I struggle with pride

I struggle with pride, always have.  Seems no amount of praying or memorizing scripture on this subject has completed redeemed me of this horrible sin.  Oh, yes, by the grace of God, I would admit that I am a tab bit more humble than in years past; but I certainly am nowhere close to where I want to be.  And it doesn't even matter where I want to be, because it's not about me.  I am no where close to where God wants me to be.    

Pride goes before destruction, 

a haughty spirit before a fall.

Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed 

than to share plunder with the proud.

Proverbs 16:18-19

Not exactly sure when or where this insidious enemy first appeared. Pride is treacherous. Has it stemmed from truth as Mac Davis' song would lead me to believe? 

"Oh Lord it's hard to be humble

when you're perfect in every way.

I can't wait to look in the mirror

'cos I get better looking each day

to know me is to love me

I must be a hell of a man.

O Lord it's hard to be humble

but I'm doing the best that I can."

Do I really believe that I'm all that or is the truth the exact opposite ~ that my battered, bruised and blooded ego is so low that I only mask the pain with pride?

Last Tuesday I had lunch with my South African missionary supervisor, discussing my issues with my adjustment to a new culture and life as a missionary. She kept asking me, "What did you expect?"  My profound answer was to each query, "I dunno!"  


I wish someone could tell me what I was thinking missionary life would be like.  I know every time I bought something for Africa the check-out cashier at Wal-Mart would get this dreamy look in their eyes and say something about how awesome I was and how they wish they could go save the world with me.


Is the source of my current angst is the that fact that I don't feel like I'm saving the world?  Heck, I'm living and serving at the Lutheran Seminary where everyone knows and loves our Lord, Jesus Christ and is preparing for a full time career of profession church work.  So, obviously my role here isn't to share the gospel message.  

cutest little washing machine

My role today was to prepare two guest houses by washing and changing the linen of 17 beds, moving the luggage of the deaconesses from one building to another along with all their food from the cupboards and refrigerator, sweeping, mopping, scrubbing; driving students where they needed to get and helping an Ethiopian student with his English.  And may I just add that each deaconess came with more luggage for their two week class than I came for my two years here.  Seriously!


Thus, early in the morning as the first stripping of the beds began I told my ministry partner Ginger, who did 10x as much work as I and without one peep of complaint, that I wanted to go get my camera and blog about the work that we do.  I realize most of my blogs have been either sillyness or furry animals. 

Ginger Taff-Lagergren

Lapa, which needs to be cleaned before tea each day.

Feeling more like a scullery maid than a missionary, I set to my days work.  Quickly 7am rolled around to 10am.  Chapel, glorious chapel.  The singing of these African men is awesomeness beyond description, now that I know all the students I like to see whose turn it is to lead the liturgy and the sermons by the Professors who rotate this task are always wonderful.  I especially like Mondays because American missionary and Greek professor, Reverend Glenn Fluegge takes his turn as proclaimer.   The added bonus on this particular Monday was  I was able to sit for 30 minutes.  Thank you, Jesus.




I love the way God shows up EXACTLY the minute you need Him.  The text for the sermon was:

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁹ Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. ¹⁰ And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ¹¹ and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹² so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

The Lord used Pastor Fluegge and his message to remind me of several important truths.  Glenn began his sermon by saying that of all scripture, 'this passage is just not very exciting, that this one seems to be the most ordinary, mundane, boring and everyday common.'  But this is the inspired Word of our loving Lord, thus important and necessary.  Point #1 not everything is exciting (changing 17 beds is not exciting) but it is important and necessary.

Pastor Fluegge quoted Bonhoeffer words, "Christ died for the world, and it is only in the midst of the world that Christ is Christ. Furthermore, 'there is no place in which the Christian can withdraw from the world... Belonging wholly to Christ," Christians stand 'at the same time wholly in the world."   Point #2 as Christians we live in this tension "You are not of this world... you are in this world."  Worldly activities still must be completed... changing 17 beds.

"If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world."

John 15:19

No bed has a top sheet, just a fitted sheet and a duvet.
Each duvet had to be washed. 

Repetition is good.  Several time throughout the sermon the text was repeated: 

Love your brothers, 

mind your own business, 

strive to live a quiet life and 

work with your hands.  

The only thing I'm good at... speaking English.

Thank you Glenn for allowing the Holy Spirit to use you to remind me that while this text may be ordinary, mundane and perhaps boring for those of us living ordinary, mundane and boring lives it is a wonderful reminder that we have  "an extraordinary, exciting, heavenly home in heaven... but as we wait, may He give us the strength to get back to work. To glorify God and serve our neighbor."

I want to save the world.  I want to tell everyone about Jesus.  Clearly, I'd not be given that privilege until I submit my pride, humble myself before the Lord and be faithful in the small things of His kingdom.  

I want to be proud of the daily tasks I am asked to do, just not too proud.

2 of the deaconnesses, with a fraction of their luggage. 

Conscription

What, is the weight of an unladen swallow?

That depends African or European Swallow?

I don't know that! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!

How do you know so much about swallows?

Its a kingly thing

Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service.

I am well aware that I came to South Africa to be a servant and do what was asked of me but on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 I was CONSCRIPTED.  Conscripted by Bob.  Conscripted to 'rescue' a swallow who was in the sanctuary and could not/would not leave.  Now, to fully understand the situation, you must know Bob.  Bob is a bird enthusiasts. Bob is a bird guide taking groups of tourist around South Africa pointing out and describing birds.  His concern for the welfare of this swallow was legitimate. 

Bob is standing on the right next the window.  Carl is in the forefront.

You also need to understand that while it is true that English is spoken in South Africa, there are countless dialect's.  My first encounter with a South African speaking English was Gert, the man I hired to fix my MacBook on the second day of my arrival, when my hard drive died.  Gert, spoke English but it sounded German to me.  Then I met Salome`, whose English sounds Dutch or Swedish.  Enters Bob (and Carl) who sound so British I couldn't stop thinking I was watching a show from the BBC. 

Look at Carl's smile. We were all dying of laughter.

With a soccer net and four dowel rods in hand, I was told I was to help him (Bob), Carl, Ginger get the swallow out of the church because it would die without food and water and wasn't leaving on its own.  The grand plan was for the four of us to cover the length of the church and catch it in the net.  Two immediate problems were obvious: the net had 5 inch x 5 inch squares and the ceiling was 6 feet above our highest reach while standing straddled on two pews (benches).  The bird merely flew from one end of the church to the other, resting in the trusses between passes.

Then Ginger and I were told to get down from straddling two benches and to scare the bird towards them.  Ginger is taking these pictures and I am using my dowel rod to bang on the walls and metal beams. Plus I was throwing anything I could find towards the bird: my sunglasses, boxed matches. Anything. If the bird flew to the south side, I went to the south side.  If the bird went to the North side,  I... you get the idea.  But remember that I don't have wings and didn't rest in the truss between each pass.

Okay, okay I will admit that it was hilariously funny for maybe the first 30 -40 minutes.  Then it grew apparent that the bird was going to have a heart attack from all this flying and I wasn't any happier than the bird.  Bob, though would not give up nor give in and decided that they needed to get higher.  So, using the pulpit to climb up onto this thin wall, and no that little room did not have a ceiling and yes, Bob nearly fell backwards off the wall.

Carl, afraid of heights would only sit on the wall.  And how did Carl get up there?  Climbed on the baptismal font of course.  Lord have mercy.  I couldn't talk the men out of giving up and live and let live.  I start quoting  Matthew 10:29 even though it's the wrong bird I thought my point was valid. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care."

The end result was: score one for the bird - zero for the humans.  We left him there only to return the next day to two swallows in the sanctuary!

Connecting Zeal's need to serve with Mimosa's need to receive

Here's the story ... of a lovely lady... who was bringing up 4 orphaned children and living in horrible conditions.  Jesus to the rescue. An American church group built this cinder brick house in one week last summer.  Well, technically the foundation was already poured and the roof was put on after the team had returned home.  Nevertheless impressive. 

Mimosa was so very excited that the day to paint the interior and exterior of her home had arrived and warmly greeted Julia the missionary overseeing the project.

Side of the house with the 'bathroom' window open.  The 'bathroom' was a 6x6 square room.  Four walls.  That's it.  No tub, No toilet, No sink, no plumbing, no running water.  I asked how they went to the potty... the family usually has a bucket in that room for that purpose.

Same side of the house, bathroom and living room windows are open.  See the trench - break in the grass and the line up to the window?  That is where the family runs a line to get electricity from their neighbor

True dat!

We enter to assess the situation.  Cinder block walls making the home dark and drab.

Mimosa had moved all their possessions either outside or to the middle of the rooms.

Pastor Thwala painting the primer on a bedroom wall. Corner had already been cut.

We had a team of 6 paining, here they are in the living room.

Pastor pouring me more paint; the walls were drinking up the paint.  Those huge buckets were very heavy to pour from.

I love painting, always have.

Great fun, talking with this team from American and getting to know them as we worked.

Serving the Lord with paint brushes

Deaconess Katelyn Heitt joined the fun and braved a ladder.

Smile

The paint dried quickly and we were onto the second coat: CREAM.

Whistle while you work.

This hallway leads to the small bathroom and 3 small bedrooms.

The next day when we arrived all the fruniture was put back into its place. Hard to tell that the walls are a beautiful cream color but 100% better than the gray walls of yesterday.

Open floor plan... living & kitchen in one small area.

Nothing much in each bedroom besides the bed. Concrete floors.

Broke my heart that there wasn't any toys for the children. Concrete floors.

What DON'T you see?  Light fixture.

What DON'T you see? A light switch.

Living room is one love seat.

On to the exterior.  This is the front of the house with the living room window.

Living room window on left, only door and two bedroom windows on right.

Bedroom windows.

Mimosa washing her dishes outside - no running water in the house.  I went up the hill to fetch water for her from the 'tap' which was a gallon milk jug cut to funnel the water which was kinda dripping down.  Rather heavy carrying that 5 gallon bucket and I was coming down the hill.  When I got back to the house Pastor Thwala was cracking up and said that I went to the wrong place for water and that Mimosa had gone to get water.  I see her coming UP the hill with a 10 gallon bucket of water ON HER HEAD!!!!

From Grey cinder block to white primer to beautiful cream.

Bathroom and living room side of the house - see the line for the electricity.

Washed out brushes.

Washed out paint trays.

Two days of enjoyable work to show the love of Jesus.