Lassin 2011

A calling to serve the Lord by helping a village to rebuild their church building and minister to the children.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Africa: 2 Weeks Later

We've now been back for weeks, which is just enough time for some of the feelings to sink in and for words to form but not so long that memory has faded.

When people have asked, "How was it?" my simple, yet honest, response has been, "AWESOME!"  I don't mean that it was 'cool' or fine.  I mean we got to serve God.  It wasn't just a theoretical experience.  The Creator of the universe knocked and we answered.  How else can I describe that but AWESOME!

And in case I had any lingering doubts whether He called me there, He answered prayers as often as I prayed.  At 2 AM on a warm night with no electricity and slat digging in your back, there's not much else to do but pray.  After our first day of work, arms, face and neck were bright red from the sun (and my foolishness for failing to put on suncreen and wear a hat).  I prayed.  Though the sunburn was evident, I felt no pain that night or any other time.  In Cameroon, my regular aches and pains disappeared.  Now, after two weeks back on a memory-foam bed, the aches are back.

Cameroonians are joyful.  Smiles come easily and are often unprovoked. When you greet someone, there's no doubt that it will be reciprocated.  (It was a hard habit to shed at the airport.  But a couple of cold stares were quick 'cures'.)



One week, we worshipped outdoors because the church was roofless and filled with scaffolding.  The next Sunday, we worshipped under a roof, which hadn't happened at that church for 3 years.  So we rejoiced (which, in that part of the world, meant a lot of singing and dancing!).

I miss the simplicity of having heeding God's assignment for us.  Hammer some nails and bring joy and hope to the nationals (and anyone we came across).  Back home, it's just not clear.  How firm should I be with my son (Prov 22:6 vs. Eph 6:4)?  Every major decision seems to be either a calling or a test... 

2 comments:

  1. Thanks,Rick for heeding God's call to come with us to Cameroon. It's always interesting to me to hear the thoughts of someone who has never been before. Trips like this are difficult to put into words for those back at home and have never experienced Africa. God always does amazing things and that is always evident when I'm there. Hope you and your family are doing well and thanks for your service, Gordon

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  2. Thanks Gordon. I was blessed to have had this experience and more so because of the make up of our group. We had a good balance of experience and youth with a lot of fun mixed in.

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