Yesterday I arrived back to the Saffron Land. Thankfully, the local airport is only about 10 minutes away from the Children's Home. My friend Craig was very helpful to pick me up.
Craig is a recently retired artist from California. He is married to a national lady and after living several years in LA, they decided to retire in the Saffron Land and build a house on the same village road as the Children's Home. Craig's uniquely poetic way of thinking and expressing himself is endearing and took a bit of time to get used to, but Kathy and I have greatly enjoyed having his friendship as a believing American neighbor. Once while Kathy was gone, I sought Craig out at a wedding function because I was feeling desperate to talk to another native English-speaker.
Craig is always very encouraging of Kathy's and my work and presence here. Yesterday in the short car ride from the airport he expressed again his admiration of Kathy and me "putting our lives on hold" to live here. I understood what he meant. It had been difficult leaving so many people I loved in the US 33 hours before. But I told Craig that I didn't feel as though my life is "on hold" by being here. Living in the Saffron Land is a different kind of life, but I can never deny its fullness.
Due to jet-lag, I woke up this morning while the campus was still quiet. The only sounds were the lonely call of a mockingbird through the open windows and the drone of my fan directly overhead. In the dry heat of yesterday afternoon, I'd rearranged some furniture so that my bed was directly under the ceiling fan. It was a good thing I'd done so, because at 4:30 this morning the disappointing realization came to me that the present temperature didn't feel very refreshingly different than the high of 106 which had been reached the day before. Looking at the handy wall thermometer I'd brought back from the US revealed that the internal temperature of my apartment was 90 degrees.
I got up, drank some diluted apple juice to squelch the hunger pangs (4:30 was definitely too early to prepare breakfast!) and read my Bible. John 12:24 spoke to me:
"Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain."
I thought of Craig's comment yesterday. I thought of my recent departure from the US --the sadness of leaving my family and the anticipated loneliness of living here again among so many foreign people and customs. I thought of the children, how excited they'd been to see me when I arrived yesterday, and I them.
Craig isn't the first person to describe my life as being put "on hold" by being here. But according to John 12:24, my life isn't on hold at all. There are so many things to which I have to die by living here. But that process of dying is what is required to bear much fruit, and fruit is the essence of abundant life. So instead of being "on hold", my life is actually on the fast-track of producing much fruit. What a cool way to think about it!
After writing these thoughts in my journal, I prayed that God would show me the fruit. I'm not discouraged now, but I know I will face temptations to be discouraged in the future. A recent reading of Ps 86 (vs. 17) reminded me that asking God for signs is not bad. They strengthen our faith. I would love to see more signs that God is at work here, and that He is using me to bear fruit. Will you pray that with me? This November I plan to return to the US for a conference. So perhaps for the next 6 months until then, my theme prayer will be to see signs of God's favor --how He is bearing fruit through my work here. Hmm, praying this way makes me excited to see what will happen!
Craig is a recently retired artist from California. He is married to a national lady and after living several years in LA, they decided to retire in the Saffron Land and build a house on the same village road as the Children's Home. Craig's uniquely poetic way of thinking and expressing himself is endearing and took a bit of time to get used to, but Kathy and I have greatly enjoyed having his friendship as a believing American neighbor. Once while Kathy was gone, I sought Craig out at a wedding function because I was feeling desperate to talk to another native English-speaker.
Craig is always very encouraging of Kathy's and my work and presence here. Yesterday in the short car ride from the airport he expressed again his admiration of Kathy and me "putting our lives on hold" to live here. I understood what he meant. It had been difficult leaving so many people I loved in the US 33 hours before. But I told Craig that I didn't feel as though my life is "on hold" by being here. Living in the Saffron Land is a different kind of life, but I can never deny its fullness.
Due to jet-lag, I woke up this morning while the campus was still quiet. The only sounds were the lonely call of a mockingbird through the open windows and the drone of my fan directly overhead. In the dry heat of yesterday afternoon, I'd rearranged some furniture so that my bed was directly under the ceiling fan. It was a good thing I'd done so, because at 4:30 this morning the disappointing realization came to me that the present temperature didn't feel very refreshingly different than the high of 106 which had been reached the day before. Looking at the handy wall thermometer I'd brought back from the US revealed that the internal temperature of my apartment was 90 degrees.
I got up, drank some diluted apple juice to squelch the hunger pangs (4:30 was definitely too early to prepare breakfast!) and read my Bible. John 12:24 spoke to me:
"Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain."
I thought of Craig's comment yesterday. I thought of my recent departure from the US --the sadness of leaving my family and the anticipated loneliness of living here again among so many foreign people and customs. I thought of the children, how excited they'd been to see me when I arrived yesterday, and I them.
Craig isn't the first person to describe my life as being put "on hold" by being here. But according to John 12:24, my life isn't on hold at all. There are so many things to which I have to die by living here. But that process of dying is what is required to bear much fruit, and fruit is the essence of abundant life. So instead of being "on hold", my life is actually on the fast-track of producing much fruit. What a cool way to think about it!
After writing these thoughts in my journal, I prayed that God would show me the fruit. I'm not discouraged now, but I know I will face temptations to be discouraged in the future. A recent reading of Ps 86 (vs. 17) reminded me that asking God for signs is not bad. They strengthen our faith. I would love to see more signs that God is at work here, and that He is using me to bear fruit. Will you pray that with me? This November I plan to return to the US for a conference. So perhaps for the next 6 months until then, my theme prayer will be to see signs of God's favor --how He is bearing fruit through my work here. Hmm, praying this way makes me excited to see what will happen!
Another aspect that I would encourage is that of preparation for what The Lord is preparing next. David was prepared for Kingship by being a shepherd, by facing Goliath, by being Saul's son-in-law, Jonathan's friend, by being a fugitive... Most of those roles were lonely, scary, and even desperate. I would commend the Life of David to you. I may be able to send a PDF version to you. very devotional! We are praying for you, dear sister/daughter.
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