My apologies to those of you who are faithful followers of this blog and have been missing updates. It has been quite awhile! So let me dive into a fast and furious update on my life happenings - I finished my social work internship, via email I heard the news I graduated, and I am now a full time short termer with Flying Mission. My weekly schedule now looks like:
Monday: Playgroup at Baylor
Tuesday: Teaching income generating crafts to home based care clients in various villages surrounding Gaborone
Wednesday: Tumelong orphan feeding program
Thursday: Home based care work from 9-2 and SOS children's village from 3-6
Friday: Old Naledi orphan feeding program
OH! You have to hear about camp!!!!
The week after I finished my internship I was invited to be a counselor at a camp for OVC's (orphans and vulnerable children). I thought I was going to a camp kind of like the one I had been counseling at for the last 3 summers. WRONG totally wrong. Well I suppose there were a few similarities, such as the kids are all from disadvantaged homes, they come for free, there is food, I don’t shower much (in this case at all) and I am in the minority. God was hard at work and so was the devil this week. First of all the camp was not Christian, second of all it was not Christian - the counselors (not all of them but a majority) were out drinking every night - the girl counselors had different men in their beds (the same room as the girl campers and I) nearly every night. This was so painful for me to watch go down, but nothing I said (and if you know me, you know I said strongly) changed anything.
The purpose of the camp was to educate on issues of HIV, drug abuse, some other issues (it was all in Setswana so I didn't catch much) and also to do some psychosocial work with the orphans who had lost family. The differences in Western and African culture were highlighted when I arrived at camp and there really was no plan. The counselors were in a group talking and the kids were scattered around the camp just doing whatever. I thought maybe it was just the settling in day, but the camp continued this way the rest of the week. Everyone just hung out. It was so laid back and chill..whenever a counselor felt like playing a game, they got the kids together and played it, when the counselors thought maybe they should teach something - they rounded up the kids and taught. It was so so different than an American camp where every minute is planned out down to time for changing clothes and going to the next activity! There are positives and negatives to both, but this really took adjusting for me! The go-with-the-flow strategy of Botswana really worked to my advantage in the end giving me ample time to pump out Gospel to these kids who are malnutritioned in more than one way.
Night one I read a bible story to the kids around my bed at night. Night two the word got out about the bible study and there was about 15 kids, 14 girls and 1 boy that all sat quietly as I read and another counselor who had become my friend translated. That night I woke in the middle of the night to feeling the worst pain I've felt in a long time, plus I had diarrhea 1 minute and the next I was throwing up. I took that as a sign that doing something right and I was where I was supposed to be because obviously the devil did not want me there! They wanted to send me to the clinic in the morning then home and there was a part of me that really wanted the comforts and privacy of home, but all the reasons for staying were so much better than my self considering reasons for leaving. Also! One of my girls said "Erica don't go we are begging you" other than being shocked by her English sentence I was surprised that she cared so much "why " I asked and then came the biggest surprise "we want you to read the Bible to us." and that was it. No clinic, no home, I was not leaving that camp. Although I was useless all Wednesday being so weak from the sickness - God gave me energy at night when I needed it to read the Bible. Thursday was quite the day. I had a few really good conversations with the counselor that was translating my Bible stories at night, finding out about her life it was plain to see the pain. Anyways I was able to tell her about what a sweet friend I have in Jesus. She was interested but I did not want to force anything on her (sometimes people here just go along with whatever you say even if they don't understand or do not want to, in order that they do not offend you) I told her to just let me know and I could hook her up. She had grown up being forced to go to church by her grandma, but she hated it. So she knows a lot about Jesus but doesn't have a personal relationship with Him. She seemed to think that was probably enough, but a light bulb seemed to turn on in her head when I explained that just like a celebrity we can know all about them, but not have a friendship with them. Also on Thursday, the camp conducted a death and bereavement counseling session. Nearly 80 kids shared their stories of how they dealt with the death in their family - not one eye was dry leaving that circle including my own. There is nothing like death to get you thinking about eternity! I had talked with one girl after the session and told her a little bit about my friend Jesus who had promised to "never leave her or forsake her" and left it up to her to come and get me if she wanted to know more. A few hours later she did and she knew exactly what she wanted. God gave me the privilege of being right there while He drew his lost child to Himself! Although her prayer was in Setswana - there is no mistaking the smile she had on her face afterwards!!
God really just brought one kid after another to me to share the Gospel with. The kids were starving for spiritual food! I've never had an experience like this. At camp MT in Michigan, the Bible reading part of the day was like the boring part and if they could get out of it they would (for the most part - there are some exceptions, but those are rare.) Here they were literally begging me! I was in awe and still am.
The counselor who I mentioned is now a good friend of mine and attended church with me last Sunday - she still has not committed her life to Christ so be in prayer for her please!
God's latest lesson for Erica:
We are commanded to "think the same way that Christ Jesus thought."Phil 2:5 And something God is teaching me is that there are two parts to doing this. The first is to stop thinking immature thoughts, which are self-centered and self-seeking. The Bible says, "Stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults."1Cor 14:20 Babies by nature are completely selfish. They think only of themselves and their own needs. They are incapable of giving; they can only receive. That is immature thinking. The Bible says that selfish thinking is the source of sinful behavior Rom 8:5. And the second half of thinkin like Jesus is to start thinking maturely, which focuses on others, not yourself. In his great chapter on what real love is, Paul concluded that thinking of others is the mark of maturity; "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." 1 Cor 13:11 The core of our Christian lifestyle is not so much having biblical information and doctrine packed in our head - while that is one measure of maturity its not the whole story - our core is found in thinking of others before ourselves like Jesus did. God has been revealing to me that I am still a toddler. I have so much to learn in this area, but lucky for me I have His Spirit helping me along..I just have to be walking in that Spirit every moment!
Monday: Playgroup at Baylor
Tuesday: Teaching income generating crafts to home based care clients in various villages surrounding Gaborone
Wednesday: Tumelong orphan feeding program
Thursday: Home based care work from 9-2 and SOS children's village from 3-6
Friday: Old Naledi orphan feeding program
OH! You have to hear about camp!!!!
The week after I finished my internship I was invited to be a counselor at a camp for OVC's (orphans and vulnerable children). I thought I was going to a camp kind of like the one I had been counseling at for the last 3 summers. WRONG totally wrong. Well I suppose there were a few similarities, such as the kids are all from disadvantaged homes, they come for free, there is food, I don’t shower much (in this case at all) and I am in the minority. God was hard at work and so was the devil this week. First of all the camp was not Christian, second of all it was not Christian - the counselors (not all of them but a majority) were out drinking every night - the girl counselors had different men in their beds (the same room as the girl campers and I) nearly every night. This was so painful for me to watch go down, but nothing I said (and if you know me, you know I said strongly) changed anything.
The purpose of the camp was to educate on issues of HIV, drug abuse, some other issues (it was all in Setswana so I didn't catch much) and also to do some psychosocial work with the orphans who had lost family. The differences in Western and African culture were highlighted when I arrived at camp and there really was no plan. The counselors were in a group talking and the kids were scattered around the camp just doing whatever. I thought maybe it was just the settling in day, but the camp continued this way the rest of the week. Everyone just hung out. It was so laid back and chill..whenever a counselor felt like playing a game, they got the kids together and played it, when the counselors thought maybe they should teach something - they rounded up the kids and taught. It was so so different than an American camp where every minute is planned out down to time for changing clothes and going to the next activity! There are positives and negatives to both, but this really took adjusting for me! The go-with-the-flow strategy of Botswana really worked to my advantage in the end giving me ample time to pump out Gospel to these kids who are malnutritioned in more than one way.
Night one I read a bible story to the kids around my bed at night. Night two the word got out about the bible study and there was about 15 kids, 14 girls and 1 boy that all sat quietly as I read and another counselor who had become my friend translated. That night I woke in the middle of the night to feeling the worst pain I've felt in a long time, plus I had diarrhea 1 minute and the next I was throwing up. I took that as a sign that doing something right and I was where I was supposed to be because obviously the devil did not want me there! They wanted to send me to the clinic in the morning then home and there was a part of me that really wanted the comforts and privacy of home, but all the reasons for staying were so much better than my self considering reasons for leaving. Also! One of my girls said "Erica don't go we are begging you" other than being shocked by her English sentence I was surprised that she cared so much "why " I asked and then came the biggest surprise "we want you to read the Bible to us." and that was it. No clinic, no home, I was not leaving that camp. Although I was useless all Wednesday being so weak from the sickness - God gave me energy at night when I needed it to read the Bible. Thursday was quite the day. I had a few really good conversations with the counselor that was translating my Bible stories at night, finding out about her life it was plain to see the pain. Anyways I was able to tell her about what a sweet friend I have in Jesus. She was interested but I did not want to force anything on her (sometimes people here just go along with whatever you say even if they don't understand or do not want to, in order that they do not offend you) I told her to just let me know and I could hook her up. She had grown up being forced to go to church by her grandma, but she hated it. So she knows a lot about Jesus but doesn't have a personal relationship with Him. She seemed to think that was probably enough, but a light bulb seemed to turn on in her head when I explained that just like a celebrity we can know all about them, but not have a friendship with them. Also on Thursday, the camp conducted a death and bereavement counseling session. Nearly 80 kids shared their stories of how they dealt with the death in their family - not one eye was dry leaving that circle including my own. There is nothing like death to get you thinking about eternity! I had talked with one girl after the session and told her a little bit about my friend Jesus who had promised to "never leave her or forsake her" and left it up to her to come and get me if she wanted to know more. A few hours later she did and she knew exactly what she wanted. God gave me the privilege of being right there while He drew his lost child to Himself! Although her prayer was in Setswana - there is no mistaking the smile she had on her face afterwards!!
God really just brought one kid after another to me to share the Gospel with. The kids were starving for spiritual food! I've never had an experience like this. At camp MT in Michigan, the Bible reading part of the day was like the boring part and if they could get out of it they would (for the most part - there are some exceptions, but those are rare.) Here they were literally begging me! I was in awe and still am.
The counselor who I mentioned is now a good friend of mine and attended church with me last Sunday - she still has not committed her life to Christ so be in prayer for her please!
God's latest lesson for Erica:
We are commanded to "think the same way that Christ Jesus thought."Phil 2:5 And something God is teaching me is that there are two parts to doing this. The first is to stop thinking immature thoughts, which are self-centered and self-seeking. The Bible says, "Stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults."1Cor 14:20 Babies by nature are completely selfish. They think only of themselves and their own needs. They are incapable of giving; they can only receive. That is immature thinking. The Bible says that selfish thinking is the source of sinful behavior Rom 8:5. And the second half of thinkin like Jesus is to start thinking maturely, which focuses on others, not yourself. In his great chapter on what real love is, Paul concluded that thinking of others is the mark of maturity; "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." 1 Cor 13:11 The core of our Christian lifestyle is not so much having biblical information and doctrine packed in our head - while that is one measure of maturity its not the whole story - our core is found in thinking of others before ourselves like Jesus did. God has been revealing to me that I am still a toddler. I have so much to learn in this area, but lucky for me I have His Spirit helping me along..I just have to be walking in that Spirit every moment!
Two of the girls who shared my bed with me! Tendie and Morina
More of the group
How the boys got to camp...a 2 and half hour drive with over 20 of them packed in the back!! The girls and I were in a combi.
How the boys got to camp...a 2 and half hour drive with over 20 of them packed in the back!! The girls and I were in a combi.
Wow! Reading what is going on over there is bringing me to tears! Erica, you are amazing. God is doing so much through you!! Reading about these different testimonies is making me rethink my own walk with Christ and wanting to be so close to Him!! I am so proud of you and I love you!! Monica
ReplyDeleteI thank God that you are so open to however He wishes to use you. Even in your sickness you were willing to be used for His glory. You are in my prayers. Many lives can be reached by your selflessness. Love you, Pam
ReplyDelete