Week One.

         Well, let’s see, it’s been about a week, there were some nifty dinners and game nights with the team, an overload of adorable kiddos, a trip to the beach, a pirate birthday party, the arrival of a friend from Tana to stay for a few weeks, a Scot’s short visit to see Hannah, some blessed time with the youth group at the Independence Day fireworks that involved some language barrier breaking communication, and a Malagasy concert featuring Madagascar’s top Christian artist.  A wee bit busy to say the least!

         Now blog, I have to admit to you that we simply aren’t close enough for me to want to share with you the most inner workings of my mind, and I don’t think we ever will be, unless I find a way to share them in some cryptic, poetic form.  This is a complication because that is where most of my thoughts and adjustments have been over this last week.  The culture shock of being in Madagascar and living a different sort of life that I went through last summer only slightly reared up its nasty head, taking the form of blisters on my toes.  My shock this year was more from all the people who now make up the Toliara missionary team.  Last year it was just me and Tessa, now: me, Tessa, her roommate, two families, and two journey guys.  And in the next few weeks several more folks will be arriving.  It has been great to get the chance to live in community with all of these folks!  But it was a bit of an adjustment at first to be so busy spending time with everyone.          

         Thus, all the adjustment has hung out inside my head, and I will willingly admit that it has been slightly more involved than I have let on here.  The result has been conviction about the way that I have my hands wrapped so tightly around my life.  Who am I to hold onto what I had already claimed to have surrendered to my Savior? To lean over His shoulder while He writes the script and keep suggesting lines and entrances and full scenes, getting all in a huff when it doesn’t go my way on opening night.  I am so busy trying to be the director that I neglect playing my part as the Ransomed One, the Child of God.  How foolish I am when I give up that blessed role to fill one for which I am not suited.  

So there you have it blog: a week of Independence Day fireworks, group dinners, jetlag, guests, a birthday party, and a trip to the beach have begun to teach me to live with open hands and a heart of surrender.

Oh and there are a plethora of dandy photos on Facebook for your viewing pleasure. 

92 hrs.

-the full account

From brotherly love to real love in 7 hours flat.  That there about sums up the first bit.  This trip started out with a 7 hour flight from Philadelphia (the city of Brotherly Love) to Paris (the city of Love).  That flight was lovely and I landed in Paris in the morning.  I made sure all was in order for my flight the next day, bought food and then went and waited for the shuttle to the hotel. There are my knees and feet waiting....a thrilling piece of photography I know.  

Once at the hotel I slept. It was great. Of course this meant no sleep during the actual nighttime hours.  Not being able to sleep is a very unfamiliar concept for this kid, on the whole, I would say I’m not a fan of it.  Then there was breakfast.  I have a great fondness for french hotel breakfast, they have cheese and bread and ham and jelly and croissants and hot chocolate and yogurt and fruit and wonderfulness, all so grand.  This time I even found applesauce!! Then it was back to the airport for the flight to Madagascar.  

I think it would be very interesting to interview people about their interpersonal communication on flights.  Especially international ones.  You sit down next to someone knowing that this is the person you will be sitting with and who’s shoulder you may be sleeping on, for the next 9 hours.  In my case there was an added language barrier and a lengthy conversation with the middle aged french couple I was sharing a row with seemed unlikely.  I generally like to talk to the people on planes, but this time I settled for a few deeply meaningful smiles and nods and occupied myself with taking a slightly obsessive amount of could and sunset pictures.  

We landed in Madagascar's capitol around 10 pm and I was met by the hotel shuttle and went to the hotel for more sleeping.  My final flight was originally set for the next evening but it was delayed until the next day so I had some extra time to spend with the missionary families in the capitol city, a true delight.  Then a 3:45 am wake up call, a 4:30 am taxi, and a 6:20 am flight got me to Tessa.  I arrived with my body and my French and Malagasy vocabulary all completely exhausted.  But I did arrive in time to go to church!!   It was so great to see everyone who I had hung out with last year.  Then there a grand time of cooking for dinner with the the rest of the team and getting to know Tessa’s Australian roommate, Hannah.  So much goodness!!  

I truly saw the provision of the Lord over this trip.  Every flight had seats for me, even the one that was delayed resulted in blessed encouraging time with friends in the capitol.  Communication with mom and dad went smoothly.  My biggest fear, staying at the hotels alone, wasn’t even an issue at all, I felt safe at each of the hotels, everything went smoothly with my rooms, and there was always breakfast!  I praise Him for watching over me in this, for starting the trip off with such encouragement.  I can’t wait to see what the the next weeks will hold.  

Tomorrow's Tomorrow....again

346 days and 18 hours ago I posted a blog titled Tomorrow’s Tomorrow.  Here I am again posting just about the same blog.  I will hit the road on Wednesday and start the trek to Tessa’s house.  

.....And that’s about all I had to say with this one.  The Malagasy adventures are about to begin and this blog is about to get reacquainted with being interesting.  I will be doing the final packing tomorrow with Toto Rains Down in Africa and Shakira’s Waka Waka playing in the background.  I will be living in Tulear, Madagascar for about 6 weeks doing whatever is needed of me.  I am stoked to be going back and full of anticipation for the chance to see my sis again.  Please be praying for peace and safe travels and smooth connections.  But above all please be praying for a heart within that is surrendered to the work of the Gospel this summer!  

“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.  For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So death is at work in us, but life in you.” ~2 Corinthians 4:5-12