. The only visiting hours the hospital would allow was from 2-4 and 6-8:30 so I had plenty of alone time, but when ever those visitation times rolled around my sis was there so we had a lot of quality time. Also every morning for breakfast I had Rice Krispies with cold milk and for lunch and dinner there was meat and veggies. Thank you lord for answering my prayers, even if it was through malaria.
My tent is finally warm around 11 am. The sun is warming up my tent and I am listening intently for the sound of a bus, specifically a bus carrying my sister. I have been traveling the world, looking forward to this day for 8 months. Every time I hear a car ride by I peek out my tent looking for the big yellow bus my sister told me was taking her to Camac Camp grounds in Dublin where all the squads would stay for our conference. My team and some friends are going into town to see sights but I don't want to miss the moment she pulls up so I stay back.
I am enjoying a little music and journaling when I hear the sound of a big bus pull up. I look out the window expecting to see a camper or maybe a big truck but no, this time it is a bus. No, two busses! Then I see packs being unloaded from under the bus. I hurry and stick on my shoes and quickly walk over watching each person exit the bus. I am getting a few funny looks because the look of disappointment that Kim didn't just get off the bus must have been smeared on my face like a mask. I realize pretty quickly that this isn't Kim's squad and I help a few girls carry their things to where they were going to camp.
I go back in my tent and nap for a while. Not a restful nap because every time I hear a car pull up I jump up and look for Kim. An hour or so passes and I crawl out of my tent and see Kim's squad leader. She tells me that Kim won't be here until around 8. Disappointed I decide to take advantage of the time and go into town and see Dublin. I grab some friends and we begin to walk to the bus stop.
While I am walking I see a group of racers walking into the camp with all their gear on and I kind of scan just to make sure she isn't there. I don't see her and again, disappointment is plastered across my face. Then I see a girl carrying a violin. I think to myself, "Who takes a violin on the world race, but that's cool." Then I look closer, "No that's not a violin that's really, really tiny guitar. How funny. I wonder what that sounds like.....no wait that's not a guitar, it's a UKULELE!" This year for Christmas my mom got my sister a ukulele and she told me she had taken it with her on the race. I realize that is her. There is my sister. I start a slow jog toward her and begin yelling. I speed up as she looks up. She looks at this crazy screaming lady for a moment and has the same realization. She drops her bags and runs up to me, screaming of course. We hug and cry and laugh. I have dreamed of this moment for months and I can't believe it is finally here. This is amazing.
I help her put her things away and give her the gifts I have been carrying for her. We take a long walk to a little pub for dinner. It is almost like I am not on the world race anymore. Almost like I am at home. Just out to dinner with my sister. We laugh and talk. For the first time in months I can see her expressions and read her body language. We really communicate. I love my sister and the Lord is working in and though her and now I get to see it for a few days. She tells me about how the Lord has freed her from things that have bound her for years and has begun to open her eyes to things she hasn't seen. I also see how much I have grown since the last time I have seen her. The last time I sat with her I was bitter and judgmental, full of excuses for how I acted. I was stagnant and unsympathetic, clinging to my logic and my theology. I am not the same person that gave her a hug on December 31st and got on a plane to New Zealand. We will both never be the same and I got to see that today!
A few months ago I was on the Fellowship Bible Church website checking out the missionaries we have sent out to the field. I found a little blirp on an older couple named Ken and Irene. They were serving in Kenya with Wycliffe Bible Translators. I thought that it would be really cool to meet up with them for coffee or something while I was in Kenya. When we got to our ministry site in Nakuru I sent them an email letting them know where I was and to see where they were serving. I got an email back to find out that they were in Nairobi and that they wouldn't be able to travel to Nakuru. I sent them back an email encouraging them and letting them know how much of an encouragement it was for me just to know that someone from my church family was so close and kind of left it at that. About 2 months later I find out that all the team leaders were going to have a retreat in Nairobi the 4 days before we flew out to Ireland. I sent an email to Irene to let her know I would be in Nairobi and we figured out a plan for me to go over to their home for dinner.
I was staying at a great place called Milimani Backpackers and Ken said he would come and pick me up there around 5 o'clock. They said they had rode past it two days earlier just to make sure they knew where to pick me up from. How sweet. Around 4 I was sitting out on the bench in front of the lodge when a cute elderly gentleman asked me if I was Rachael. He greeted me and we hopped in his old beat up white work truck. I felt very at home. He rode me around the out skits of the city through some back roads to their cute little apartment on the campus of Wycliffe's headquarters in Nairobi. He shared with me that he and his wife have been in Nairobi for around a year and a half. He is an architect and has been overseeing a project to build a deaf bible translation building. It will be one of the first of its kind. They will do translation in story form in videos. It sounded super cool.
When I got to their apartment I was greeted at the front door by an adorable white haired women drying her hands with a dish towel. She had been busy in the kitchen fixing a real home cooked American meal for us. I jumped in immediately and began helping with dinner preparations. She made chicken and potatoes with brown gravy and green beans. It was amazing. We sat at the dinner table in a house that looked like a normal home with real furniture. I felt so at home. It was like I was visiting some long lost great aunt and uncle.
They shared stories about their children. How they have lived and served in so many different countries. He shared with me that they aren't even from Nashville but he moved down there to build the Nashville rescue mission. Irene had been a teacher for years in many different countries while Ken would work on a project for some mission or Christian organization. It really blew mind how they weren't really doing the normal missionary thing but they had been serving the Lord on the mission field for almost 40 years and were still going strong. They encouraged me to pursue the Lord and to seek out the things that He has gifted me in and do those things for the glory of God and to see people come to Christ.
I only got to share about 2 hours of life with this wonderful couple but those 2 hours where amazing. I felt like I was finally with family and was so encouraged to pursue Christ with my whole life. Not just the things I deem spiritual, or just in my twenties. They prayed for me and sent me home with some home made oatmeal cookies. It was a great evening with a great couple. The Lord is so good to me.
I have some exciting news for you all. Many of you know that I have made my living for the last several years doing music. It is one of my biggest passions. I love to listen, I love to produce, I love to sing and write, but this month I have realized a new passion. Dance!
Ok in all seriousness, I didn't really realize a passion for dance, but I have danced like a crazy women all month. One of our contacts Charles is a gospel artist here in Lira. He is apparently a pretty big deal around here. We can't go anywhere without hearing his songs or without people coming up and greeting him. I feel like I am traveling with a celebrity.
The first weekend we were here we went out on to a small village and did an open air crusade. They brought a big sound system and set up on the side of the road. Charles began to "sing", they do more of a mily vanily type performance here, and all of the sudden there was a crowd of a few hundred. Charles has a "choir", we would call them back up dancers, that go with him everywhere. They asked us to join the choir for one song and they were hooked. They loved us. I can't tell if it is because we were so bad or so good.
So about a week ago we were getting ready to have dinner and we were watching some music videos on TV and one of Charles videos came up. It was kinda funny. Very 80s 90s style camera work. We joked with Charles about wanting to be in one of his video
So as of yesterday at around 8:30 I became a music video back up dancer. Yes you read that right. Charity, Luann, Jed, John and I will now be shown on TV's all over Lango province in Uganda doing our best to keep up with
the real dancers.
It was a good time and makes for a great story, so watch out J-LO. Here come some real music video dancing stars!
wanting to be in one of his video