Posted in General Posts by Rachael Hurt on 8/18/2010
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!
Posted in General Posts by Rachael Hurt on 8/18/2010
I sat down under a large shade tree and our host gave me a soda. We talked while and he told us we were going to go speak to some children in a school near by but first we were going to stop by his church. We stood up from our wooden chairs said a prayer of thanks for the soda and were off to the church. As we were walking in the door the Rev whispered in my ear, "This is a group of HIV/Aids patients. We want you to encourage them, and speak Gods word to them." My eyes opened wider than they ever have and I was like "OK?!?"
I walked in the door and saw about 35 or 40 people, a good 15 or so little kids and my heart sank. What do you say to a group of people who have known more suffering than you could ever imagine, sitting back and looking to you, you comfortable American, for a word on their situation. My first instinct was to say this light momentary affliction is not worth comparing the surpassing greatness of the glory of God, which is so true. But I felt like I was sitting in my lazy boy eating my bag of chips, throwing back my soda, flipping though my 200 cable channels saying, "Oh, just get over it. This life is temporary. This suffering isn't a big deal." I felt no right to tell them that their suffering was momentary. To them it isn't. It is life long. Some of them were born with this horrible disease. This was not anything they brought on themselves, it was given to them. Later that night the Rev. was telling me that all of these people had been in war camps. Camps that were really bad. No food, No clothing. Everyone was just scrapping by. The only people who had money were the soldiers. The soldiers would solicit women in the camps for Sex with the promise of money. Rev said that the massive spread of aids in this area has come from this. So not only do these people have a deadly, stigma attached disease but all of them spent a majority of their lives, some 20 years, in war camps. And a greater majority of the women were rapped or sold themselves just to feed their families. What do I say to a group of beautiful, hurting people like this?
I asked the Lord to give me something, anything to say, and he brought me to 2 Corinthians 1:8-11.
"For we do not want to be ignorant , brothers of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed we have received the sentence of death."
I encouraged them that we can't just stick our heads in the sand and put the bandaid of this life is short over it and move on. That even Paul recognized suffering and called it for what is was, a burden to despair. That it is ok to realize that what they are experiencing and going through IS suffering and that it is a product of a fallen world. That pain is real, and it hurts, and it sucks, but there is more. That's not the end. That God is working out a more perfect end than we could ever think or imagine.
"But that was to make us really not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril and He will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many."
I reminded them and myself that we cannot rely on ourselves or on others, but only on God. This suffering isn't to punish you or to harm you, but it is to free you from the idea that you could rely on anything but God himself. I didn't say this, but I am seeing the connection now. God has saved them from the deadly peril of the LRA and the war camps, and he will deliver them from aids. They are all going to be delivered one way or another. These patients are believers so they will either be delivered through the pain to see more healing or through death. The ultimate healing.
When we were finished talking John and I sang "Never Let Go" I will leave you with these lyrics. Please read them in light of these faithful, burdened to despair believers.
Even thought I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting our fear
Even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back I know you are near
And I will fear no evil, for my God is with me, and if my God I with me
Whom then shall I fear, Whom then shall I fear
Oh no you never let go through the calm and through the storm
Oh no you never let go every high and every low oh no you never let go
Lord you never let go of me
I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
There will be an end to this trouble but until that day come
I will live to love you here on the earth
Oh lord you never let go. You don't let go of comfortable Americans and you don't let go of HIV/Aids victims. You are faithful and loving no matter what our condition is. Thank you that this life is temporary and that you are bringing us into eternity with you. Hallelujah!
Posted in General Posts by Rachael Hurt on 7/29/2010
So I spent about 45 minutes writing a blog and then the computer shut off. I only have 15 minutes left so here are a few word about this month. Amazing, Hard, Hot, Moving, exciting and memorable. I loved my time here in Tanzania. We are leaving in about 20 hours for Uganda. Cheribu Tanzania! Jambo Uganda.
Posted in General Posts by Rachael Hurt on 7/17/2010
In this blog I am going to list 10 things I have attempted while here in Tanzania. It is your job to tell me which of these attempts where met with success and which where met with disaster. The person who wins gets a big high five in my next blog! Enjoy
I have attempted to....
1. Carry a bucket full of water on my head
2. Carry a baby on my back with the cloth like in the picture
3. Not be peed on by African children
4. Not Be chased by a chicken
5. Not Marry a witch doctor
6. Do an African dance at church
7. To love rice and beans
8. Not fall out of the land rover while on safari in the Serengei
Here we are in Mwanza, Tanzania. We will be staying here for 30 days working with a village church. The name of the village is Nyamwilolelwa. Ya I know it took me 4 days to be able to pronounce it. We ride 30 minutes in the back of truck down dirt roads past a beautiful view of Lake Victoria to our ministry site everyday. We have been walking through rice patties and fields to small mud homes sharing the gospel and sharing Gods word to encourage believers. This is going to be a wonderfully hard month. Keep us in your prayers!
Posted in General Posts by Rachael Hurt on 6/26/2010
We arrived at the pastors home to the sound of three women praying in the living room. We joined in and prayed for the day and for the ministry. After prayer the pastors wife brought us some delicious coffee and a few pieces of coffee cake. One thing I can say about kenya is that I have NOT gone hungry!
We talked a little about their ministry and then headed off to the tiny one room school they run through volunteers. We walked in to this mud room with old potato bags cut open and nailed to the wall with drawing of elephants, rainbows, trees, and any other words they were trying to learn in english on them. There were about 15 kids excited to see the "Mazungoos" ( that's what they call white people), and one who screamed in terror. He was so afraid of me. I later found out that the only time most of these kids see white people is on WWE on TV. That poor little guy thought I was gonna beat him up. I felt terrible, but don't worry. I gave him a piece of candy and he was ok with me after that.
From there we went to some of the children's parents houses and prayed with them and then we were off to a slum village. In these villages they make a kind of drug/ drink similar to moonshine mixed with meth. It is very strong and the pastor has had to bury 2 people that have died from just ingesting this stuff. They can't find work so they feel this is there only way to make money to support their families.
We walked up to this little community and were quickly greeted by a women who invited us into the home where she lived. We walked into her one room house past a small round charcole stove that had something cooking on it. When we entered we were greeted by another women who immediatly started to cry uncontrolablly. The Pastor and translators we were with began speaking with her and praying for her. They had us pray for her and her family but we didn't know what was going on . The room slowly began to fill with more and more people. I had my eyes closed in prayer and felt Tash nug me so I opened my eyes. It was completely full of people kneeling and praying in the floor of this tiny home. We prayed and I felt and overwhelming pain for these people and I began to cry. I didn't know why. Eventually after some more time in prayer and listening more to the women speak , In swahili of course, we left.
I asked the pastor what had happened in there. He said that the crying women was a brewer. She made the drink I was talking about. She sold this stuff to support her family but it wasn't enough. So she prostituted herself to make ends meet. She apparently was so upset with one of her male clients that she had decided that on that day she was doing to kill him. The stuff she was cooking in front of the door to her home, she was going to use to kill him. She was planning on doing it that afternoon. When we showed up she was convicted of her sin and repented. She said that we came and brought Jesus. That the Lord used us to save her from commiting this horrific sin. She repented and forgave the Man. I understand now why I had so many tears.
I have heard and read that God works in mysterious ways, but if you had asked me that morning if the Lord was going to use us to save someones litteral life and to help save a women from commiting murder, I definetly would have said no. So all in all, I learned. God really does work in mysterious ways!
Posted in General Posts by Rachael Hurt on 6/26/2010
Here are a few more Kenya Photos!
Andrea, Luann, and I in a village in northwest Kenya
The Children from the village school showing us a native dance. They are a choir and will be competing in the regional competition in a few weeks. They where really good!
Some of the village guys playing their traditional instruments. It was amazing.
Pistis Academy where we have worked all month
A few of the beautiful face I got to see everyday! Don't be jealous
Being mobbed by those "beautiful" children!!
Kevin! He has the greatest laugh.
A poster Luann and I made for one of the Pistis School classes. I drew the pictures. in case you can't tell that is Mufasa and a giraffe by a tree. What can I say I am a women of many talents!
Posted in General Posts by Rachael Hurt on 6/12/2010
The third week we were in Uban, Thailand and I got to speak
to the church congregation Sunday morning; this is what I said. One of the
girls that served with me that month got up and spoke on the story of Esther
before I shared. I hope this encourage you as it has encouraged me!
In light of the story of Esther, what does it mean for us
today?
Why
could Esther live a life so focused and free from fear, a life so devoted to
her people? Why could Paul live a life so sold out and zealous for the gospel,
and why could Mary sit at Jesus feet and soak in all he had to say? Because they
new the reality that The God they served was real and working in them. The God
these characters in scripture was a God who I alive and active, moving and
showing Himself strong in their lives. Their God not only saved them from their
sin and from eternity in hell, but He
saved them from a life wasted. He opened their eyes to see how He was moving
and breathing life into their bodies daily. Not only was God a living and
active but he was a good God.
Esther,
Shadrack, Meshack, Abednego , and Paul in the face of suffering and potential death
stood strong and moved forward because the God they served was strong, alive,
and so good.
We serve
the same God, The God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The God we serve is not carved out of stone
or wood. He is living and moving in and through us. The same God who used
Esther to save her entire people group from certain death is the same God who
lives in you and me. The same God who parted the Red Sea, who provided manna
for the Israelites in the wilderness, who healed the blind, raised the dead and
saved a broken sinful people, conquering death once and for all on the cross,
lives inside you and me.
Oh how
our lives would be different if we could only understand this one truth. God is
alive and He is good. If we really believe that God was good and trustworthy,
and always doing what was best, how different would our lives look? It would
free us to say things like Esther said. "If
I perish I perish." It would free us up to say things like Shadrack, Meshack,
and Abendego said when faced with the choice of bowing down to an idol of
facing death by fire. "Our God can save us but even if He doesn't we will not
bow down."
They
said these things because they truly believed that God was good and if His plan
was for them to perish then that was best. If we understood this it would free us up to
live radical, crazy, passion filled lives. If we truly trusted that God is in
control, faithful, and good oh how this would change our prayers. We would no
longer pray selfish prayers but we would pray passionate, Christ centered
prayers trusting that God was going to move in His will for my best.
My Prayers are different in light of this revelation. I now
believe that God is moving in my life for my good and His glory. Esther lived a
radical, passionate life trusting in the goodness of the living God she served.
That is what God is calling us to do. He is calling us to radically trust His
plans and His ways and walk in them with complete faith and confidence in His
hand. It is not about us or about Esther or about Paul, it is about Christ and
how He is moving and working. He is calling us step out into things that are hard
and scary and exciting for His name sake, and for the salvation of the lost. He
is calling us to these things for the glory of His great name.
wanting to be in one of his video
Some of the village guys playing their traditional instruments. It was amazing. 
A few of the beautiful face I got to see everyday! Don't be jealous 
Being mobbed by those "beautiful" children!!
Kevin! He has the greatest laugh. 
A poster Luann and I made for one of the Pistis School classes. I drew the pictures. in case you can't tell that is Mufasa and a giraffe by a tree. What can I say I am a women of many talents!
Don't tell anybody but she is my favorite!
Me and some girls I met along the way.
