Once our devotion time was finished on Friday, Kathy, Tracey and I set to work decorating the sanctuary for the conference that would start that night. We hung the trumpets and notes we had made, rearranged some of the silk trees and added lots of greenery to the front of the stage. There was a beautiful hand carved wooden vase that a young man had made for the church some time ago. Kathy placed a beautiful arrangement in it and we place it right in the front under the pulpit. We later learned that this young man is now in prison, but his mama would be at the conference. Linda said she would be so touched to see her son's vase being used.
Decorating didn't take long and we headed back to Linda and Imro's to have lunch. Peggy picked us up and then it was off for the facials and manicures that Peggy had planned for us. It was a very nice salon and the owner was waiting for us. I went in first for my facial and Tracey was off to start her manicure. Now this is only my second facial ever and they are a real luxury. It was so odd to be laying on the table with my face and neck being massaged and pampered knowing I was down there on a mission trip. I kept thinking, "What is wrong with this picture?" More and more this trip was turning out to be so different than I had anticipated.
Friday morning I had had a conversation with Chittra at the church after we had finished decorating. I told her that many times I think Americans can go into mission trips with the attitude of "Here we come, the Americans are here to rescue you, save you, show you how things should be done." I know that I had certainly thought that as Americans we would be coming to share our expertise with the less fortunate. That is such an arrogant attitude and many of us Americans suffer from it. I couldn't have been more wrong. I found a people who are very saavy, they are well traveled, speak multiple languages and certainly didn't need my help to accomplish this conference. So the question that came up over and over in my mind and again while having this wonderful pampering, "God, why am I here?"
While I loved this precious gift from Peggy, it was hard to fully enjoy as I struggled with the reasoning behind it. Not on Peggy's part, but what was God trying to show me.
So, the conference started Friday night. The guys had set up chairs for at least 235 people. We had two full rows w/headsets set up for the tribes who would be coming and would need interpreters. We had no idea how many people would be coming. We ended up filling those seats and adding to them to seat over 300 people! It was a packed house. Two different tribes showed up. They were facinating, beautiful people. While they wore regular street clothes (jeans and shirts for the men and skirts for the women) the women also had colorful wraps with their babies bound to them. Now these people live in the rain forest in thatched huts, but they had cell phones and digital cameras! Now the cell phones they can only use when them come into Parimaribo, but I was blown away them I asked a group of men who had lined up to take a picture if they'd like me to take it for them and he turned around and handed me a digital camera! Don't ask me how they download them or power any computer they might have because I don't have a clue.
We began with music and singing. Oh the joy! They were loud and sang with total abandon clapping their hands and swaying with the music. Since the power point (yes they even used power point) was in Dutch, we couldn't sing along but we sure could clap and rock with them and we did. Their music is very Carribean in nature and we loved it. Now Satan loves to spoil a good party and he tried his best when he blew the fuses and we lost all the a/c, BUT since God always triumphs they were fixed in no time and we didn't even break a sweat!
The first sessions of the conference were an overview of what the entire weekend would cover. Imro spoke first and our team had wireless headsets for us to hear Linda's translation since he spoke in Dutch. She does an amazing job. It sure helped us because we would have been clueless. We had to laugh when Pastor Tom started to speak and she began translating for him and then caught herself. She did that more than once over the weekend and then she'd get all flustered and laugh and we'd all giggle in our seats.
The people were so enthralled with all that was shared that night. The tribesmen took furious notes and even the teens were writing notes. When it came time for the discussion panel these kids brought their notes to the mike and had serious questions about the things they had heard. It was so refreshing to see people so hungry for God's word and especially to know about the Last Days. Many had concerns for family members who were not believers and you could hear the agony in their voices as they asked what scripture had to say about what would happen to them when the church was raptured.
After the conference was over for the night, Peggy took Tracey and I along with her daughter Crystal and youngest Daniel to an Indonisian wedding reception of her friend's daughter. I got the biggest kick out of listening to Peggy and her daughter talking in Dutch about how to get to the reception. Now I didn't learn any Dutch per se while I was in Suriname, but I can tell you that "no" in Dutch is "nay" and they were saying it a lot to each other. Peggy would suggest one thing and Crystal would say, "Nay, nay, nay mama" and then she would tell Peggy something and Peggy would be, "Nay, nay, nay Crystal." Sounded a lot like some of the conversations that Taylor and I have had over the years. In any language, that mother/daughter tone is clear as a bell! In any event, we finally found the place and parked to go in.
I'm not quite sure what I expected, but not really what we found. The reception was in like an event hall. The bride and groom where in the room where the dance floor was and the dj's music was blaring so loud your couldn't hear yourself think. The bride was dressed in what we would consider a traditional American style wedding dress. She was very pretty and she and her groom were about the only ones in the room. I watched how Peggy and Crystal greeted each of them and when it was my turn, gave them the three kisses on alternate cheeks. (Picked that up all by myself I'll have you know!)
We left them to go through the buffet line. Most people were outside at tables or in the room where the food was served. I felt kind of sorry for the bride and groom because they were stuck in that loud room pretty much alone. While I wasn't the least bit hungry, I knew enough to know it would be bad manners to not take something so I took a small bit of noodles (my favorite) and I don't remember what else. We headed outside and sat with Peggy's sister Marjorie and her two children Donovan and Pamela. Few people were dressed up which kind of surprised me. They don't have a traditional wedding cake. A man came to our table with a bottle of green soda, cups and little cardboard trays of 4-5 pieces of different cake like desserts. There were several colors and flavors and Peggy and Tracey enjoyed them as did the kids. Everytime a tray would be emptied that same man would appear with two or three more little trays. I really enjoyed visiting with Marjorie's children. Donovan is about ready to graduate and plans to go to Holland for medical school. He speaks beautiful English and had many questions for me about how I was enjoying Suriname. I really liked him.
Finally made it to bed about midnight......great day.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Devotions/Testimony
Can't believe it's already Friday. It seems we just arrived and already the week is almost over. I am up early and off to the church for breakfast and devotions.
This was my day for devotions/testimony and I'm pretty calm even though this is only my second time ever to give my testimony. I had decided ahead of time that I would give my testimony first so they would better understand my choice for devotions. I was glad that Rand had instructed us to write out our testimony ahead of time. It really helps cement it in your mind and even though I didn't read what I had written from the page, it was still nice to have it right in front of me as a safety net. While I guess I could share my testimony here in this blog, I reserve the right to share it in person and not in print so if you're interested just ask me.
Like Cody, I was a little nervous about sharing my testimony with him there. There's always that question of how much do you share. As the Lord would have it, I was pretty open and honest and I hope it gave him a better understanding of why I am the parent that I am. It also prompted a lot of good discussion as each of our sharing has done.
So my devotion was on "letting go". My scripture passage was John 2:1-10. This is the same passage we studied this fall at our ladies retreat and it made a huge impact on me even before the retreat as I prepared for it. In the passage Mary comes to Jesus with a problem. They are at a wedding and the hosts have run out of wine. This could be a terrible embarrassment to this family, so Mary comes to ask Jesus to help. She does not tell Him how to solve the problem, she just explains what the problem is and then lets it go. Doesn't that sound simple? You just tell the Lord what the problem is and then you let it go. Yet we don't do that. We tell Him the problem, then we tell Him how to fix it and when to fix it and why He needs to fix it. Then we just walk away and try to fix it ourselves instead of trusting Him to take care of it for us.
As I have thought about that passage since the retreat, I started a list of all of the things that the Lord has asked me to "let go" of in the past couple of years. Shame and regret over past mistakes and poor choices, embracing instead His love and forgiveness. Fear that my children would make the same poor choices that I did and instead recognizing that they are already living out His plan for their lives. Fear of failure. This was a big one for me because I'm one of those reverse perfectionists that learned early that the best way to avoid failing to be perfect was to just not try at all. I have missed so many opportunities in life because I was afraid to try because I couldn't be perfect and perfect had been the standard.
Other things I've let go of are anger and resentment over a relationship, control of my time (it's the Lords), fears about even being on this trip and as silly as it may sound, I even let go of my fierce desire for the Rays to win the pennant this year. As we began the ALCS series against Boston, I just got on my knees before the Lord and told Him that though I wanted more than anything for them to win, if their winning would corrupt the character of any of those young men and cause them to stumble then their character was more important than any win. Funny thing, God allowed me to be at game 7 of that series when they beat Boston and went on to the World Series. And when they lost to the Phillies I was fine. I had let it go.
What I have found through all of this letting go is that each time I have let go of whatever it is that God is calling me to release and have just trusted Him, He has blessed me in unbelievable ways. Just like letting me be at that game. He's also shown me that He can be trusted and in the trusting I find myself stepping out in new ways doing things I never imagined I would be able to handle.
So my question to the team was: What is God asking you to let go of? An area of sin or temptation? A relationship that is drawing you away from the Lord? A hurt that you have let fester because you won't let it go? A fear? An expectation? The list could go on and on as each of us has something we are clinging to and won't release to the Lord. When we did the retreat, I had each of the women take a chocolate kiss and unwrap it and hold it tightly in their hand while I shared the story of Jesus' first miracle at the wedding. I asked them to think about what they were holding on to and not trusting Jesus to handle. After about 5 minutes I had them open their hands to see the mess that the chocolate had made. That's the same mess we make when we refuse to let go and trust Jesus with our problems, fears, expections, worries, you fill in the blank.
I ask you the same question........what do you need to let go of and would you be willing to let go and trust and watch what happens?
This was my day for devotions/testimony and I'm pretty calm even though this is only my second time ever to give my testimony. I had decided ahead of time that I would give my testimony first so they would better understand my choice for devotions. I was glad that Rand had instructed us to write out our testimony ahead of time. It really helps cement it in your mind and even though I didn't read what I had written from the page, it was still nice to have it right in front of me as a safety net. While I guess I could share my testimony here in this blog, I reserve the right to share it in person and not in print so if you're interested just ask me.
Like Cody, I was a little nervous about sharing my testimony with him there. There's always that question of how much do you share. As the Lord would have it, I was pretty open and honest and I hope it gave him a better understanding of why I am the parent that I am. It also prompted a lot of good discussion as each of our sharing has done.
So my devotion was on "letting go". My scripture passage was John 2:1-10. This is the same passage we studied this fall at our ladies retreat and it made a huge impact on me even before the retreat as I prepared for it. In the passage Mary comes to Jesus with a problem. They are at a wedding and the hosts have run out of wine. This could be a terrible embarrassment to this family, so Mary comes to ask Jesus to help. She does not tell Him how to solve the problem, she just explains what the problem is and then lets it go. Doesn't that sound simple? You just tell the Lord what the problem is and then you let it go. Yet we don't do that. We tell Him the problem, then we tell Him how to fix it and when to fix it and why He needs to fix it. Then we just walk away and try to fix it ourselves instead of trusting Him to take care of it for us.
As I have thought about that passage since the retreat, I started a list of all of the things that the Lord has asked me to "let go" of in the past couple of years. Shame and regret over past mistakes and poor choices, embracing instead His love and forgiveness. Fear that my children would make the same poor choices that I did and instead recognizing that they are already living out His plan for their lives. Fear of failure. This was a big one for me because I'm one of those reverse perfectionists that learned early that the best way to avoid failing to be perfect was to just not try at all. I have missed so many opportunities in life because I was afraid to try because I couldn't be perfect and perfect had been the standard.
Other things I've let go of are anger and resentment over a relationship, control of my time (it's the Lords), fears about even being on this trip and as silly as it may sound, I even let go of my fierce desire for the Rays to win the pennant this year. As we began the ALCS series against Boston, I just got on my knees before the Lord and told Him that though I wanted more than anything for them to win, if their winning would corrupt the character of any of those young men and cause them to stumble then their character was more important than any win. Funny thing, God allowed me to be at game 7 of that series when they beat Boston and went on to the World Series. And when they lost to the Phillies I was fine. I had let it go.
What I have found through all of this letting go is that each time I have let go of whatever it is that God is calling me to release and have just trusted Him, He has blessed me in unbelievable ways. Just like letting me be at that game. He's also shown me that He can be trusted and in the trusting I find myself stepping out in new ways doing things I never imagined I would be able to handle.
So my question to the team was: What is God asking you to let go of? An area of sin or temptation? A relationship that is drawing you away from the Lord? A hurt that you have let fester because you won't let it go? A fear? An expectation? The list could go on and on as each of us has something we are clinging to and won't release to the Lord. When we did the retreat, I had each of the women take a chocolate kiss and unwrap it and hold it tightly in their hand while I shared the story of Jesus' first miracle at the wedding. I asked them to think about what they were holding on to and not trusting Jesus to handle. After about 5 minutes I had them open their hands to see the mess that the chocolate had made. That's the same mess we make when we refuse to let go and trust Jesus with our problems, fears, expections, worries, you fill in the blank.
I ask you the same question........what do you need to let go of and would you be willing to let go and trust and watch what happens?
Friday, November 28, 2008
Under the Almond Tree
This was quite a day. Up early and showered after my devotions. We met at church at 8:00 for breakfast of cereal and toast. (They have great cereal here - my favorite was the Fruit & Flakes which had large slices of apples, strawberries, rasberries and such in it)
It was Rand's day for devotions and we had a great discussion on his word for the day, which was "Distractions". His scripture reference was Luke 10: 38-42, the story of Mary and Martha. His question was "What distracts us from our time with the Lord each day?" Work, children, spouse, church, serving. They are all good things, but they can also be distractions if we put them before our time with God. Rand shared how he and Mary Beth had made an agreement years ago not to go on mission trips together because it could be too much of a distraction. How can we manage distractions? We need to recognize them. Sometimes a change of scenery such as this trip can get us away from all the things that distract us and give us that focused time with the Lord.
Then the fun started. We loaded up in two cars and headed out to hand out the DVD's that Tracy and I had tested the day before. As I had mentioned in an earlier blog, Imro's goal was to visit as many of the new Chinese stores as possible and give them a DVD pointing them to the Chinese church in Paramaribo. Two or three of us would go into each store and explain to them that we'd like to leave them a DVD as a gift. Since none of us spoke Dutch, we were the DVD holders and we would smile widely and hand them the DVD when they agreed to take it. As daunting as it seemed at first, the shop owners were all very receptive and it turned out to be a really fun experience. Many were surprised when they realized it was free and one or two pulled out Chinese Bibles showing they were already Christians.
This was also supposed to be a walking tour of downtown, however, since Imro was on a mission we tried to stay close to Linda or Millie who actually shared information about areas of the city! It was incredibly hot and we were all sweating like pigs, but we hung in there and even Millie hung in there with us the whole time, bless her heart! We walked all over downtown and it was quite an adventure. We ended up at the same souvenier shop us girls had been to the day before so the guys could load up. I picked up a couple more things and just enjoyed being in a store with a/c! We ended up handing out 57 DVD's. Not one person rejected them and the next day Imro got a call from the Chinese church thanking him for all his work and to tell him they'd already heard from some of the people who were planning to visit the church. All this from a man who was also preparing for the largest conference his church had ever hosted on the most controversial topic in the Bible and yet his heart was for people who wouldn't even be attending his church.
We headed back to Peggy's where we rested (dead asleep) and showered again. It felt so good to be clean again after sweating so much.
Tonight was the big bar-b-que at the Smit's under the almond tree. I remembered MB and John and Gina talking about this when they made their trip here in 2000. Imro and Linda had invited about 60 people from their church to come and eat and fellowship. We hung balloons and lights and set up chairs. People started arriving with food and we all helped set up the table for serving. Beautiful people. They are so diverse, many speaking several languages (Dutch, English, Taki Taki) and very well traveled. The boys from the youth group had spent the afternoon grilling BBQ pork and chicken. It was served with a pink potato salad (delicious) Indonesian soup, vegetables w/peanut sauce, etc. The food was great, but the fellowship was amazing. We sang several praise songs and then Imro had each person come up to the mike and introduce themselves (in English for us) and tell what their job was in the church. There was much laughter and teasing as in any group of friends in Christ as we each took our turn.
I met a Titsia, who about my age and is opening a new shop for making wedding gowns. Since my sister, Sandy, also sews wedding gowns we struck up a great conversation and I will be helping her find items in the US to be shipped to her that she cannot find in South America. I also got to meet Chittra who MB had stayed with in 2000. MB had told me to be sure and give her a big hug when I saw her. She is a striking woman who is so warm and I instantly loved her. We spent several hours eating, talking and getting to know one another. It was a beautiful night. How will I ever say good-by to these people when it's time for us to leave. I feel so at home here.
When we finally got back to Peggy's she came in a gifted me with a beautiful silk and wool shawl that she'd gotten from Turkey. She is so precious and generous with both her time and her home. Tomorrow the conference starts, but what a great day this has been.
It was Rand's day for devotions and we had a great discussion on his word for the day, which was "Distractions". His scripture reference was Luke 10: 38-42, the story of Mary and Martha. His question was "What distracts us from our time with the Lord each day?" Work, children, spouse, church, serving. They are all good things, but they can also be distractions if we put them before our time with God. Rand shared how he and Mary Beth had made an agreement years ago not to go on mission trips together because it could be too much of a distraction. How can we manage distractions? We need to recognize them. Sometimes a change of scenery such as this trip can get us away from all the things that distract us and give us that focused time with the Lord.
Then the fun started. We loaded up in two cars and headed out to hand out the DVD's that Tracy and I had tested the day before. As I had mentioned in an earlier blog, Imro's goal was to visit as many of the new Chinese stores as possible and give them a DVD pointing them to the Chinese church in Paramaribo. Two or three of us would go into each store and explain to them that we'd like to leave them a DVD as a gift. Since none of us spoke Dutch, we were the DVD holders and we would smile widely and hand them the DVD when they agreed to take it. As daunting as it seemed at first, the shop owners were all very receptive and it turned out to be a really fun experience. Many were surprised when they realized it was free and one or two pulled out Chinese Bibles showing they were already Christians.
This was also supposed to be a walking tour of downtown, however, since Imro was on a mission we tried to stay close to Linda or Millie who actually shared information about areas of the city! It was incredibly hot and we were all sweating like pigs, but we hung in there and even Millie hung in there with us the whole time, bless her heart! We walked all over downtown and it was quite an adventure. We ended up at the same souvenier shop us girls had been to the day before so the guys could load up. I picked up a couple more things and just enjoyed being in a store with a/c! We ended up handing out 57 DVD's. Not one person rejected them and the next day Imro got a call from the Chinese church thanking him for all his work and to tell him they'd already heard from some of the people who were planning to visit the church. All this from a man who was also preparing for the largest conference his church had ever hosted on the most controversial topic in the Bible and yet his heart was for people who wouldn't even be attending his church.
We headed back to Peggy's where we rested (dead asleep) and showered again. It felt so good to be clean again after sweating so much.
Tonight was the big bar-b-que at the Smit's under the almond tree. I remembered MB and John and Gina talking about this when they made their trip here in 2000. Imro and Linda had invited about 60 people from their church to come and eat and fellowship. We hung balloons and lights and set up chairs. People started arriving with food and we all helped set up the table for serving. Beautiful people. They are so diverse, many speaking several languages (Dutch, English, Taki Taki) and very well traveled. The boys from the youth group had spent the afternoon grilling BBQ pork and chicken. It was served with a pink potato salad (delicious) Indonesian soup, vegetables w/peanut sauce, etc. The food was great, but the fellowship was amazing. We sang several praise songs and then Imro had each person come up to the mike and introduce themselves (in English for us) and tell what their job was in the church. There was much laughter and teasing as in any group of friends in Christ as we each took our turn.
I met a Titsia, who about my age and is opening a new shop for making wedding gowns. Since my sister, Sandy, also sews wedding gowns we struck up a great conversation and I will be helping her find items in the US to be shipped to her that she cannot find in South America. I also got to meet Chittra who MB had stayed with in 2000. MB had told me to be sure and give her a big hug when I saw her. She is a striking woman who is so warm and I instantly loved her. We spent several hours eating, talking and getting to know one another. It was a beautiful night. How will I ever say good-by to these people when it's time for us to leave. I feel so at home here.
When we finally got back to Peggy's she came in a gifted me with a beautiful silk and wool shawl that she'd gotten from Turkey. She is so precious and generous with both her time and her home. Tomorrow the conference starts, but what a great day this has been.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Day of Adventure Part Deux
Ok when we left off we had DVD theme music stuck in our heads after we had tested 100 DVD's to give out the next day.
We headed back to Peggy's to rest for a time and then met back at church about 6:00 for devotions with the team. We got to hear some of the guy's fishing adventure and it sounded like a great day for the "guys". Five hours on the lake in a dugout canoe (even if it was a big one) with no shade and 95* did not sound like a fun day to me. That's why they make guys! Anyway, they caught about 25 piranah so they were happy and not even sunburned. Imro had bought them each great cowboy-like hats to cover their faces and necks and it worked.
Though I didn't see it personally, the pictures they brought back showed a very primitive area with thatched huts and no plumbing. This is the rain forest where the indians live. Ted told us later in the week that in that culture you have to be careful where you hang your hammock when you go to bed at night because if you hang it by a young lady and you're still there in the morning next to her hammock then you are married! Go figure. They marry as young as 13 and because that's their culture the law does not interfere. Also, as I mentioned earlier, they have no concept of protecting the environment and the guys said it was heartbreaking to see them toss their wrapper and plastic bottles in the lake when they finished with them.
Anyway, back to devotions. Tonight was Cody's turn. His scripture passage was from Job which is pretty heavy for a young man his age. BTW, for those of you who don't know who Cody is he dates our daughter Taylor and has for two years now. Job 2:9-10 "Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!' But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips." Cody said that Job showed leadership over his family by setting the example of not blaming God, but understanding that we all taste both the joys and sorrows of life. None of us are exempt. By Chapter 42, Job has completely surrendered himself to God's sovereignty and admits that he knows nothing compared to God. Cody desires to stive to be like Job.
When it came time for him to give his testimony, I'm sure he was a little nervous with me sitting right next to him, but he was very open and honest and willing to be vulnerable and we all had sweet affirmations for him afterwards. This is the most time he and I have ever spent together and I have truly enjoyed watching him blossom under the acceptance of the men whose company he's been able to keep. It's always the case that the further we get from home and the expectations of others that we start to see what we're capable of and I feel like that's something of what Cody is experiencing on this trip. I'm so glad he came.
Dinner was for the team and all of the host couples at "The Lucky Twin" Chinese restaurant. Again they brought out dish after dish of delicious food till we could eat no more! Being here is like being in the South. They truly have the gift of hospitality and more than once it's made me think of my in-laws and how much they would enjoy and appreciate all that we are experiencing down here. These people are so warm and generous and I feel so at home here. I wish so much that Bruce could be here with me to be a part of it, and yet this is a very personal experience for me also. God has things to teach me and would not want me to be distracted by family. It's too easy to fall into those familiar patterns and not be forced to put yourself in His hands.
The only question that keeps running through our collective heads is this: we came to serve and yet we all feel as though we are the ones being served. So the question is if we are not to serve than why are we here? That answer will be different for each of us. It is a little frustrating to come to a place expecting to be useful and productive and see God continue to put us on hold each day. (Except Pastor Tom, of course, who came to speak at the conference. He's the only one who knows!)
We headed back to Peggy's to rest for a time and then met back at church about 6:00 for devotions with the team. We got to hear some of the guy's fishing adventure and it sounded like a great day for the "guys". Five hours on the lake in a dugout canoe (even if it was a big one) with no shade and 95* did not sound like a fun day to me. That's why they make guys! Anyway, they caught about 25 piranah so they were happy and not even sunburned. Imro had bought them each great cowboy-like hats to cover their faces and necks and it worked.
Though I didn't see it personally, the pictures they brought back showed a very primitive area with thatched huts and no plumbing. This is the rain forest where the indians live. Ted told us later in the week that in that culture you have to be careful where you hang your hammock when you go to bed at night because if you hang it by a young lady and you're still there in the morning next to her hammock then you are married! Go figure. They marry as young as 13 and because that's their culture the law does not interfere. Also, as I mentioned earlier, they have no concept of protecting the environment and the guys said it was heartbreaking to see them toss their wrapper and plastic bottles in the lake when they finished with them.
Anyway, back to devotions. Tonight was Cody's turn. His scripture passage was from Job which is pretty heavy for a young man his age. BTW, for those of you who don't know who Cody is he dates our daughter Taylor and has for two years now. Job 2:9-10 "Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!' But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips." Cody said that Job showed leadership over his family by setting the example of not blaming God, but understanding that we all taste both the joys and sorrows of life. None of us are exempt. By Chapter 42, Job has completely surrendered himself to God's sovereignty and admits that he knows nothing compared to God. Cody desires to stive to be like Job.
When it came time for him to give his testimony, I'm sure he was a little nervous with me sitting right next to him, but he was very open and honest and willing to be vulnerable and we all had sweet affirmations for him afterwards. This is the most time he and I have ever spent together and I have truly enjoyed watching him blossom under the acceptance of the men whose company he's been able to keep. It's always the case that the further we get from home and the expectations of others that we start to see what we're capable of and I feel like that's something of what Cody is experiencing on this trip. I'm so glad he came.
Dinner was for the team and all of the host couples at "The Lucky Twin" Chinese restaurant. Again they brought out dish after dish of delicious food till we could eat no more! Being here is like being in the South. They truly have the gift of hospitality and more than once it's made me think of my in-laws and how much they would enjoy and appreciate all that we are experiencing down here. These people are so warm and generous and I feel so at home here. I wish so much that Bruce could be here with me to be a part of it, and yet this is a very personal experience for me also. God has things to teach me and would not want me to be distracted by family. It's too easy to fall into those familiar patterns and not be forced to put yourself in His hands.
The only question that keeps running through our collective heads is this: we came to serve and yet we all feel as though we are the ones being served. So the question is if we are not to serve than why are we here? That answer will be different for each of us. It is a little frustrating to come to a place expecting to be useful and productive and see God continue to put us on hold each day. (Except Pastor Tom, of course, who came to speak at the conference. He's the only one who knows!)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Day of Adventure
I want to start today's blog with an omission from yesterday. It is very important to me that this not be overlooked. Tuesday morning when I began my quiet time and started with my letter from home I found another surprise. Not only had Taylor and my husband written me notes, but my son had participated too and my note was from him. Not only did he write me a note, but I discovered later that he had written the number of the day in Dutch! I had seen the writing under each number he had written on the outside of the note, but it never dawned on me it would be Dutch because he doesn't speak Dutch. He had gone on the internet to a translation site to find out how to write each of his days. Tears again as I thanked God for such a precious and caring family that had taken the time to plan all of this for me.
Today the men got up really early to take a fishing trip into the interior rain forest at Lake Brokopondo Stuwmeer. (Don't ask me how to pronounce it please) There were 10 men in all, Imro, Rand, Pastor Tom, Cody, Tom, Ted, Marlon (Peggy's husband) and three other men from the church. The ride to the lake takes about an hour and a half over a treacherous road of potholes and dust. The guys said later that there were times they couldn't see anything in front of them because of the dust and more than once hit their heads on the roof of the truck. There'll be more about this later.
Our morning started with Tracy and I having breakfast with Peggy. It was so nice not to have to leave first thing and just have time to visit with her. Peggy is a breast cancer survivor and she was telling us how she made the decision after treatments to start pampering herself a little more than she used to. She gets regular facials, manicures and pedicures and also has a massuse come in to give her and Marlon massages every week. She tells us that she would like to take the two of us to have facials sometime while we are here! We look at our schedule for the week to see what would be the best day, but it seems a little surreal that we would be talking about having facials on a mission trip. We decide that Friday afternoon would be the best day and she says she till make the appointment.
Our mission for the day was to purchase items to decorate the church for the conference. We are looking for silk greens to fill out what they already have and something to make trumpets and notes out of. So, Linda, Millie, Tracy, Kathy and I all load up in the car and stopping to pray for safety and parking spaces take off for the stores! Shopping.....always exciting. We left with great enthusiasim and our first stop was the money changer kiosk where us aliens exchanged our US dollars for Suriname dollars. The exchange rate was $2.80 per dollar. Now being new at all of this and remembering that when Taylor went to Italy in the spring that the Euro was much higher than the dollar, I thought I had very little to spend for the money I had exchanged. That will come into play later.
So we exchange our money and head to Paramaribo's version of the mall. Actually it was very nice and though not large there were a good variety of stores there. None of them, however, carried any green silks or trumpets. Strike one. We leave there and drive downtown (this is interesting because Linda is not as comfortable driving in the traffic here and since they don't come downtown often Linda and Millie have a running conversation about where locations are and how to get there. All of the streets have mile long names and more than once Tracy and I found ourselves giggling over the sound of them - those prayers were answered when we made it alive AND found parking!)
The streets are lively with people and it's a lot like living in a small town with just the two lane roads. However, the architecture is so different from anything we are used to that there's no mistaking this for home. Actually, it does feel like what towns were like back when I was little when downtown was still the place to go to shop for everything. We search store after store with no luck finding anything silk or green. I will admit that I did get lost in the fabric department of one "department store" and they had to come looking for me. I mean I just turned the corner and there was all this fabric! I couldn't just walk away, there were batiks and Indian silks for saris and beautiful tapestries. They kept calling me and I just forgot where I was and what we were doing. Linda soon found me and brought me back to reality and it was off to another store.
Linda and Millie did take us to one souvenier shop where we spent about an hour pouring over selections to buy for everyone back home. They were also the one store we found that would take a credit card. (this was big for me because I still didn't think I had much to spend with that whole money exchange thing going on) Because my children still haven't been home to receive their gifts, I won't share what I purchased but I was very pleased with the things I found and they were all locally made which was important to all of us. So when I went to pay for all of my purchases and she did the exchange for the credit card charge I discovered that I was actually rolling in Suriname dollars and could have just paid for everything and had plenty of money left over! The exchange had been $2.80 Suriname dollars for every US dollar. Novice!
Lunch is at a cute little outdoor restaurant called "The Pancake House". This is no IHOP let me tell you. The "pancake" is more along the lines of a crepe but with all kinds of ingredients added like an omlet that's not folded. They have about 260 varities to order both sweet and savory. Linda and Millie say they are very big and enough to split between two. I'm hungry for something fresh and green so I opt for their ceasar salad. Linda orders one too. Kathy and Millie order one pancake to split and Tracy orders a shrimp pancake that sounds yummy.
Well, the pancakes arrive and they are huge! They come on platters with the name "MEGA PLATE" on the rim. That tell ya anything? The ceasar salad is nothing like in the States. It's more like a chopped salad with peanuts, cashews, raisins, cucumbers and tomatoes. It was so good and I was so hungry for something fresh and green. Could have licked the bowl when I got to the bottom.
We make multiple stops still having no luck finding what we are looking for. It's hot and I'm tired of going in and out of both the car and stores. We finally head back to the house where Tracy and I test out 100 DVD's that tomorrow we will be handing out to the Chinese stores to promote the Chinese church in Parimaribo. I can still hear that intro music on the DVD's as we played each one to make sure they worked. Shades of "It's a Small World After All"! Only one bad one in the bunch!
Today the men got up really early to take a fishing trip into the interior rain forest at Lake Brokopondo Stuwmeer. (Don't ask me how to pronounce it please) There were 10 men in all, Imro, Rand, Pastor Tom, Cody, Tom, Ted, Marlon (Peggy's husband) and three other men from the church. The ride to the lake takes about an hour and a half over a treacherous road of potholes and dust. The guys said later that there were times they couldn't see anything in front of them because of the dust and more than once hit their heads on the roof of the truck. There'll be more about this later.
Our morning started with Tracy and I having breakfast with Peggy. It was so nice not to have to leave first thing and just have time to visit with her. Peggy is a breast cancer survivor and she was telling us how she made the decision after treatments to start pampering herself a little more than she used to. She gets regular facials, manicures and pedicures and also has a massuse come in to give her and Marlon massages every week. She tells us that she would like to take the two of us to have facials sometime while we are here! We look at our schedule for the week to see what would be the best day, but it seems a little surreal that we would be talking about having facials on a mission trip. We decide that Friday afternoon would be the best day and she says she till make the appointment.
Our mission for the day was to purchase items to decorate the church for the conference. We are looking for silk greens to fill out what they already have and something to make trumpets and notes out of. So, Linda, Millie, Tracy, Kathy and I all load up in the car and stopping to pray for safety and parking spaces take off for the stores! Shopping.....always exciting. We left with great enthusiasim and our first stop was the money changer kiosk where us aliens exchanged our US dollars for Suriname dollars. The exchange rate was $2.80 per dollar. Now being new at all of this and remembering that when Taylor went to Italy in the spring that the Euro was much higher than the dollar, I thought I had very little to spend for the money I had exchanged. That will come into play later.
So we exchange our money and head to Paramaribo's version of the mall. Actually it was very nice and though not large there were a good variety of stores there. None of them, however, carried any green silks or trumpets. Strike one. We leave there and drive downtown (this is interesting because Linda is not as comfortable driving in the traffic here and since they don't come downtown often Linda and Millie have a running conversation about where locations are and how to get there. All of the streets have mile long names and more than once Tracy and I found ourselves giggling over the sound of them - those prayers were answered when we made it alive AND found parking!)
The streets are lively with people and it's a lot like living in a small town with just the two lane roads. However, the architecture is so different from anything we are used to that there's no mistaking this for home. Actually, it does feel like what towns were like back when I was little when downtown was still the place to go to shop for everything. We search store after store with no luck finding anything silk or green. I will admit that I did get lost in the fabric department of one "department store" and they had to come looking for me. I mean I just turned the corner and there was all this fabric! I couldn't just walk away, there were batiks and Indian silks for saris and beautiful tapestries. They kept calling me and I just forgot where I was and what we were doing. Linda soon found me and brought me back to reality and it was off to another store.
Linda and Millie did take us to one souvenier shop where we spent about an hour pouring over selections to buy for everyone back home. They were also the one store we found that would take a credit card. (this was big for me because I still didn't think I had much to spend with that whole money exchange thing going on) Because my children still haven't been home to receive their gifts, I won't share what I purchased but I was very pleased with the things I found and they were all locally made which was important to all of us. So when I went to pay for all of my purchases and she did the exchange for the credit card charge I discovered that I was actually rolling in Suriname dollars and could have just paid for everything and had plenty of money left over! The exchange had been $2.80 Suriname dollars for every US dollar. Novice!
Lunch is at a cute little outdoor restaurant called "The Pancake House". This is no IHOP let me tell you. The "pancake" is more along the lines of a crepe but with all kinds of ingredients added like an omlet that's not folded. They have about 260 varities to order both sweet and savory. Linda and Millie say they are very big and enough to split between two. I'm hungry for something fresh and green so I opt for their ceasar salad. Linda orders one too. Kathy and Millie order one pancake to split and Tracy orders a shrimp pancake that sounds yummy.
Well, the pancakes arrive and they are huge! They come on platters with the name "MEGA PLATE" on the rim. That tell ya anything? The ceasar salad is nothing like in the States. It's more like a chopped salad with peanuts, cashews, raisins, cucumbers and tomatoes. It was so good and I was so hungry for something fresh and green. Could have licked the bowl when I got to the bottom.
We make multiple stops still having no luck finding what we are looking for. It's hot and I'm tired of going in and out of both the car and stores. We finally head back to the house where Tracy and I test out 100 DVD's that tomorrow we will be handing out to the Chinese stores to promote the Chinese church in Parimaribo. I can still hear that intro music on the DVD's as we played each one to make sure they worked. Shades of "It's a Small World After All"! Only one bad one in the bunch!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Prayer of Preparation
Tuesday morning and I wake up really early again, but don't get up till just around 7:00. Did my devotions and prayer time and then got a cup of coffee. Everyone drinks instant coffee down here and they have interesting Dutch creamers and raw sugar. Very different taste. We got dressed and waited for Millie to pick us up.
We meet at the church for breakfast. There is a big kitchen here and it's easier to seat us all and more room for Linda and Millie to prepare. If I didn't mention it before, Linda and Imro live right next to the church so it makes it very convenient for us to meet there. Breakfast was fresh papaya, oatmeal, holiday bread w/Dutch cheese (awesome stuff) and a type of Suriname grapefruit that I loved. It's sweeter though not as juicy. We had it almost every morning.
It was Kathy's turn for devotions and her scripture passage was Jeremiah 17:5-8. "Faith enough to finish". God is more interested in the person than the performance. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. He will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but it's leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit." What river are my roots in? Money, work, achievement, looks, education, experts, relationships? Do I need to be uprooted and moved closer to the river? Good questions.
When we share our prayer requests, Tom Smith told us that his host Ted has approached him about moving to Suriname to teach. How cool would that be? The school Ted is talking to him about is losing 11 teachers after this year and Tom teaches English. His mother recently passed away so he has no ties to home. We will be praying for God to lead him and later in the week Ted is planning to take Tom to see the school.
Finished with our devotion time we head back to the house. Imro loads us up in the bus and we drive out to the BCM Camp. I thought I had written down what BCM stands for but can't find it. I'll try and add it later. It is out by the airport so it's an hours drive out. The facility is used for kids summer camp, retreats and such. It's a nice building with bedrooms, lots of bathroom facilities for the kids, a big meeting room and picnic area outside. Across the street is a public school that is like nothing we've ever seen back home. The buildings are long with a roof and interior walls to separate the classrooms, but there are no outside walls only like chainlink fencing. There is no a/c and this is how they keep cool. The children are all in uniform and we see them pour out onto the playground at one point for free time. Because of the heat, school here starts at 7:00 AM and gets out around 12:30 to 1:00 to avoid the heat of the afternoon.
Imro brought us out here because as a church every time they have a major decision to make or something big they feel called to do by the Lord they come here where they are away from everything to have a focused time of prayer. Since we are preparing to do a conference on the End Times there is a need to pray for every aspect of the weekend from the technical aspects, to the speakers, to those who will be traveling to come here, to the food we will serve. It is a very special and for me emotional time of prayer. Not sure why it had such an effect on me, but I guess just being a part of something so important humbled me.
Just driving out here was an experience. This was the one day I decided to sit in the back seat right in the middle (on the way back) where I could see exactly what was coming at us. This was also the last time I sat in the back in the middle of the seat where I could see out that window. As I said before, Imro is very experienced driving in Suriname and praise God that he is! The scenery is very diverse from nice houses to thatched huts and places that look like camping areas. Some had just four poles with a thatched roof and hammocks hung inside for sleeping. Some are so pitiful that you can't imagine how anyone can live in them, but there are people and children in the yards. There is no shame or sin in being poor, but it saddens me all the same.
As we come into town the kids are getting out of school and we are floored to see dozens of groups of kids walking home along the sides of these two lane just acting like kids. People in America would be horrified by the sight! They act as if it's the most natural thing in the world and down here it is.
Back at Imro's they fixed burgers and fries. I spent a long time on their balcony with Cody just talking. At one point I heard something fall out of their tree in front and really didn't pay much attention. I was looking out in the grass when suddenly the grass moved and I realized there was a huge iguana in the yard! It must have been almost two feet long and blended perfectly into the lawn. Cody took pictures then handed me the camera to run down the steps and see if he could catch it......RIGHT! Have you ever seen an iguana run? They are like greased lightning and Cody caught nothing but air! Never even got that close actually.
Back to Peggy's to rest and Tracy and I ended up talking almost the entire time. It's been good to have this time with her and get to know her better. There are some hurts that she is struggling with and I share some of my own struggles with her to remind her how faithful God is. Got to spend some time on my balcony watching people go by in cars, bikes, scooters, walking...the way people drive on the roads it's a wonder more people aren't killed.
Millie picked us up for dinner at the Smits and to watch the election returns....something I can do without as I am so sick of hearing about the election I can barely breathe. But, people down here are very interested in what happens in our country and I find that interesting. It's a reminder that what happens in our country still affects other countries around the world. More so now that we are such a global society.
Tomorrow when we wake up we'll have a new president.
We meet at the church for breakfast. There is a big kitchen here and it's easier to seat us all and more room for Linda and Millie to prepare. If I didn't mention it before, Linda and Imro live right next to the church so it makes it very convenient for us to meet there. Breakfast was fresh papaya, oatmeal, holiday bread w/Dutch cheese (awesome stuff) and a type of Suriname grapefruit that I loved. It's sweeter though not as juicy. We had it almost every morning.
It was Kathy's turn for devotions and her scripture passage was Jeremiah 17:5-8. "Faith enough to finish". God is more interested in the person than the performance. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. He will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but it's leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit." What river are my roots in? Money, work, achievement, looks, education, experts, relationships? Do I need to be uprooted and moved closer to the river? Good questions.
When we share our prayer requests, Tom Smith told us that his host Ted has approached him about moving to Suriname to teach. How cool would that be? The school Ted is talking to him about is losing 11 teachers after this year and Tom teaches English. His mother recently passed away so he has no ties to home. We will be praying for God to lead him and later in the week Ted is planning to take Tom to see the school.
Finished with our devotion time we head back to the house. Imro loads us up in the bus and we drive out to the BCM Camp. I thought I had written down what BCM stands for but can't find it. I'll try and add it later. It is out by the airport so it's an hours drive out. The facility is used for kids summer camp, retreats and such. It's a nice building with bedrooms, lots of bathroom facilities for the kids, a big meeting room and picnic area outside. Across the street is a public school that is like nothing we've ever seen back home. The buildings are long with a roof and interior walls to separate the classrooms, but there are no outside walls only like chainlink fencing. There is no a/c and this is how they keep cool. The children are all in uniform and we see them pour out onto the playground at one point for free time. Because of the heat, school here starts at 7:00 AM and gets out around 12:30 to 1:00 to avoid the heat of the afternoon.
Imro brought us out here because as a church every time they have a major decision to make or something big they feel called to do by the Lord they come here where they are away from everything to have a focused time of prayer. Since we are preparing to do a conference on the End Times there is a need to pray for every aspect of the weekend from the technical aspects, to the speakers, to those who will be traveling to come here, to the food we will serve. It is a very special and for me emotional time of prayer. Not sure why it had such an effect on me, but I guess just being a part of something so important humbled me.
Just driving out here was an experience. This was the one day I decided to sit in the back seat right in the middle (on the way back) where I could see exactly what was coming at us. This was also the last time I sat in the back in the middle of the seat where I could see out that window. As I said before, Imro is very experienced driving in Suriname and praise God that he is! The scenery is very diverse from nice houses to thatched huts and places that look like camping areas. Some had just four poles with a thatched roof and hammocks hung inside for sleeping. Some are so pitiful that you can't imagine how anyone can live in them, but there are people and children in the yards. There is no shame or sin in being poor, but it saddens me all the same.
As we come into town the kids are getting out of school and we are floored to see dozens of groups of kids walking home along the sides of these two lane just acting like kids. People in America would be horrified by the sight! They act as if it's the most natural thing in the world and down here it is.
Back at Imro's they fixed burgers and fries. I spent a long time on their balcony with Cody just talking. At one point I heard something fall out of their tree in front and really didn't pay much attention. I was looking out in the grass when suddenly the grass moved and I realized there was a huge iguana in the yard! It must have been almost two feet long and blended perfectly into the lawn. Cody took pictures then handed me the camera to run down the steps and see if he could catch it......RIGHT! Have you ever seen an iguana run? They are like greased lightning and Cody caught nothing but air! Never even got that close actually.
Back to Peggy's to rest and Tracy and I ended up talking almost the entire time. It's been good to have this time with her and get to know her better. There are some hurts that she is struggling with and I share some of my own struggles with her to remind her how faithful God is. Got to spend some time on my balcony watching people go by in cars, bikes, scooters, walking...the way people drive on the roads it's a wonder more people aren't killed.
Millie picked us up for dinner at the Smits and to watch the election returns....something I can do without as I am so sick of hearing about the election I can barely breathe. But, people down here are very interested in what happens in our country and I find that interesting. It's a reminder that what happens in our country still affects other countries around the world. More so now that we are such a global society.
Tomorrow when we wake up we'll have a new president.
Monday, November 17, 2008
First impressions
Surprisingly I woke up about 7:00 AM and actually got up about 8:00. I sat in bed with my Bible to have my quiet time with the Lord. I made my way to the shower and had coffee as I read my second letter from home. This one was from Bruce (husband). This was a surprise as I had assumed that all the letters would be from Taylor. It made me cry to think he would take the time to write a note ahead of time for me to have while I was away.
Because Tracy was still sleeping and no one else seemed to be around, I headed out to their beautiful balcony off the upstairs family room almost right outside our bedroom door. It was a gorgeous morning, not cool but not terribly hot either. There was a great breeze and I sat on their porch swing just looking out over all the lushness. All the houses that I could see have walls all around the yard with electronic gates that open when they come and go. Very unusual to me, but we saw this everywhere as the week went on. Imro had gotten each team couple a cell phone for use while in Suriname so I was able to call Bruce to let him know we'd made it safely. It was so good to hear his voice.
Peggy and Marlon's home is very open on the inside. There is no central air in any of the homes in Suriname, but each bedroom has a wall unit. They keep their windows open all the time and there were no screens on them at all. This was hard for me to get used to at first, not being a "bug" person and all, but I got used to it and never saw a single bug the whole time I was in their home. A couple of mosquitos found me, but that was about it. They usually find me wherever I am anyway so it was no big surprise.
Millie came to pick us up about noon and we had lunch at Linda and Imro's. It was the first time I'd seen their home and it too was mostly on the second floor with a large balcony to catch the breezes. After lunch our team headed over to the church for our devotion/testimony time. Each morning we planned to meet after breakfast and took turns each day planning the devotional and giving our testimony.
Today was Pastor Tom's turn and his devotional was from Matt 4:18-22. This was when Jesus called James, John and Peter from their fishing nets to follow Him. That day was ordinary, what made Jesus pick them? Then they left everything they knew and followed Him without arguing or questioning. We talked about excuses we give for not following Jesus when He calls us. Questions: Am I looking at an ordinary day for ways that God can use me? Am I willing to let Him do that? Am I living expecting God to use me? We had some good discussion.
Imro took us for a bus ride (church bus) around town. The style of houses are so different from home or anywhere I've seen in the US. Also, with no zoning laws there are homes and stores built with no rhyme or reason, old next to new, etc. All the streets I saw were only two lanes with very few street lights. Only downtown had any lights to speak of so driving in this traffic is "lively"? Just like I've seen in the movies before. People pulling out, honking to allow others to yield, changing lanes, slamming on brakes. Since Imro has lived in Paramaribo all his life he is very comfortable driving in these conditions and even with a 30 passenger bus wound in and around traffic like he was driving a bug. I learned early on to sit where I couldn't see out the huge picture window of a windshield. It was better for me to look out the side! We did see the Chinese Embassy and the American Ambassador's home on the way. The Embassy was very cold and imposing. The Chinese have a huge presence in Suriname. There are Chinese stores springing up everywhere and people aren't quite sure where all the money is coming from to do this or why.
We stopped by the Suriname river and walked out onto the dock to see and take some pictures. Though a beautiful country, they have no concept yet of ecology and so the banks of the river where just covered with litter. Water bottles, wrappers, bags, everything you can think of. The water looked pretty yucky and Rand and I commented on the fact that you'd probably get a staff infection just touching the water.
We came back to Peggy's to rest till dinner. The a/c unit in our room is cracker jack and we go from tropical to artic with the opening of a door. We wear jackets in our room to stay warm, but it's a nice change from the heat. It's fun to nap under a quilt when it's 95* outside!
Dinner is for the team and all the host couples, including Millie and it is at Imro's and Peggy's sister Ingrid's Indonesian restaurant. OMG, you can't imagine all the food they brought out for us! We started with a native drink that was pink and kind of thick with little tapioca-like things in the bottom. Next came an Indonesian soup that was incredible. Following that came chicken satay, sweet and sour fish, coconut rice, a special brown rice spiced up, shrimp on a stick, fish cakes, noodles (my favorite) and I can't even remember what else. We passed and passed and passed dishes trying to eat bites of food in between. It was also Linda and Tracy's birthdays so they had a birthday cake for all of us.
Leaving the restaurant we got to see how Suninamese parking in parking lots......everywhere! It's a puzzle getting cars back out and since we were one of the first cars there that night it was fun watching all the antics to get the cars extricated from the lot so we could get home.
When we got back home, Peggy let me use her laptop to check email then it was just relaxing time reading and writing that day's events in my journal. It will get busier as the week goes on so this was a nice day. I'm so glad I came. God is opening my eyes.
Because Tracy was still sleeping and no one else seemed to be around, I headed out to their beautiful balcony off the upstairs family room almost right outside our bedroom door. It was a gorgeous morning, not cool but not terribly hot either. There was a great breeze and I sat on their porch swing just looking out over all the lushness. All the houses that I could see have walls all around the yard with electronic gates that open when they come and go. Very unusual to me, but we saw this everywhere as the week went on. Imro had gotten each team couple a cell phone for use while in Suriname so I was able to call Bruce to let him know we'd made it safely. It was so good to hear his voice.
Peggy and Marlon's home is very open on the inside. There is no central air in any of the homes in Suriname, but each bedroom has a wall unit. They keep their windows open all the time and there were no screens on them at all. This was hard for me to get used to at first, not being a "bug" person and all, but I got used to it and never saw a single bug the whole time I was in their home. A couple of mosquitos found me, but that was about it. They usually find me wherever I am anyway so it was no big surprise.
Millie came to pick us up about noon and we had lunch at Linda and Imro's. It was the first time I'd seen their home and it too was mostly on the second floor with a large balcony to catch the breezes. After lunch our team headed over to the church for our devotion/testimony time. Each morning we planned to meet after breakfast and took turns each day planning the devotional and giving our testimony.
Today was Pastor Tom's turn and his devotional was from Matt 4:18-22. This was when Jesus called James, John and Peter from their fishing nets to follow Him. That day was ordinary, what made Jesus pick them? Then they left everything they knew and followed Him without arguing or questioning. We talked about excuses we give for not following Jesus when He calls us. Questions: Am I looking at an ordinary day for ways that God can use me? Am I willing to let Him do that? Am I living expecting God to use me? We had some good discussion.
Imro took us for a bus ride (church bus) around town. The style of houses are so different from home or anywhere I've seen in the US. Also, with no zoning laws there are homes and stores built with no rhyme or reason, old next to new, etc. All the streets I saw were only two lanes with very few street lights. Only downtown had any lights to speak of so driving in this traffic is "lively"? Just like I've seen in the movies before. People pulling out, honking to allow others to yield, changing lanes, slamming on brakes. Since Imro has lived in Paramaribo all his life he is very comfortable driving in these conditions and even with a 30 passenger bus wound in and around traffic like he was driving a bug. I learned early on to sit where I couldn't see out the huge picture window of a windshield. It was better for me to look out the side! We did see the Chinese Embassy and the American Ambassador's home on the way. The Embassy was very cold and imposing. The Chinese have a huge presence in Suriname. There are Chinese stores springing up everywhere and people aren't quite sure where all the money is coming from to do this or why.
We stopped by the Suriname river and walked out onto the dock to see and take some pictures. Though a beautiful country, they have no concept yet of ecology and so the banks of the river where just covered with litter. Water bottles, wrappers, bags, everything you can think of. The water looked pretty yucky and Rand and I commented on the fact that you'd probably get a staff infection just touching the water.
We came back to Peggy's to rest till dinner. The a/c unit in our room is cracker jack and we go from tropical to artic with the opening of a door. We wear jackets in our room to stay warm, but it's a nice change from the heat. It's fun to nap under a quilt when it's 95* outside!
Dinner is for the team and all the host couples, including Millie and it is at Imro's and Peggy's sister Ingrid's Indonesian restaurant. OMG, you can't imagine all the food they brought out for us! We started with a native drink that was pink and kind of thick with little tapioca-like things in the bottom. Next came an Indonesian soup that was incredible. Following that came chicken satay, sweet and sour fish, coconut rice, a special brown rice spiced up, shrimp on a stick, fish cakes, noodles (my favorite) and I can't even remember what else. We passed and passed and passed dishes trying to eat bites of food in between. It was also Linda and Tracy's birthdays so they had a birthday cake for all of us.
Leaving the restaurant we got to see how Suninamese parking in parking lots......everywhere! It's a puzzle getting cars back out and since we were one of the first cars there that night it was fun watching all the antics to get the cars extricated from the lot so we could get home.
When we got back home, Peggy let me use her laptop to check email then it was just relaxing time reading and writing that day's events in my journal. It will get busier as the week goes on so this was a nice day. I'm so glad I came. God is opening my eyes.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Ummm....Can you show me how the flush the toilet?
So we land and make our first trip through immigration and customs. We get to stand in a line "behind the red line" (they are emphatic about this) with another form telling where we're from and how long we'll be here and what we'll be doing. We are very tired, but in good spirits and I can't wait to get my first stamp in my passport. The man was very nice and polite and we all pass through with no issues at all. Pick up the bags and breeze through customs without even knowing we've gone through it! Imagine that! Customs was basicially two guys standing in the walkway watching us pass through with our luggage. Here I was expecting to be sniffed by dogs, my bags searched, interrogated for hours and this is it? Thank the Lord for small favors.
As we walk out into the parking lot there is a sea of people with signs for taxis, loved ones and way in the back we see Imro and Linda! Yeah, familiar faces. We hug and introduce everyone; then off to the bus to load up and head back to Paramaribo.
With Imro and Linda is an older lady named Millie. She is 74 and has been a missionary for 45 years. She and her friend, Pat, started a Bible club for teens years ago and Imro was in their first class. She has stayed in ministry with their church and is like an Aunt to them. She is very spry and just a delight to be with. Little did we know how much time we would spend with Millie and how we would grow to love her.
The drive to Paramaribo from the airport is an hour and the road was better than I had expected pothole wise, but we passed many Hindu shrines and mosques on the way. This is a land of many cultures and religions. Linda had brought sandwiches and drinks for us and I quickly grabbed a bottle of water because I was so dry from the flight.
The first to be dropped off were Tom Smith and Cody. They would be staying with Ted and Oonona. Ted is from America and Oonona is from Suriname. He has a media production company and produces documentary films. By this time it's after 1:00 AM and the nighbor's dogs are barking their heads off and I'm sure someone's going to yell at us for making so much noise. We get their bags unloaded and tell them good-by; then it's off to Imro's sister's house where Tracy and I will be staying.
Peggy is the middle of nine children. When we pulled up to her house Tracy and I were shocked to see that they had this beautiful two story home. I mean we had no idea what to expect, but when we envisioned being on a mission trip this was not what we had pictured. Peggy came to the door in pajamas and just gave us the biggest hugs. You know how when teenage girls hug you they rock you back and forth as they hug you? That was Peggy. I knew instantly that I would love being with her. We told everyone good-by and she led us upstairs to our room. She showed us to the area where the shower and bathroom were and, of course, having been riding for a while I needed to go. First I couldn't find the light, not a problem, I wasn't going to let that stop me. Well, then the problem was I couldn't figure out how to flush the toilet. It's dark so I can't see that well, I'm feeling all around the sides of the toilet and don't find a thing to flush! So, I head back out and luckily Peggy is out in the family room. I sheepishly ask her if she would show me where the light is and could she please show me how to flush the toilet. Nothing like breaking down all social barriers right from the get go. She laughs and shows me that on the top of the toilet (covered by a very pretty doily) is a button that you push to flush their toilets. Ok, so how was I to know to feel on top?
Within minutes of that, we are in our pj's, lights out and sound asleep. It's just before 2:00 AM and the first hurdles have been cleared.
As we walk out into the parking lot there is a sea of people with signs for taxis, loved ones and way in the back we see Imro and Linda! Yeah, familiar faces. We hug and introduce everyone; then off to the bus to load up and head back to Paramaribo.
With Imro and Linda is an older lady named Millie. She is 74 and has been a missionary for 45 years. She and her friend, Pat, started a Bible club for teens years ago and Imro was in their first class. She has stayed in ministry with their church and is like an Aunt to them. She is very spry and just a delight to be with. Little did we know how much time we would spend with Millie and how we would grow to love her.
The drive to Paramaribo from the airport is an hour and the road was better than I had expected pothole wise, but we passed many Hindu shrines and mosques on the way. This is a land of many cultures and religions. Linda had brought sandwiches and drinks for us and I quickly grabbed a bottle of water because I was so dry from the flight.
The first to be dropped off were Tom Smith and Cody. They would be staying with Ted and Oonona. Ted is from America and Oonona is from Suriname. He has a media production company and produces documentary films. By this time it's after 1:00 AM and the nighbor's dogs are barking their heads off and I'm sure someone's going to yell at us for making so much noise. We get their bags unloaded and tell them good-by; then it's off to Imro's sister's house where Tracy and I will be staying.
Peggy is the middle of nine children. When we pulled up to her house Tracy and I were shocked to see that they had this beautiful two story home. I mean we had no idea what to expect, but when we envisioned being on a mission trip this was not what we had pictured. Peggy came to the door in pajamas and just gave us the biggest hugs. You know how when teenage girls hug you they rock you back and forth as they hug you? That was Peggy. I knew instantly that I would love being with her. We told everyone good-by and she led us upstairs to our room. She showed us to the area where the shower and bathroom were and, of course, having been riding for a while I needed to go. First I couldn't find the light, not a problem, I wasn't going to let that stop me. Well, then the problem was I couldn't figure out how to flush the toilet. It's dark so I can't see that well, I'm feeling all around the sides of the toilet and don't find a thing to flush! So, I head back out and luckily Peggy is out in the family room. I sheepishly ask her if she would show me where the light is and could she please show me how to flush the toilet. Nothing like breaking down all social barriers right from the get go. She laughs and shows me that on the top of the toilet (covered by a very pretty doily) is a button that you push to flush their toilets. Ok, so how was I to know to feel on top?
Within minutes of that, we are in our pj's, lights out and sound asleep. It's just before 2:00 AM and the first hurdles have been cleared.
Friday, November 14, 2008
We Leave
We all met at the church Sunday, November 2 to begin our trip. There are 7 of us, Pastor Tom and Kathy, Rand, Tom S., Tracey V., Cody and me. Bruce, Taylor and I all ride up together. B4 stays home content to tell me good-by from bed.
Donna Watts has planned ahead to serve us all communion before we leave. It is a beautiful moment as we stand in the Narthex while JJ explains the elements and Bruce serves them to us. When we finish, the team puts their hands in the center while those around us lay hands on us and JJ prays. So many emotions are running through my head.
Pastor Tom hands out folders with our passports, copies of same and other information we will need. Then we head out to the van. Pictures are taken of the team by the van as a memory of our beginning. As we prepare to leave, Taylor hands me a small white bag. This is very special bag because it's the continuation of a tradition started many years ago when she was little.
Whenever the kids would go to camp or places like that I would pack each days clothes in a gallon ziplock bag so that their entire outfit would be together for that day. In each bag I would have a note that I had written telling them that I loved them and reminders about putting on sunscreen or bugspray. I would try to write some little encouragement about what they might be doing that day or how much I looked forward to their coming home. It was always a special gift from me to them.
So in my little white bag are letters for each day of my trip while I'm gone. Yes, tears.
We load up to begin the trip to Miami to catch our first flight. The weather is beautiful and we're excited. That morning before we left for church I had written in my Missionary Journal: Today we leave. It's 5:00 AM and I cannot sleep. Ten months of planning and preparing and I'm finally about to really go on my first mission trip. What will it be like? How will I respond to each new situation? What will I learn about those I travel with and those I will serve?
It was a pretty uneventful trip to Miami. We park, roll our bags into the airport and start the trek. Miami is a very interesting airport. You hear very little English, but every person you walk by is speaking another language. French, German, Russian, Spanish, who knows what else? I'm excited to use my passport for the first time and stand patiently in line with my boarding pass tucked into the page where my picture is. Carribean Airlines allows 2 bags of 50# each. I have one bag and closely watch the scale as they weigh it.....whew only 38#. Tracy beats us all at 49#, just under the limit. Once our bags are checked in we head off to get some lunch at Chili's.
Before long we are boarding the plane for the first leg of the trip to Port of Spain, Trinidad. It's a long flight, just under 4 hours. I've never been on a flight that long and it was bumpy too which the Lord knows is not funny for me. "Lord I know that you are sovereign and command the earth and the skies. I know you can smooth the air, but if that's not Your will can you just give me a peace about the bumps? I hate potholes in the sky!" The farther away from home we get, the smoother the flight. It's dark when we reach Trinidad so though it's probably a beautiful island, we can see nothing but lights and water.
We arrive about 8:00 PM with an hour layover. On the plane we have to fill out forms saying where we are going, where we are staying, how long we will be there and why we are going. We have been prepped ahead of time by Imro and Linda about what to put for each question, but it's still a little scary going through that "In Transit" line as they take your form, stamp your boarding pass for the next flight and then let you move on. We pass through with no problems and head upstairs for the gate to our next flight.
We board on time and this is a fairly short flight that is very smooth. We are getting tired by this time and since Suriname is two hours ahead of us it is about midnight when we arrive at the airport in Paramaribo. You know how when you are coming into an airport you can look out the window and see all the lights and houses; well I'm looking out the window as we're dropping lower and lower and I see nothing! No city, no lights to speak of and I know we're already over land. I hear the wheels lower and realize that we're getting ready to land and I look at Cody and say, "Cody, where in the world are we? I don't see anything down there!" We hold our breath as the wheels hit the runway and then we're here.
Donna Watts has planned ahead to serve us all communion before we leave. It is a beautiful moment as we stand in the Narthex while JJ explains the elements and Bruce serves them to us. When we finish, the team puts their hands in the center while those around us lay hands on us and JJ prays. So many emotions are running through my head.
Pastor Tom hands out folders with our passports, copies of same and other information we will need. Then we head out to the van. Pictures are taken of the team by the van as a memory of our beginning. As we prepare to leave, Taylor hands me a small white bag. This is very special bag because it's the continuation of a tradition started many years ago when she was little.
Whenever the kids would go to camp or places like that I would pack each days clothes in a gallon ziplock bag so that their entire outfit would be together for that day. In each bag I would have a note that I had written telling them that I loved them and reminders about putting on sunscreen or bugspray. I would try to write some little encouragement about what they might be doing that day or how much I looked forward to their coming home. It was always a special gift from me to them.
So in my little white bag are letters for each day of my trip while I'm gone. Yes, tears.
We load up to begin the trip to Miami to catch our first flight. The weather is beautiful and we're excited. That morning before we left for church I had written in my Missionary Journal: Today we leave. It's 5:00 AM and I cannot sleep. Ten months of planning and preparing and I'm finally about to really go on my first mission trip. What will it be like? How will I respond to each new situation? What will I learn about those I travel with and those I will serve?
It was a pretty uneventful trip to Miami. We park, roll our bags into the airport and start the trek. Miami is a very interesting airport. You hear very little English, but every person you walk by is speaking another language. French, German, Russian, Spanish, who knows what else? I'm excited to use my passport for the first time and stand patiently in line with my boarding pass tucked into the page where my picture is. Carribean Airlines allows 2 bags of 50# each. I have one bag and closely watch the scale as they weigh it.....whew only 38#. Tracy beats us all at 49#, just under the limit. Once our bags are checked in we head off to get some lunch at Chili's.
Before long we are boarding the plane for the first leg of the trip to Port of Spain, Trinidad. It's a long flight, just under 4 hours. I've never been on a flight that long and it was bumpy too which the Lord knows is not funny for me. "Lord I know that you are sovereign and command the earth and the skies. I know you can smooth the air, but if that's not Your will can you just give me a peace about the bumps? I hate potholes in the sky!" The farther away from home we get, the smoother the flight. It's dark when we reach Trinidad so though it's probably a beautiful island, we can see nothing but lights and water.
We arrive about 8:00 PM with an hour layover. On the plane we have to fill out forms saying where we are going, where we are staying, how long we will be there and why we are going. We have been prepped ahead of time by Imro and Linda about what to put for each question, but it's still a little scary going through that "In Transit" line as they take your form, stamp your boarding pass for the next flight and then let you move on. We pass through with no problems and head upstairs for the gate to our next flight.
We board on time and this is a fairly short flight that is very smooth. We are getting tired by this time and since Suriname is two hours ahead of us it is about midnight when we arrive at the airport in Paramaribo. You know how when you are coming into an airport you can look out the window and see all the lights and houses; well I'm looking out the window as we're dropping lower and lower and I see nothing! No city, no lights to speak of and I know we're already over land. I hear the wheels lower and realize that we're getting ready to land and I look at Cody and say, "Cody, where in the world are we? I don't see anything down there!" We hold our breath as the wheels hit the runway and then we're here.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Preparation
A sweet friend from church bought me a journal specially made for Mission Trips. It's called 'My Missionary Journal'. In it there were three sections: Preparing, Experiencing and Reflecting. Though I received it the week before we left, I did immediately being filling in pages in the Preparing section of the journal. You could write all of your contact information, medical info as well as emergency instructions. However, my favorite section was four pages of scripture verses that I was to read and then write a response. I divided up the total number of verses and divided it by the number of days I had until I left and began writing my responses. Each verse spoke in a unique way about different aspects of missions and I could feel God increasing my excitment as I wrote my responses.
My children surprised me and came home from college to see me off. It was Halloween night and I was sitting in the driveway handing out candy when these two "large" children walked up the yard in masks. I was so surprised and they will have no idea how much it meant to me to have them here to say good-by and see me off. Later on my Confession page I asked the Lord if this trip would be the end for me. All my family had come to see me off and that thought just crossed my mind for a fleeting moment.
I had several goals for this trip. 1) To go! Just the going had been a dream for many years. 2) To see the Lord through the eyes of a different culture. 3) To stretch myself in new ways that would be out of my comfort zone. 4) To get to know Cody better and be an encouragement to him. 5) To have the Lord broaden my vision of the world. 6) To experience His provision in a new way and see Him work.
I asked the Lord to remove any feelings of entitlement, pride or judgement and to fill me up with excitement, anticipation, patience, energy, discernment, wisdom, boldness, love, a burden for the lost, a servant's heart, trust, humility and submission. Luke 6:45 says: "Good people bring good things out of the good they stored in their hearts. But evil people bring evil things out of the evil they stored in their hearts. People speak the things that are in their hearts."
Rand bought each of us Max Lucado's book "It's Not About Me". In it Max shares how the moon models our role in life to make our lives about God and not ourselves.
"What does the moon do? She generates no light. Contrary to the lyrics of the song, this harvest moon cannot shine on. Apart from the sun, the moon is nothing more than a pitch-black, pockmarked rock. But properly positioned, the moon beams. Let her do what she was made to do, and a clod of dirt becomes a source of inspiration, yea, verily, romance. The moon reflects the greater light.
And she's happy to do so! You never hear the moon complaining. She makes no waves about making waves. Let the cow jump over her or astronauts step on her; she never objects. Even though sunning is accepted while mooning is the butt of bad jokes, you won't hear ol' Cheeseface grumble. The moon is at peace in her place. And because she is, soft light touches a dark earth."
May I be at peace with my place.
My children surprised me and came home from college to see me off. It was Halloween night and I was sitting in the driveway handing out candy when these two "large" children walked up the yard in masks. I was so surprised and they will have no idea how much it meant to me to have them here to say good-by and see me off. Later on my Confession page I asked the Lord if this trip would be the end for me. All my family had come to see me off and that thought just crossed my mind for a fleeting moment.
I had several goals for this trip. 1) To go! Just the going had been a dream for many years. 2) To see the Lord through the eyes of a different culture. 3) To stretch myself in new ways that would be out of my comfort zone. 4) To get to know Cody better and be an encouragement to him. 5) To have the Lord broaden my vision of the world. 6) To experience His provision in a new way and see Him work.
I asked the Lord to remove any feelings of entitlement, pride or judgement and to fill me up with excitement, anticipation, patience, energy, discernment, wisdom, boldness, love, a burden for the lost, a servant's heart, trust, humility and submission. Luke 6:45 says: "Good people bring good things out of the good they stored in their hearts. But evil people bring evil things out of the evil they stored in their hearts. People speak the things that are in their hearts."
Rand bought each of us Max Lucado's book "It's Not About Me". In it Max shares how the moon models our role in life to make our lives about God and not ourselves.
"What does the moon do? She generates no light. Contrary to the lyrics of the song, this harvest moon cannot shine on. Apart from the sun, the moon is nothing more than a pitch-black, pockmarked rock. But properly positioned, the moon beams. Let her do what she was made to do, and a clod of dirt becomes a source of inspiration, yea, verily, romance. The moon reflects the greater light.
And she's happy to do so! You never hear the moon complaining. She makes no waves about making waves. Let the cow jump over her or astronauts step on her; she never objects. Even though sunning is accepted while mooning is the butt of bad jokes, you won't hear ol' Cheeseface grumble. The moon is at peace in her place. And because she is, soft light touches a dark earth."
May I be at peace with my place.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
We'll start at the beginning.
I guess the best place to start is at the beginning. For years I have had a great desire to go on a mission trip. Every year when our church would announce that year's trip I would think, "well, how about this one?" But each year the Lord would close that door. Either it was too much money, too far away, still had little ones at home so it would be too complicated or something along those lines. I watched my daughter go to Costa Rica and Gulfport, Mississippi for mission work and then this last spring to Italy with Campus Crusade. Would it ever be me?
But this year when it was announced in January that the trip would be to see Imro and Linda Smit in Suriname, South America to help with their conference on The Last Days, I knew this was the trip I would be taking. We have known Imro and Linda for many years. They are missionaries that our church supports and they have been to our church often. They are a precious couple and knowing that I would be working with people that I was familiar with was a great comfort. It was so clear that I would be going that I immediately sent off for my birth certificate and applied for my passport though the trip was not until November. I was committed.
I told everyone I was going, I think as much to share it as it was to convince myself that I was really going to do it. As the year went on, several people that I had thought would be going (hoped would be going) did not make the decision to go. Though disappointed, it didn't change my mind. I wasn't sure why I was going, only that I needed to be there. It's funny because almost until we left we really had no idea even what we'd be doing while there but that didn't seem to matter.
Now, I will admit that there were a couple of times this summer when I started to get cold feet. It's scary the unknown. I don't like flying all that much and I knew we'd be staying with families that I'd never met. What would it be like going to another country, a developing country at that? Where would I sleep? Would there be bugs? How would I deal with the heat with no a/c? But it's funny because the closer I got to the date that we would leave, the calmer I became. I had such an assurance from the Lord that I didn't have to worry about the details that I let go of all of my questions and fears and allowed myself to get excited about what lay ahead.
Fear has kept me from many things in my life. Because I come from a family of perfectionists, I have always carried that fear of not measuring up. Not being good enough. Not being able to follow through. This year I have had some major breakthroughs in the fear department. I have determined that my life will no longer be ruled by fear. So with that in mind, I started packing my bags.......
But this year when it was announced in January that the trip would be to see Imro and Linda Smit in Suriname, South America to help with their conference on The Last Days, I knew this was the trip I would be taking. We have known Imro and Linda for many years. They are missionaries that our church supports and they have been to our church often. They are a precious couple and knowing that I would be working with people that I was familiar with was a great comfort. It was so clear that I would be going that I immediately sent off for my birth certificate and applied for my passport though the trip was not until November. I was committed.
I told everyone I was going, I think as much to share it as it was to convince myself that I was really going to do it. As the year went on, several people that I had thought would be going (hoped would be going) did not make the decision to go. Though disappointed, it didn't change my mind. I wasn't sure why I was going, only that I needed to be there. It's funny because almost until we left we really had no idea even what we'd be doing while there but that didn't seem to matter.
Now, I will admit that there were a couple of times this summer when I started to get cold feet. It's scary the unknown. I don't like flying all that much and I knew we'd be staying with families that I'd never met. What would it be like going to another country, a developing country at that? Where would I sleep? Would there be bugs? How would I deal with the heat with no a/c? But it's funny because the closer I got to the date that we would leave, the calmer I became. I had such an assurance from the Lord that I didn't have to worry about the details that I let go of all of my questions and fears and allowed myself to get excited about what lay ahead.
Fear has kept me from many things in my life. Because I come from a family of perfectionists, I have always carried that fear of not measuring up. Not being good enough. Not being able to follow through. This year I have had some major breakthroughs in the fear department. I have determined that my life will no longer be ruled by fear. So with that in mind, I started packing my bags.......
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
I Begin
It was not my intention to ever have a blog, but several people brought it up when they learned that I would be taking a mission trip to Suriname, South America. Now that I have come back from the trip, there is so much to process that I have decided this might be a way to work through all that I experienced.
So, this will be my vehicle to share all that God taught me through this trip and just through this year in general. I warn you in advance, that this blog is not meant for your entertainment. I just think better when I write.
So, this will be my vehicle to share all that God taught me through this trip and just through this year in general. I warn you in advance, that this blog is not meant for your entertainment. I just think better when I write.
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