Tredding water, trying not to drown...

Hello everyone. I know it has been a little while. I guess you could say that I am just trying to keep my head above the water. It has been an extremely busy past few weeks for Liina and I.

Liina has been very busy with helping run a de-worming program for kids that Hands at Work is helping. Because of some different circumstances, Liina ended up co-leading this along with helping lead a team of people to help de-worming get done. I know that she felt stress through out the week, but she did an amazing job. I know that she really is understanding the community and how to work the different Home Based Cares. Also, it was great that she helped me this last summer with teams for english camps because that was great experience for her as she dealt with a team from Canada. After a week of hard work, they were able to help de-worm around 3000 kids and get them a small gift since Christmas is around the corner. This year, they did not do gifts like in the past, but provided gifts that would help the child and the care giver. In their bags, each child received a wash cloth, soap, toothbrush and paste, candy, and some received a water bottle. This year things had to be adjusted because many of the orphans and vulnerable children live with other care givers and their children. Often these children get more abuse and have more problems when they receive a gift and the other children don't. Orphans and vulnerable children have a hard life here and often get stigmatized at home, school, and in the community. Hands is working hard at educating the communities in how to deal with these children since the numbers are growing faster than anyone can keep up with. By the end of 2010, it is estimated there will be 20,000,000 orphans and vulnerable children with no one to look after them. It is going to be a hard battle as we will have the next generation of kids here in sub-Saharan Africa who will grow up with no parents. The numbers seem impossible, but as I have had the opportunity to walk along side the care workers in the different communities, they are making a huge difference. We just need to rejuvenate the church here in Africa to begin to take responsibility for their communities. It will be a slow process, but a fruitful process here. I look forward to watching over the years how the church responds to Africa.

I have been quite busy with continuing to help with organizational management. I have been really helping one of our donor and Hands with systems, team building, people management, conflict mediation, and building capacity into individuals on our team. I will admit that I love working with the people here. They are opposite of Estonians as they freely share their life and hardships that they are facing. I have developed some real deep friendships in such a short time that I know it will be hard to leave, but I know they will continue to grow to reach their potential. Also, God's hand has been on Liina and I in amazing ways. God has opened doors and has allowed us to meet people and be involved in things that we never thought we would or could. Because of some of these relationships, we have been able to open up some doors for Hands so they will have a better relationship one of the communities in which we work. God is an amazing artist and we are thankful to just to be the tools of His trade.

Though God has doing many great things, we have had many hard and frustrating days. Days where you wonder why am I really here or what am I doing here? But this is where knowing that God called us here for a reason has been a comfort. Through this process, God is refining us. Our faith has increased. Our character is getting more refined. God has increased our confidence in him. Liina and I feel our marriage is closer than it has ever been. It has been through this hardships that God has grown us. One quote that I came across many years ago is this: It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply. A.W. Tozer. I have often pondered this quote from time to time when facing hardships, but I think here in Africa I am just starting to understand this. Liina and I have been deeply wounded by the things that wound God. We are being ruined by Him, but we know that through this process we are becoming more like him. We are uncertain what will become of us after this experience, but we know we won't see things the same ever again. God has touched our souls with the things most important to him.

We only have around 2 weeks left, but we hope to make the most of every opportunity. Our time is pretty much booked till the time we leave, but we are excited to what lies before us. Starting Friday, we will be out living in the communities again. We were invited by Big Boy and Fortunate to spend a last weekend with them, then on Monday we will be off near Swaziland to assess a new community that needs help and assistance. This new community has been doing Home Based Care for patients, needy, and orphans for over the last 10 years without any help or assistance. They have a heart for their community that has helped many orphans have a chance for the future.

Thank you everyone for your continued thoughts, prayers, and facebook messages.

"This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27

White River Service Center...

Today, we had many of the Hands at Work staff and community members out to our new office to help dedicate it as we begin to work out in the community. We are making ourselves more available for the different home based care members can come and get help, encouragement, and care. As I was sitting in the dedication service, I was thinking of what does this service center mean to me? Is it just an office that I simple work out of, or does it mean something much more. Often we are referred to as SC (service center), but for me it means serving in community. Our team if finally growing together as a community, as a family. It is these newly formed relationships that makes going out to the community to face challenges we are facing a little easier to carry. We are not alone as we go out and serve. It am really enjoying getting up in the mornings knowing this is the family where I belong. Yes we seem to be a dysfunctional family at times, but God has been pouring his grace on us as we learn to work together. I loving going out with my brothers to the community to serve those who are making a huge impact in their community with orphans, vulnerable children, grannies, and HIV/Aids patients. I love going out to the field with teammates and helping the different partnerships begin dreaming about what they want to do in their communities and helping to make a plan together how we can see these dreams come true. I have always loved serving people, but here in Africa I have found a new joy about serving that I have not had before. Maybe it is the broken heart that I have for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering, but praise God more in their suffering than I have ever done praising God on my best day. I am humbled by my African sisters and brothers. It is a joy to see how God is molding me to become a better foot washer. Learning more about what it means to be righteous. Learning to be more like Christ. Learning to come with no agenda, listening, and asking God to help us solve different challenges together. Finally beginning to understand a glimpse of what true community is. I know that it will be hard to leave this place, but I can't wait to see what this service center family will do when I am gone. God brought Liina and I here during a very stormy season for this team that we are on, but we are excited to see many storms pass already. God has blown us away with different miraculous interventions. At the end of this hard week, all we can say to God is "Thank You, Papa!"

Internal battle...

I know that a little bit of time has passed since I last wrote. I would say that it has been hard to put into words what has been going on in my life this past week or so. I have faced many different challenges with some work things and have also faced some challenges that I still can't get my head around yet. God continually is shaking me to the core. Challenging me on things in my heart, in life, in ministry, and in relationships. I am really trying to stay focused on being patient and letting things work out how they will. I am praying and waiting for God's miraculous intervention!

For Liina and I, it is hard to think that we at the half-way point with our time here in Africa. It seems the more we get into things and begin to understand what is happening and the challenges being faced, 3 months is too short. At the same time we have been amazed at how God has used us during this time. God is truly great and in control. I see his greatness everyday here. We are unsure what lies ahead of us, but we know that God has renewed us from the inside out.

Thank you everyone that has continued to update us on things. Your e-mails and facebook notes have always come at the right times. We miss you all very much. Talk with you later.

Chris

Pictures: Kruger National Park (Safari)...

Click here: Pictures

Pictures: Africa so far...

Click Here: Pictures

Community Stay Vol. 2

Even though we got a Reality Check in the beginning of our stay, God really opened up our relationships with Big Boy and Fortunate along with kids. God allowed me to really connect with the husband and we sat out on the porch and just talked about culture for a couple of hours. Liina was also in the kitchen and connecting with Fortunate as they she helped make them spaghetti for the first time while also talking about cultures. I will say that at first they were a little afraid of Italian spaghetti. Fortunate loved it, husband tried a spoonful, and the kids had a difficult time eating it. It was just to different for them. But late at night, I did see the husband take a full plate of it and eat it as we watched tv and continued to talk.

The next morning, we were outside playing with the neighborhood children. I had taught them English camp games the time before and they begged to play them again. We had more kids, no music, so we just sang and danced and then called out the different things like knight, horsemen, cavalier, or jellyfish. You can see from the pictures. We also had a fashion show where we made clothes from plastic bags. In between plastic dresses, different kids got up, held a stick up as if it were a microphone and sang a song either from Beyonce, T.I., or Swazi kids song. It was fun for us to be part of this. I also played netball (keep away) and soccer with the guys.

Also the community was more inviting this time. We had many people stop on the street and talk with us. We have even been invited to stay for a month there or a year, but we said that we can't at the moment. Also, Big Boys father is the chief's village. Culturally, this is a big deal. Big Boy's father heard that we here again and he wanted to make sure he meet us. It was great to here from him and also it said it was great that we are here. He also wishes us to come and spend more time in the community. He is also an elder of the community, so if there is problems he is called in to help solve or make decision in the matter. He was a really cool grandpa.

All I can say is that we had another amazing time. I know that when we leave, we will miss the openness of this warm culture. We will miss living in a community where everyone knows everyone. Where you can just stop by someone's porch and have a conversation.

Reality Check...

Liina and I went back to the community where we stayed a few weeks ago. We were excited to get back and spend time with the community. We were only there 5 minutes when Fortunate started to share with us what has taken place that week. She helps lead a team of 24 volunteers that go and visit 600 patients a week to just to check on them, serve them, listen to them, and pray over them. That last time we were there we had visited 5 patients with Fortunate. She was like do you remember that young girl with the brain tumor, she died this week. You remember that one patient with TB (tuberculosis), she died this week. You remember this other patient, they died this week. Also her oldest daughter, who is 13, had 3 classmates die. After we got to her home, her husband shared that his grandmother had died. It was an overwhelming day of grief to know that you just touched, listened, served these patients a couple of weeks ago and now they are gone. My heart is broken for the different communities that God is allowing me to serve at the moment. Every Saturday, people never makes plans because usually you are at a funeral every Saturday or Sunday morning. It is just reality here. I think that the worst part is that people are dying from things that they should not be dying from like lack of medications, basic medical treatment, and health education. People just don't know the most simple things that we take for granted everyday.

It is this reality that keeps us working hard everyday. It is these faces that are in our hearts that we cannot see anymore with our own eyes or touch with our hands. It is why people in Hands at Work work so passionately because we don't know who we know that death's grip will take next. I find hope in the depth of faith the team works with here. They realize that everyday, to do what they do, to fulfill God's vision and calling in their hearts, they need a daily miraculous intervention from God for any of it to take place. I don't think that I have ever lived my life this way until now. Living a life where God needs to miraculously intervene so that His work can be done through me. What step of faith did you take today that God needed to miraculously intervene?