The Girl with the Traveling Heart: East Africa Weeks 1 and 2

June 13^th, 2019

The only certainty that I’ve noticed in the 6 cities I’ve lived in over the last 3 weeks is that wifi in Africa is NEVER predictable. My time in East Africa so far has consisted of a two week stay in a village in northern Tanzania called Kisiwani, a night in Arusha, Tanzania, a night in a hostel in Nairobi, a night in a city I still can’t pronounce, and two nights in Voi, Kenya. I’ve never traveled so much in my life. We’ve been rushed all around Kenya all week getting just a taste of each place. I’m going to start from the beginning though.

Week 1- Kisiwani, Tanzania

I started taking Swahili the first week we were in East Africa and boy did I learn a lot from that. Every one of my classmates is either at the intermediate or advanced level and here I am struggling to remember how to say hello. The first day of class was difficult. I had to have a serious come to Jesus moment with myself. I was so frustrated that I wasn’t picking up on the new words and concepts. I was telling myself lies like you’re not smart enough for this- or even worse- you don’t even belong on this trip. I felt like I was fighting an internal monster. In the midst of this difficult first week, I remembered words a wise counselor once told me.

            In high school I really struggled with Anxiety. I was in a counseling appointment and my counselor asked me if I was a cute kid. Duh, I responded. (I should also mention if you don’t know me- I am obsessed with children. They are the absolute best. ) He then encouraged me to place a picture of myself as a little kid near where I spend time with Jesus. Why, you may ask? Because he was trying to help me see myself as a child of God. Just a glimpse of the perspective God has of us as blameless children through Christ. And wow- it was a game changer. He said I want you to have as much grace with your young adult self as you would give a three year old.

            Why, you may ask yourself did I mention this story? Because as I say on my bed literally crying out to God for patience with myself, these words came flooding back into my mind. I was a linguistic toddler- or rather infant. I needed to give myself grace where I messed up and see myself as the imperfect human I am. This was a humbling and very difficult task. But not by my own strength could I have come to this conclusion.     

            Before I left for this trip I was encouraged by a friend to seek out 3 prayer partners (outside of my family) and keep in close contact with them through the trip. At first I didn’t understand why this was important. Like I have a very good relationship with my family and I have lots of friends. What I couldn’t anticipate was the isolation that would settle in as I began living over 5,000 miles away from home. Having these prayer partners has been so incredible. I can literally feel when I’m being prayed over, and it has helped me stay centered on why God has called me half way around the world. Because I’m not here on a faith-based trip, I’ve encountered many difficult conversations about brokenness and sin that have left me frustrated and honestly offended. Having my prayer partners back home has kept me grounded.

Week 2- 

Week 2 was a lot like week one we stayed in Kisiwani, accept I actually began to understand just a little of what was being said around me. I had once specific moment when I was on the phone with a friend back home in which I was seriously questioning my place. I was desperate for comfort. If given the chance, I would have walked home right then and there. I was embarrassed by my emotions and my doubting the call I know God has placed on my life. It was in that moment that I cried out to God begging for comfort. I realized then that in my discomfort, my heart finds rest in Him. In the unknown, I trust the word of the Lord to light up the step in front of me. I also learned not to shame myself for doubting. Following God into the unknown is so brave. And that is not a word I use to describe myself. It’s the word that embodies the spirit of the Lord that has surrounded me from the moment I left Memphis.

            If y’all know me then you know that I am a homebody. I love adventures, but at the end of the week I like to spend my nights with my cat Monkey, my closest pals and my family. Being gone for so long is not really how I wanted to spend my summer. I had an incredible job lined up back home that I was about to accept when this trip fell into my lap. I spent way too much time imagining a summer that could not be. I was given a word from the Lord last summer about chooses to come. He revealed that if I tuned into His message, He would take me farther and deeper and higher than I could imagine. And although this trip has NOT been perfect, it is definitely all of those things. As I’m writing this I am still in awe that this is my story. I feel like I’m watching my life from afar and I can genuinely feel the presence of the Lord around me.

            As you can see, week 2 was the reality setting in of 6 weeks in Africa. 6 weeks with people who I’ve never met. 6 weeks of being away from my people. 6 weeks of trusting that God has brought me here to be fruitful. And 6 weeks of learning to walk in obedience.