As so many of you have asked me in the last two weeks "What happened with Ludi?", I thought that it would be wonderful to share her story with you, or at least, the part that had been unfolding in front of my eyes.
I first met Ludi 8 weeks ago. Pam and Brant, a wonderful couple from The Vineyard here in Arusha, had decided to host a small group. One of the ladies that they asked to join was a Philippino woman who had lived in Tanzania for the last 15 years. Her name was Ludi.
That first night at Small Group, Ludi shared many things with us. She shared about the hardships that she was going through, both emotionally and physically, here and in the Philippines. As far as we knew, Ludi was not a believer.
One of the hardships she was encountering was financial. Most of her family is back in the Philippines and she is their primary support. From what she earns as a seamstress, much of the profit is sent back home. Work had been a bit slow for her and she needed prayer to find more work.
The thought came to me that maybe, somehow, I would be able to tie her into some of the work that I was going to be doing here. I knew that the mission statement for Imara was to "strengthen the body of the church in Tanzania". Here was this woman in my small group that certainly needed strengthening.
To make a long, wonderful story a bit shorter, I'll just give you some highlights.
Ludi now has "almost more business than I can handle" and her monthly income has almost quadrupled. She was able to afford the necessary visa to have her sister come and work with her here in Tanzania.
Three weeks ago at Small Group, Ludi broke down in tears, telling us that she has never known a God like this. She has never known people who would pray for her, love her, encourage her and want to be her friend.
Two weeks ago, Ludi began coming to The Vineyard Church to hear the message. At small group, she is so eager to learn more and more about this God.
Last week, Ludi took her first communion. Throughout this, she is a new person. You can feel a joy in her that was not there before. Her sister, Shaunie, is also coming to small group. She's asking more questions. There is a well of deep hurt there as well.
The Story of Ludi has been a tremendous encouragement to me. Let me explain. I came to Africa to spend some time with God, not to "save lives". I have no ability what-so-ever to save a single persons life. That responsibility falls entirely to the Holy Spirit and God. My desire in coming here was to learn to love God with all my heart. Whatever service I then did for God, however He decided to use me, was a result of that love and that desire to pursue Him earnestly.
Seeing how God uses those who seek Him to bring others to Him, is an amazing sight. Ludi wasn't about thumping a Bible on someones head or preaching or quoting scripture to someone. God used me, God used Pam and Brant, God used the others in our group, to show her a love that she had never seen before in humans. A love that she can only see through the eyes of those who love the Lord because it is a love that we, as mere humans, are completely incapable of having. It's God's love and comes to us through the indwelling of the Spirit (got a bit spiritual there for a minute, so bear with me those of you who follow a different path in life).
It has been such a blessing to watch this process. I love being the conduit through which God works. Sure hope He will use me more.
Monday, August 18, 2008
The wrist
About 3 months ago, I developed a rash on my left wrist. It started with just a few bumps but over the last three months, has spread to be about 2 inches long and covers the entire backside of my wrist. I've tried anti-histamines, anti-fungals, have been on anti-biotics. Nothing seemed to be working. The rash would change form every couple of days. Sometimes it was angry and red, with elevated bumps, other times it looked like leathery skin, and still other times was almost waxy. The only thing that was consistent about the rash was that it was constantly itchy, continued to grow and was ever-changing.
Last week it reached it's climax. We tried everything to calm it down but nothing was working and it was itching like a dog in a poison ivy patch. Not being the happiest camper that night, I tucked myself into bed. A few moments later, Julia came on in to see how it was (she's a RN). Seeing that it wasn't any better, she suggested we pray for it.
I know what you are thinking: oh duh, that's obvious. Why didn't I do that before? You are a missionary ErinStacy. Yeah, well, I had said some prayers to God about it as a side note. Needless to say, she sat on my bed with me and we PRAYED that it would stop itching and that the redness would go away for good. This was a real prayer.
Well, 1 week later the rash is almost completely gone. It has not itched or been red since.
For those of you who are use to seeing "healings" happen on a regular basis, this is probably nothing for you. But, I can say that I don't know if I have ever prayed for a healing on my body before and seen it happen. Really seen it happen. I didn't put a single medication on it since we prayed and it went away. The next time I opened my eyes, it was gone. The one thing that I can say was different about this prayer was that I was at the end of myself. I knew, after trying to make it better for three months, that nothing that I was going to do was going to make it any bit better. I really believed, thoroughly, that God could and would heal it. Julia told me a couple of days ago that she sort of felt a nudge to go and pray for my wrist, and that she really hadn't done that before either.
I've been learning a lot about healing in this culture. Being surrounded by a culture that very strongly believes in spirits and demons, both good and bad, has opened my eyes to many things and given me a lot to think about, especially from a Biblical perspective. More to come on that, but I wanted to share with you how cool it was to see my wrist be healed.
Last week it reached it's climax. We tried everything to calm it down but nothing was working and it was itching like a dog in a poison ivy patch. Not being the happiest camper that night, I tucked myself into bed. A few moments later, Julia came on in to see how it was (she's a RN). Seeing that it wasn't any better, she suggested we pray for it.
I know what you are thinking: oh duh, that's obvious. Why didn't I do that before? You are a missionary ErinStacy. Yeah, well, I had said some prayers to God about it as a side note. Needless to say, she sat on my bed with me and we PRAYED that it would stop itching and that the redness would go away for good. This was a real prayer.
Well, 1 week later the rash is almost completely gone. It has not itched or been red since.
For those of you who are use to seeing "healings" happen on a regular basis, this is probably nothing for you. But, I can say that I don't know if I have ever prayed for a healing on my body before and seen it happen. Really seen it happen. I didn't put a single medication on it since we prayed and it went away. The next time I opened my eyes, it was gone. The one thing that I can say was different about this prayer was that I was at the end of myself. I knew, after trying to make it better for three months, that nothing that I was going to do was going to make it any bit better. I really believed, thoroughly, that God could and would heal it. Julia told me a couple of days ago that she sort of felt a nudge to go and pray for my wrist, and that she really hadn't done that before either.
I've been learning a lot about healing in this culture. Being surrounded by a culture that very strongly believes in spirits and demons, both good and bad, has opened my eyes to many things and given me a lot to think about, especially from a Biblical perspective. More to come on that, but I wanted to share with you how cool it was to see my wrist be healed.
An interesting Saturday
This past Saturday, a group of gals and myself had set off to climb Mt. Longido. To make a long story short, we had been told the cost to hike the mountain would be TZS 15,000 ($15 USD). Well...we got there and I guess inflation had hit, because the price had risen to TZS 33,000 in just 6 months. Now, most of you know my fairly well and know that I like to hike. BUT, to pay $33 USD to hike a mountain in Africa where the average daily per capita income is just $1 in the urban areas, something is wrong. So, we turned our little car around and decided to make the best of the day and go into the bush.
Of course, I had driven my sturdy, ever-dependable Suzuki (not). We found a good trail and headed on down it. All was going well until we hit some really fine sand and down we sunk. The tired was half buried. Nice. The good part is that we are only about 6km from the main road. The bad part is that this is Africa.
Now, before you read what I am going to write, know that I am not dumb, stupid, or ditzy. This just hadn't occurred to any of us.
Well, while some of the gals were gathering sticks to put under the tires, the rest of us began to dig the tires out. The sand was really light and we were able to dig the tires out really fast. Then, it hit us: if we are 4WDriving, shouldn't we try putting it in 4WD? Yup, solved that problem with just a little push from behind and the next minute were were off.
We spent the next few hours driving across the land, walking around dried up river beads, and just taking in the awesome landscape of Africa. It was a rough day for the Suzuki; lots of bumps, sand, holes. After three hours, we decide to call it quits and head on back to the main road. All was going well until I tried to disengage the 4WD. No go. The stick just really wouldn't move. Crimeney (is that a word?)...we begin to head down the road towards Arusha going 20 kph. It is going to be a long ride. After a km or 2, my favorite light comes on: the check engine light. In my mind, I see visions of my last car trip and think there is no way that this can happen to someone twice.
We continue to drive and somehow, have NO idea how, the 4WD disengages. We can now take the speed up to 50kph. Nice. The check engine light is still on and that is when I decided that I was going to pray. Now, for all you pastors and biblical scholars out there, I don't think that I can really pray like this, but I tried it. I reminded God of my hardships the last time and told Him that it would be really nice if He could bring healing on my car and that one car dilemma per six months should be the max. I know, that might not be the right way to pray, but I figured I've got nothing to lose. Well, by the time we got back to Arusha the light had gone off (I don't know when) and she was running well again. Yes, I did remember to thank God.
Of course, I had driven my sturdy, ever-dependable Suzuki (not). We found a good trail and headed on down it. All was going well until we hit some really fine sand and down we sunk. The tired was half buried. Nice. The good part is that we are only about 6km from the main road. The bad part is that this is Africa.
Now, before you read what I am going to write, know that I am not dumb, stupid, or ditzy. This just hadn't occurred to any of us.
Well, while some of the gals were gathering sticks to put under the tires, the rest of us began to dig the tires out. The sand was really light and we were able to dig the tires out really fast. Then, it hit us: if we are 4WDriving, shouldn't we try putting it in 4WD? Yup, solved that problem with just a little push from behind and the next minute were were off.
We spent the next few hours driving across the land, walking around dried up river beads, and just taking in the awesome landscape of Africa. It was a rough day for the Suzuki; lots of bumps, sand, holes. After three hours, we decide to call it quits and head on back to the main road. All was going well until I tried to disengage the 4WD. No go. The stick just really wouldn't move. Crimeney (is that a word?)...we begin to head down the road towards Arusha going 20 kph. It is going to be a long ride. After a km or 2, my favorite light comes on: the check engine light. In my mind, I see visions of my last car trip and think there is no way that this can happen to someone twice.
We continue to drive and somehow, have NO idea how, the 4WD disengages. We can now take the speed up to 50kph. Nice. The check engine light is still on and that is when I decided that I was going to pray. Now, for all you pastors and biblical scholars out there, I don't think that I can really pray like this, but I tried it. I reminded God of my hardships the last time and told Him that it would be really nice if He could bring healing on my car and that one car dilemma per six months should be the max. I know, that might not be the right way to pray, but I figured I've got nothing to lose. Well, by the time we got back to Arusha the light had gone off (I don't know when) and she was running well again. Yes, I did remember to thank God.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Some random thoughts...in no particular order
I realize that I have not been a good Blogger lately. Is it because I have nothing to say? Or perhaps that I have not done anything exciting? Or maybe because I have been too busy to think? Any of those reasons would be valid, but they would all be untrue. I've got much to say, have done many exciting things and seem to be thinking all the time. I must say that I haven't been good at blogging lately because my thoughts don't seem to fall into one area, one box, where I can easily categorize them and share. So, today I am just going to share some thoughts that I have been pondering while here. Welcome to my mind.
It's been almost three months since I arrived to Tanzania. If you asked me three months ago what I was expecting from my missions trip, the answer is still very close to what I expect now: to explore and really own my spirituality; to develop a closer relationship with my Savior. I can remember sitting with Frank and Fred in Scottsdale in February. They asked me why I wanted to do missions work. The only answer that I could give was because I wanted to have 6 months to spend with my God; six months to focus on Him. Of course I would have responsibilities and roles to do there, but my expectation was to spend time with God.
Since arriving here, my roles and responsibilites have been a bit vague. I like to think that I am existing in the grey. I've learned that it is really hard to become part of an organization, especially if you are not getting paid. Let me explain. When I joined Dial in 2004, I instantly became part of a team. Why? Because they had an open position and it had to be filled. They saw a need and believed that I was able to fill it. Their belief in my abilities was so strong that they were willing to pay me and provide me with benefits. Not so much here.
It was much harder at first existing in this grey area. To be honest, I felt a lot of guilt at first. So many of you have supported me and I wanted to be able to give you tangible results; weekly reports of what was being accomplished over here to show you that your money was being well spent. Even now, you will be waiting quite a long time for weekly reports. I still don't have a work permit to be at Imara and feel more and more strongly that my ministry here is bigger than this organization. What that means fully, I do not know. About a month ago, I felt there was a need to gather single, Christan women missionaries together for fellowship. Hannah, another missionary, felt the same and we have begun, in essence, a womens fellowship group on Saturdays. From speaking with several of the ladies, I have been told that they feel much more connected. That's a part of ministry.
Over the last week, I have felt the leading to begin a women's bible study. I'm still seeking direction on this, but believe this is the next area of ministry that I am being called to. I enjoy investing in women. Whether it is mentoring or discipling, or just leading a small group or agreeing to meet one-on-one for prayer, my heart seems most at peace and for me, it is at those times that I feel that most compassionate (not a character trait that I would call myself strong in). So, we will see where that goes.
What that means for my ministry here, I can only say that I have learned that I need to be very careful not to assume that I know what God is going to do with me in ministry. Breaking it down: I came here thinking that I would work only with Imara and at this point, my ministry seems to be going on outside the very place that I thought that it would happen. Can someone explain that to me? I feel that it is important to state that I am doing stuff with Imara here but that the greater part of what I am doing as a missionary is occuring outside my receiving organization, through no power of my own.
One more thing that I really want to share is that I am learning so much about my faith and the Holy Spirit. I'm realizing that this "grey area" that I am in, I am in for a very specific reason. If I had come here and been super busy with a job and responsiblities, I would not have as much time just to rest in this place. Also, make no mistake: there are things that I am working through that are not very pretty, that are messy and all out of sorts. It's odd to be at rest but at the same time feel like I am being torn apart. Go figure.
I think that is enough of my thoughts for now.
It's been almost three months since I arrived to Tanzania. If you asked me three months ago what I was expecting from my missions trip, the answer is still very close to what I expect now: to explore and really own my spirituality; to develop a closer relationship with my Savior. I can remember sitting with Frank and Fred in Scottsdale in February. They asked me why I wanted to do missions work. The only answer that I could give was because I wanted to have 6 months to spend with my God; six months to focus on Him. Of course I would have responsibilities and roles to do there, but my expectation was to spend time with God.
Since arriving here, my roles and responsibilites have been a bit vague. I like to think that I am existing in the grey. I've learned that it is really hard to become part of an organization, especially if you are not getting paid. Let me explain. When I joined Dial in 2004, I instantly became part of a team. Why? Because they had an open position and it had to be filled. They saw a need and believed that I was able to fill it. Their belief in my abilities was so strong that they were willing to pay me and provide me with benefits. Not so much here.
It was much harder at first existing in this grey area. To be honest, I felt a lot of guilt at first. So many of you have supported me and I wanted to be able to give you tangible results; weekly reports of what was being accomplished over here to show you that your money was being well spent. Even now, you will be waiting quite a long time for weekly reports. I still don't have a work permit to be at Imara and feel more and more strongly that my ministry here is bigger than this organization. What that means fully, I do not know. About a month ago, I felt there was a need to gather single, Christan women missionaries together for fellowship. Hannah, another missionary, felt the same and we have begun, in essence, a womens fellowship group on Saturdays. From speaking with several of the ladies, I have been told that they feel much more connected. That's a part of ministry.
Over the last week, I have felt the leading to begin a women's bible study. I'm still seeking direction on this, but believe this is the next area of ministry that I am being called to. I enjoy investing in women. Whether it is mentoring or discipling, or just leading a small group or agreeing to meet one-on-one for prayer, my heart seems most at peace and for me, it is at those times that I feel that most compassionate (not a character trait that I would call myself strong in). So, we will see where that goes.
What that means for my ministry here, I can only say that I have learned that I need to be very careful not to assume that I know what God is going to do with me in ministry. Breaking it down: I came here thinking that I would work only with Imara and at this point, my ministry seems to be going on outside the very place that I thought that it would happen. Can someone explain that to me? I feel that it is important to state that I am doing stuff with Imara here but that the greater part of what I am doing as a missionary is occuring outside my receiving organization, through no power of my own.
One more thing that I really want to share is that I am learning so much about my faith and the Holy Spirit. I'm realizing that this "grey area" that I am in, I am in for a very specific reason. If I had come here and been super busy with a job and responsiblities, I would not have as much time just to rest in this place. Also, make no mistake: there are things that I am working through that are not very pretty, that are messy and all out of sorts. It's odd to be at rest but at the same time feel like I am being torn apart. Go figure.
I think that is enough of my thoughts for now.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
How to make the perfect cup of coffee...
I had been asked to investigate the possibility of operating a small scale coffee business at one of our projects. Knowing very little about coffee, I realized educating myself on the process would be the first step. Enter Burka Coffee Plantation.
I took the tour on Monday with a friend of mine. For all of you who may have the chance to head on over to Tanzania, this was hands down the best tour I have ever taken, anywhere. Over the course of several hours, I learned all about coffee. From planting and harvesting the beans, to wet and dry processing, to sorting and roasting, we saw it all. It was fascinating.
The good part was that the tour was excellent. The bad part is that I feel there is very low feasibility for this as a project. However, I did learn what it takes to make the perfect cup of joe. My question is this: have you considered the following when making your cuppa?
1. Water temperature. For the best cup of coffee, water should be about 95-97 C (or just a few degrees below boiling). Best bet: boil your water and wait no less but no more than 1 minute before you add your water to you beans.
2. Beans. For that ideal cup that will make your taste buds dance, be sure to use freshly ground beans. Beans are best stored in a cabinet at room temperature. Axe the fridge if you are keeping them there. They should be kept for no more than 1 month after grinding and it is best if you grind them and use them in 1 day.
3. Brewing. Ok, for those of you who do not have a machine like Dave and Sue's that does everything in the world for coffee, invest in a French Press. It's about $20 and makes a world of difference. Once the water hits the beans, let it sit for no more than 4 minutes before you press down the grinds. yum yum.
4. If you are using a paper filter, rinse it in water first. This will get rid of the paper taste in the coffee (didn't ever know you tasted paper did you?).
5. Drink your coffee within an hour after brewing. As good as microwave coffee tastes the next morning, try to break the habit. Re-heating the coffee only serves to make it more bitter tasting. Another thing, don't leave your coffee on a hot plate once it has been brewed...your coffee will take on a burnt flavor. Nice, right?
6. Find the bean you like the best. Sample different types. Bean size, roasting time, grind size, and processing all make a huge difference in the taste. We sampled about 12 cups of coffee and they all tasted different. The factors were all varied on each. I was so surprised to taste the difference.
7. Heads up on when you buy your coffee. Coffee beans take on the flavors of the atmosphere in which they were grown. Want to taste tarmac? Buy beans that were grown near a road. Or how about manure? Perhaps from a coffee farm that uses manure for fertilizer. I know that you are thinking: how the heck will I know? Just try different beans. You might be surprised at what you find.
Ok, those are some tips for now. I've posted a few shots of the beans.
I took the tour on Monday with a friend of mine. For all of you who may have the chance to head on over to Tanzania, this was hands down the best tour I have ever taken, anywhere. Over the course of several hours, I learned all about coffee. From planting and harvesting the beans, to wet and dry processing, to sorting and roasting, we saw it all. It was fascinating.
The good part was that the tour was excellent. The bad part is that I feel there is very low feasibility for this as a project. However, I did learn what it takes to make the perfect cup of joe. My question is this: have you considered the following when making your cuppa?
1. Water temperature. For the best cup of coffee, water should be about 95-97 C (or just a few degrees below boiling). Best bet: boil your water and wait no less but no more than 1 minute before you add your water to you beans.
2. Beans. For that ideal cup that will make your taste buds dance, be sure to use freshly ground beans. Beans are best stored in a cabinet at room temperature. Axe the fridge if you are keeping them there. They should be kept for no more than 1 month after grinding and it is best if you grind them and use them in 1 day.
3. Brewing. Ok, for those of you who do not have a machine like Dave and Sue's that does everything in the world for coffee, invest in a French Press. It's about $20 and makes a world of difference. Once the water hits the beans, let it sit for no more than 4 minutes before you press down the grinds. yum yum.
4. If you are using a paper filter, rinse it in water first. This will get rid of the paper taste in the coffee (didn't ever know you tasted paper did you?).
5. Drink your coffee within an hour after brewing. As good as microwave coffee tastes the next morning, try to break the habit. Re-heating the coffee only serves to make it more bitter tasting. Another thing, don't leave your coffee on a hot plate once it has been brewed...your coffee will take on a burnt flavor. Nice, right?
6. Find the bean you like the best. Sample different types. Bean size, roasting time, grind size, and processing all make a huge difference in the taste. We sampled about 12 cups of coffee and they all tasted different. The factors were all varied on each. I was so surprised to taste the difference.
7. Heads up on when you buy your coffee. Coffee beans take on the flavors of the atmosphere in which they were grown. Want to taste tarmac? Buy beans that were grown near a road. Or how about manure? Perhaps from a coffee farm that uses manure for fertilizer. I know that you are thinking: how the heck will I know? Just try different beans. You might be surprised at what you find.
Ok, those are some tips for now. I've posted a few shots of the beans.
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