Well, tomorrow is the big day. Mari and I will begin our 40-some hour long journey to Namibia and South Africa! These past couple of days we've been hauled up in the organ room of Jenson rehearsing our music and learning about the countries we'll be in. The atmosphere among the group is just incredible! We have a blast during every rehearsal, joking around and singing. This is going to be such an amazing trip! Pretty generic, I know, but I want to keep myself open for everything we will experience, and frankly, I don't know a whole lot about what we'll be doing. Yeah, I have a general idea, but Drs. Peter and Peterson keep telling us that we'll just go with the flow and feel things out.
Only about 14 hours left until we leave!
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Thinking of y'all as you sit on the bus, in airports, in security lines, on the plane, on the plane, and still on the plane. Just 'getting there' will be a huge accomplishment. Drink lots of water, stretch and do those funny exercises that they show on the airplane videos, sleep if you can, focus on something other than the loooong ride -maybe memorizing the foreign language lyrics to that great music you will be performing? Let the games begin! May you each experience the incredible presence of the Lord as He leads you on this amazing adventure. blessings, susanne
ReplyDeleteHello, Africa! .... seems like you are doing a lot of singing - the ultimate goal of a choir trip! experiencing Lutherans in a way different culture! seeing those big animals up close and personal, cementing memories with new friends that might change your perspective on life - forever. Life is not always preserved in grand events but that unique collection of small, meaningful moments - pay attention. Surely a transforming interlude for you is possible.
ReplyDelete[Excerpts from an article I was reading .....on the need for Christian apologists - the branch of Christianity that seeks to address the intellectual obstacles that keep people from taking the gospel of Jesus seriously]
"Out of Africa"
Perhaps the best way to appreciate the painful effects of anti-intellectualism in the church is to look at places where the rich legacy of Judeo-Christian scholarship has not taken root. A clear example of this problem is the continent of Africa. The continent is known for its exotic wildlife, sprawling jungles, beaches, deserts, and its many cultures. But it is difficult to think of Africa without also thinking of all its pervasive problems. Drought, famine, poverty, and disease continue to claim lives throughout large parts of Africa. As a result, physical needs receive the greatest attention from those who feel moved enough to act on behalf of the people of Africa....
But despite the seriousness of the physical needs, I am convinced that the biggest problem Africa faces is ideological. In Matthew 4, Satan tries to get Jesus to turn stones into bread in order to meet his physical need. In response, Jesus says, “It is written, man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” :4. The need in Africa remains the same; bread (an allegory for humanity’s physical needs) and the Word (ideological needs). This two-pronged diagnosis of humanity’s deepest needs is the key to solving Africa’s seemingly insurmountable problems.
With respect to the bread (or physical needs), .... It is impossible to see the need and not feel compelled to do something about it as followers of Jesus Christ. But we also know that offering assistance for physical needs in Africa, though necessary, is only a temporary solution. We are also determined to address the root cause of the problem, which is ideological. God’s Word properly applied is the only hope for the world.
Reflecting on the impact of the Gospel in Africa over the last few decades, lamenting the fact that it does not seem to have the impact one would expect it to have in places where a majority of the people claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. Says Winter, “We always used to think, ‘Even if things are not going too well in the USA, at least those millions of newly won believers overseas are flourishing in the faith.’”
some unsettling examples: Kenya, which is 80% Christian, with more than 400 denominations and “almost as many Evangelicals as in all of Europe” could not contain the outbreak of the postelection violence that claimed more than 1200 lives and left over 350,000 homeless in January of 2008. The Central African Republic is 70% Christian, and yet it also ranks among the most dangerous and corrupt nations of the world. Even Rwanda was considered to be one of the most Christianized nations in the world just before the genocide. Winter refers to this as “the nightmare of a thought that our vast global, hard-won expansion of Christianity is falling to pieces before our eyes.” His conclusion is worth pondering:
A Christianity that does not teach the Bible points the way nowhere but to New Age groping, ambiguity and relativism. However, a Christianity that only teaches the Bible is blind to all the other knowledge God wants us to discover and value. ..... think about it, Mari, & be blessed. susanne
and the most important thing ..
ReplyDeleteMari, I so admire your sense of adventure and that song in your heart!!! what a wonderful way to spread the LOVE. keep on keeping on. yougogirl!!!! xoxo, s