Body: explore & engage

another journal entry

20 July 2010

I've decided that living a supernatural lifestyle is a must. People are looking for the supernatural and to experience what they learn in the Bible. But the church is falling dreadfully short. We, the Body, are not living out our God-given identities which is a huge problem because God longs for us to know and love Him, experience our lives and identities the way we were designed to, and then to be a conduit to bring Heaven (and all that it encompasses) to Earth- this includes the supernatural. As I sit here in Africa and write, I'm reflecting on how how visible and accessible the spiritual realm is here.

For instance, many people in the black community are either familiar with or participants in "traditional healers'" ceremonies and practices. These practices do involve the spiritual realm and people do have encounters with spirits, etc... however, the motivation and result of this is fear. Fear of their ancestors interfering with their lives if ignored. Fear of man... fear of... fear of... fear of... The intentions are typically good, like a mother might become a visit a magic man to protect and help her daughter do well in University. This is common because culturally it is accepted and expected. Plus, more than likely they've seen "bad things" happen to people who haven't performed the ritual, or paid the shaman, etc. The problem expands when you learn that most of these people also identify as Christians. So they pray to God, believe in Christ, and still find it necessary to call upon their ancestors and contact the deceased for protection and security.

When the Body ceases to operate in our identities as children of the Most High and does not move out a place of love and belief in God's promises, then we leave ourselves and everyone around us empty handed and searching for the power & authority that we, as believers, have access to and should be operating in, but aren't.

Besides, if someone has witnessed the "psuedo"-power of a demonic presence, but has never experienced the power of God, then of course that person is going to believe more in the traditional healers powers because their is evidence of their teachings by how the spiritual realm is being accessed and demonstrated. Yet, it is deceptive and filled with fear, shame, and destruction.

How great would it be if the Body began to operate in her God-given authority to teach and demonstrate the Kingdom of God with the supplement of signs and wonders! To release love, gentleness, and compassion... to escort in the King's divine breakthroughs by fully utilizing the resources we have available to us as sons and daughters of the King. There is not a problem on Earth that God does not have the answers to or resources for, so why aren't we asking, declaring, and proclaiming? God is in a good mood. Granted, this doesn't mean suffering or illness will cease, but it does mean believers are going to have to take risks and truly explore and engage who they are if Heaven is to be found on Earth.

It is a natural phenomenon that what we believe will determine how we behave. So, if I believe that God wants to heal people, wants to set the captives free, wants to shower love on all His creation... then I too will want to do these things. My belief in God and His power and goodness motivates my behaviors. I do not wish to trap God in a box because of my fear, failures, inexperience, or uncertainties. I truly believe God is mighty to save, has made a way through Jesus for us to be reconciled, and that He longs for us to experience His presence, love, and will for our lives. Therefore, I desire to be an active and sensitive ambassador for God through my speech, actions, purity, and life. Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven is not some far off phrase that I ritualistically repeat... it is an actual way of being as lead by the Holy Spirit!

feel it, you are here

Hello from the land of infinite toilet paper in public restrooms and buildings with indoor temperature control! lol, I have safely returned to the US and am trying to "be where I am" like I did in SA, but I'm not so certain that this is where I want to be right now. Oh well, I'll chalk it up to the re-entry process.

Okay, so I have a whole bunch of entries I want to post on here, but I can't decide if there is an order with which I should proceed (like chronological, or topically, or by style) or if should do a random smattering since they will all be 100% raw entries anyway. As of right now, I'm going to use the random smattering idea, but use chronology as a dim guide. Then, once I revisit them, I'll work them into a larger, cohesive unit.

Unfortunately I don't have pictures from the exact places/moments that I tell stories, but hopefully this will give you a snapshot of the places I reference.

Our Chariot

held building anticipation & really funny stories for 18 hours

Welcome World

mural near Green Market in Cape Town, next to it was the World Cup bracket

Found Object Homes drawing

Some days I wasn't able to write, so I jumped back into my 5th grade self and took up doodling stories that words wouldn't meet, yet

Site B Homes

I took this picture through the back window of Dada's car before he dropped me off @ EduCare for one of my internships. note the sticker

I'd been in the country for no more than 90 minutes and I'd already plummeted from my initial state of giddy anticipation. We'd de-planed, ceremoniously took our first big breath of South African air, collected our baggage (minus 1), met out directors, and loaded the van when it happened. I was riding on the left hand side as we zoomed toward Hillcrest, the bed and breakfast we'd call home for our first 5 days, when I saw informal my first "informal settlement". It went my window, road, grassy patch with cows grazing + boy with stick, graffitied concrete wall, then what seemed like a zillion unfit, shanty structures that I wouldn't call houses, but that I knew were homes. A titled pole would prick the flat-roofed horizon and from it a web of tangled, electric nightmare would droop down to the homes.

It seemed like this scene had been put on "loop" outside my window because it went on kilometer after kilometer. The only reason I knew it was real was when I would catch a goal celebration from a boy playing soccer in a small patch of space between the highway and the graffitied wall, or when I'd see a lanky black dude or thick Mamma walking alongside the highway on a narrow, well beaten path.

My eyes and heart had nearly reached their max when this scene was abruptly interrupted by a squad of blue flashing police lights escorting a FIFA tour bus on the other side of the median. "Ja, we tried to get you guys one of those!" our crazy haired, mysterious co-director laughed. The radio was faintly audible in the background and I heard the announcer proclaim, "FEEL IT! IT IS HERE!!!" with regards to the much anticipated World Cup the country was hosting.

My head returned left and made my eyes look again... "Feel it," my heart said, "we are here..." as if it knew something I didn't.

:/ :] :D

This has been a very rich and restful week for me :] I was able to attend some AIA planning meetings (which sparked some great ideas that I'm excited to share with our ASU AIA leaders), I took some awesome naps (which were non-existent the past 6-7 weeks), and I was also able to process through a few of the experiences I've had here through writing and drawing! But more importantly, the staff member here let me go where she went, so I got to sit on in some ministry time, meet her friends, relax at her house, etc. I feel very privileged to have gotten the opportunity to spend so much time with her.

I am incredibly grateful for this trip and the ways it has challenged, changed, and strengthened me and my walk with the Lord. I will be processing it for a long long time (and probably posting these things on here, so check back often! especially bc pics and such are still to come)!

I'm about 15 minutes away from heading to the Joburg airport to reluctantly+excitedly hop on a plane and return to Indiana with a pitstop in JFK for a few hours. After a bit of time in IND, I'll set out on an epic roadtrip back to AZ with one of my closest sisters :D


A few requests to you folks in the States:
1. If possible, please remember that when you ask me, "How was South Africa?" I will not be able to answer you fully. However, I would adore the chance to share with you, so just let me know to what depth you'd like me to go. Based on time given to respond, I'm brainstorming some of the most powerful experiences I've had to give you a vibrant and quick response to your colossal question, so let's have a fun time SHARING stories from our summer. I want to hear about how YOU are doing and what's new with YOU, too. :D

2. When ladies go abroad they usually gain weight... I am no exception. Culturally, its rude to refuse food or leave food on your plate, even when they serve for you and give you 8billion times more than will fit your stomach... you just make room. My diet here has been mainly starches, sugar, & carbs; while everything I've had here has been delicious, the meals have not been as nutritionally balanced or diverse as I am accustomed to, thus please be kind. I might have picked up a tinge of what some would call an "African body" hahaha jk ;] I'll be working out and eating better upon my return, so please be nice in the interim.
The upside? --> i have some lekker recipes to make when I get backkkkK!

3. I'd like to have a get together for all you who are reading this and for those of you who would like to hear, taste, and see more about my trip! Just a heads up Indiana and Tempe, I'll let you know more about time & place as soon as I find a place and can set a time :] its going to be so much FUN

4. Make sure you hug at least 3 people today.

5. Thanks for reading my posts and brace yourself for the stories and entries to come!!!

Joburg

I made it safely to Joburg and am enjoying the distinct pleasure of staying with a US AIA staff member who is currently serving in South Africa. Yesterday was my first full day here and after swapping a few stories the observation was made that I haven't spent much time with white people. I chuckled because its true, I really haven't spent much time with white people! Luckily, this last leg of my stay in South Africa will allow me the wonderful opportunity to live with and function inside a white, South African community.



I took plenty of pictures in Cape Town and will be posting and blogging related stories once I return to the States. God truly has answered our/my prayers in an abundant ways and I am excited to share these stories with you.

As for now, I had a journal entry from 15 June 2010 to share with you, but I decided that for the time being it is too long and that I don't have the time to write an intro/explanation for it, so I'll get to it when I get back to the States. Currently, I am working on a series of short stories

:]

commitment

Wow. the past three weeks have been CRAZY. INTENSE.

Each person has a story and when traveling to/in/through/around so many of them it makes for a marvelously rich and vibrant engagement of the heart and head. Since I last wrote I have been in the Townships to Diep River to Swellendam with the youth to Port Elizabeth and finally back to Cape Town.

Narrative has been written on my heart and I will continue the process of putting it through a pen so it can be shared and lived. I commit to writing and creatively exploring and expressing as God gives me inspiration and grace to unveil the extraordinary things that have happened here and those that will continue to happen. (in my mind that is a big, possibly semi-scary, commitment to make, so please read that with the weightiness of such a task... to honor people and their hearts, my audience, myself, & God, in giving voice...)



This is my last day in Cape Town, then to Joburg for a week, then back to the US.
Sorry this is so short, but must go to our final meeting and then pack into a kombi and sort through all the conflicting emotions that are trying to share space in my heart right now.

Thank you for your prayers, they have been answered! More to come...
keep praying though, the work is not done.