I don't mind talking to strangers. In fact I quite like it. I never really listened to the “don't talk to strangers” rule. But I don't normally trust people enough to meet them once & then immediately go over to their homes. That's just not safe…especially when you are in a developing country & a city that is nicknamed “Nairobbery.”

But let me tell you a little story...

A group of us ladies were at the mall in Nairobi, Kenya looking for some internet so we could talk to friends & family. We found a fabulous coffee shop called ArtCafe. Right before going in, we met a woman named Naoma. Kirsten, asked her if she was American. Turns out this woman is indeed American. ( Not all “white people” are Americans…its actually quite weird to run into an American.) But we chat briefly about why we are in Kenya & ask if she recommends any good spots for internet. Turns out the ArtCafe was the place to be. However that day its internet was down. We finished up the conversation, thanking her for her time & advice, and then leaving her with my prayer postcard from the trip.

The 5 of us ladies nearly cried (seriously) as we sat in leather chairs listening to jazz & pouring over the lush menu of choices. We thought it was the closest thing we'd get to American culture & we called it our Christmas. We enjoyed the moment, sipped our coffee & savored our food. (I had penne pesto Chicken…delightful!)

A day went by & I checked my email…only to find that Naoma, the lady from the mall, had already gone on my blog & posted a comment inviting us all over to her house for American snacks, a Christmas tree, a fireplace, & a place to just relax!!!! I told the others & we were overwhelmed with such gratefulness.

After another day & a few email exchanges, four of us piled into a taxi & headed towards Naoma's house. Yea I know it's utterly UNSAFE to go over to a stranger's house in the middle of East Africa…even if she is American & looked super fun! (P.s. This was the cutest mom. She was so bubbly when we met her in the mall & just so friendly.) But still…you never know. So………I did a little stalking---or maybe we should call it wise research. I just goggled Naoma & her email. I got her blogspot & read a little bit about her. I soon learned that her husband worked for the US government, so I knew it was a safe thing. (See mom…no worries! J )

The front gate man was expecting us as we rolled up in our taxi. We pulled through the gate & Mrs. Lee was waiting for us outside of her driveway. It was sweet!!! The four of us piled out of the taxi as our eyes gaze at the house we were about to walk into…an American home. We greet Naoma, introduce ourselves again, meet her young boys, & then walked into the house.

Now remember we have been gone from American for 6 months. And while I'm not outrageously homesick, I do sometimes miss the littlest, randomest things.

So we walk into their home & I was overwhelmed with “home” & gratefulness. The fragrance of Christmas filled the air. There was a Christmas tree directly beside the fireplace and Christmas music softly played in the background. I was so excited, so grateful, so overwhelmed…I just broke down & cried. Seriously. It was a real home. She even had the Willow Angels Nativity set & a china cabinet in the dining room.

(Hooray for fireplaces & cozy homes!)

We quickly started a load of laundry in a real WASHING machine & Dryer. We hadn't seen one of those in 3 or 4 months! Our underwear would finally be CLEAN…more than handwashing. Then we all sat in the living room where the coffee table was filled with American snacks. Oreos, Nutter Butters, licorice, & chips and salsa. We sat there snacking & chatting with Naoma. Afterall, we don't know each other. :)

Later Mr. Lees came home from work & we all had dinner…chili with cheese, sour cream, & cornbread. It was such a wonderful dinner sitting around the fireplace. Yes we are in KENYA…and it's about 70 degrees…but it was a real fireplace. Exhale.

I tell you what…this was an evening of favor & joy. We just happened to meet this wonderful American Mom in the Mall in the middle of Nairobi, Kenya. And then she is crazy enough to invite a bunch of strangers over to her house & family. And we are crazy enough to go. This family's open hearts and love was a blessing to me. Getting a few hours in an American home, with an American mom & dad, and talking about God & life…was much needed relaxation & celebration of Christmas!!!

***Thank you Lees Family for having us over, baking us cookies & dinner, letting us wash clothes, & for loving on us. Thank you!!!!!!!!!

Each week we have 1 day off. It's our Sabbath day. A day to be renewed physically, emotionally, mentally, & spiritually. We spend it differently but most of the time, our team goes to town to check email & take a break from active ministry. However, this past Monday we took our Sabbath day & 4 of the 5 of us went to ZANZIBAR. Zanzibar is an amazing island off the coast of Tanzania with pristine white beaches & fun tropical things.

(Sunrise from the ferry!!)

Normally I HATE "resting" & doing touristy things. I don't find sitting around doing nothing fun at all. It just makes me feel like I am wasting time & wasting my life. Nor do I enjoy walking around to point sights with lots of strangers. But on Zanzibar that's exactly what I did (minus the touring pointless things). And somehow I enjoyed it. A…N…D… I felt RELAXED. Huge

I had the privilege of planning the trip…making the hotel reservations, figuring out the ferry details, & the like. I love to PLAN!! (I should have thought about that & been a wedding planner…oh well.)

So Monday morning the 4 of us set off at 5:30am to head to the 1^st ferry to Zanzibar. We brought a friend of our contacts so that we were not ripped off while purchasing tickets. We got our tickets, got on the ferry, & enjoyed our sunrise journey to the Island, 2 hours away.

Everything was going great until they handed us immigration forms to fill out. Eeek! Zanzibar is Tanzania…we shouldn't need our passports…the passports we left in Dar Es Salaam, 2 hours behind us. We got the ferry and I tried to act normal & just walk completely past the immigration officer. But apparently my white skin stood out too much & I was caught. We were all caught. Alex, our team leader, had to then write a petition to the island of Zanzibar, requesting all of our entry. It was hilarious & super sketchy. But without hassle or a bribe we entered Zanzibar without passports. FAVOR FROM JESUS ALONE!!! PTL!!

So we headed to our waterfront hotel, checked in, & quickly went out for breakfast. On our way home we stopped into a few overpriced shops before heading back to the hotel for a day of swimming & relaxation. The smell of chlorine filled the pool…its humorous the little things I miss from America. We all jumped in, played a few pool games, swam, & laughed a lot! It was the most relaxing thing I've done since I left home.

We walked on the beach, swam in the Indian Ocean (a first for me!), & I even found royal blue sea glass to remind me of how much God loves me. As we were swimming in the water we could see straight to the bottom in & wooden sailboats were floating past us close enough to reach out and touch. It was epic.

(Tracy & Alex)

After drying off in the sun, we got ready for dinner, & a little more pictures at sunset! It was wonderful. Nothing was rushed. We just got to go with the flow & chill out. (Things that aren't easy for me all the time.) So we went out for a nice Italian dinner where Tracy set up some ground rules.

Rule 1: No talking about pooping. (We talk about it often…its normal.)

Rule 2: No talking about what you are going to eat when you get home. (We are dreamers.)

Now this is African nice, so we were outside hitting mosquitoes off of us. But still…it was better than fried fish.

I was super tired & felt sick, so that was a bummer. But in the evening we went for a night swim in the ocean…delightful…before skyping with our family & friends. Oh and taking advantage of the BEST shower & water pressure we've had in 5 months.

Our trip marked our halfway point of the race. Sometimes it feelings like I've been gone FOREVER. Sometimes I feel like I could never go back. But that day in Zanzibar I just soaked up the delight of relaxing & the beauty surrounding me on the island.

The journey ended after a wonderful out of sleep in an EXTREMELY cold room & in a comfy bed. We headed back to the main land on the 9:30am ferry. The trip was a success for all…no stress & high relaxation mixed with beauty & wonderful friends.

I'm grateful!!! Thanks Mom & Currie for my early Christmas present. It was way better than going on a safari. Love you!!

We have about 3 or 4 more days left here in Tanzania. We leave Sunday for Nairobi where we will have our 2^nd debriefing with AIM staff. As the days have been rolling down, I've been thinking about what I have learned and experienced this month. There are many things, but I thought I'd share a few.

1.      I've experienced God's restoration as a testimony of His coming restoration of ALL things.

You see, my team leader & I, had probably spoken a mere 5 times during the last month. We didn't really know each other or spend time together…apart from doing ministry together or playing spades. I'm not really sure why we didn't talk…we just didn't. But having 2 of your team members go home to America, makes your team smaller…and well you REALLY notice if you haven't had a conversation with each of your individual team members in days.  Somehow, my team leader & I, have become close within a matter of 3 days...at the beginning of this month. There is no bonding moment to trace it back to. It just appears that we became friends, real friends. We laugh about how we didn't talk & now we talk all the time. And it stands as a testimony to both of us of how God can truly RESTORE anything FAST! Praise The Lord!

2.      I've once again have appreciated the way sickness has driven to cling to God's Word.

Again & again I have thought about David's words of

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statues.” �"Psalm 119:71

Being sick this month has really forced me (though I love it) to read the Word & declare it forcefully over my life. I've thoroughly enjoyed constantly repeating Scripture over and over again in my head. I haven't enjoyed the actual sickness. But it driving me to the Word & prayer has revived me. I have felt like I am coming more & more alive, like I am being more & more of who I REALLY am. And feeling ALIVE…is a VERY good thing.

3.      I've learned that I really will eat what is put in front of me.

I'll be honest, I knew that people eat some really weird things. Well different than what I am used to. But I just assumed I'd refuse to eat, thinking “Surely they will understand I just don't eat weird things.” Seriously that is what I thought. And for the most part, I haven't really had to eat anything utterly nasty. But early this month the family set fried fish in from of us. Like fried large minnows. I was like…”NO WAY!!!” Tracy, my teammate, was like, “I don't eat things with eyeballs. Sick!” Next thing you know, I am chewing a fish up in my mouth…minus the head of course. I'm just hoping that's all of the weird food I'm fed. Though I do remember some pig snot being mixed in with our meat…but we all just picked around it. J

(Mom: I still won't eat Salmon patties. I'd take those fried minnows any day compared to Salmon patties. Gross!)

I'm realizing that I don't always know the growth that is occurring in me on this trip. Sometimes I have moments where I can say, “Well that's a first for me.” Like when I ate a fried minnow for breakfast or killed a chicken. Neither of these I will continue in America. However some things I have learned & experienced I want to repeat and incorporate in my future life.

            One thing I've learned through experience is Family Meeting. Basically a family meeting is where all family members sit down for a real stern talkin' to, as we'd say in the south. It's where the Dad lays down the law & lovingly reminded of the rules to obey.

            My first experience with a Family Meeting was at the Awakening Conference when the man in charge of the World Race, Michael Hinds, sternly rebuke a group of people who had done something wrong. He didn't yell. He didn't scream at the top of his lungs. But anyone could tell that you didn't cross the man. And though I didn't do the wrong, I felt reprimanded. I knew that the conversation came from a place of love rather than anger. It was a GREAT learning moment for me of how to give rebuke yet still love.

            My second experience with a Family Meeting was tonight with our contact. Every night we all (him, his wife, their 4 kids, & us) sit down after dinner & sing & pray together before sleeping. Unknowingly, tonight the meeting would turn into a Family Meeting. Our Tanzanian Dad started telling us a story and a few moments into it, you could tell what the outcome would be. (Since it was a Family Meeting, we are keeping it in the family.) The point is, I sat in this surreal moment, watching a man of honor & integrity demonstrate how to handle conflict within a family unit. Clearly it wasn't a celebrating moment, but the experience taught me much.

(Rachael, I felt like I was a Goodwin child sitting in on a Vain Glory study from your dad…J )

            Both of these accounts have given me GREAT perspective on handling conflict where anger could override. Both of these men of God walked in honor & love without ignoring sin. Their hearts were full of love, seeking change rather than  malice revenge. It's something very rare to me. It's not often you get to be behind closed doors for a father's rebuke of a child. It's rare to have discipline modeled for you…when you aren't on the receiving in. So while, neither experience came without someone having screwed up, I'm grateful for the father figures who walked humbly & lovingly before me to show me the right way.

            Family Meetings: tough but needed. They are for sure one of the things I will repeat from the race. Because we all know that conflict will come.

Things have been eventful this month. I remember less than 3 months ago, while in Ireland we had the opportunity to gather with all the world racers out on the field for a time of refreshing. During the conference we talked with folks who had just left Africa as they passed the baton to us entering Africa.  The folks leaving said basically that they were ready to leave Africa. This concerned so. So I turned to my team leader at the time, Sydney, who had been to Africa before and questioned, “Syd are we gonna be ready to leave too?” She comforted me saying, “No! you're gonna love it!” And that has been true so far, especially last month.

However somewhere around a week ago, I started to miss America. Of course I miss my friends & family…but America-that was new for me. When I found out in grade school I could renounce my US citizenship I was ready. Something in me has been disgusted with America just below the surface for years. And I've longed to go to Africa for more than 7 years. SO what is this wanting to go to America and leave Africa? I didn't understand…still don't fully, but boy am I READY TO LEAVE. The things I identified a week ago that made me want to be IN America weren't blueberries, a washing machine, nor running water. It was the realities, well the opportunity for the realities, I have back home like a church body to really RUN with (Downtown Hope, The Uprising, OR a new one), people who move & walk boldly in prayer (the Mike & Kim Baker (love you guys!) among others), and friends who evoke & encourage radical faith & crazy Kingdom living (I constantly thought of Adam Tedford & John Anello, among MANY MANY MANY others.) And while I find it a bit odd to want to leave the very place I've longingly prayed over for years, I also find it a bit encouraging.

WHY?

Well it has birthed a fresh vision & eager hopefulness for Kingdom work in America. (Many will be glad to hear that…:) ) It has also opened my eyes to see ways to invest in the church there, knowing that faithfulness is greater than I realize.

Oh but I'll be back to Africa again,

 that's not a question. :)

          Last week I had Malaria. I was feeling a little off, so I went in and had a simple blood test done. It came back with 2 parasites of Malaria. So I took some 24 hour treatment than caused horrible side effects. But two days later I was up and feeling good. I went back out with my team, who also had Malaria, to do ministry. We were praying at a hospital and I passed out. More than any thing it was scary. I woke up and didn't understand where I was or what was going on. Honestly, without being dramatic, passing out has gone to be THE most traumatic & scariest thing that's ever happened to me. Though I've never been in one, I think it would be like a car wreck. Afterwards most people are shocked & nervous to get back in a car. Such was the case for me. I knew that the passing out episode was more warfare than anything else. So I didn't want to go back out and do ministry. I mean what if it happened again? But then again I didn't want to yield to fear and sit frightened in my room.

          I went back to the clinic and found out I had 4 parasites of Malaria. (That was their natural explanation of me feeling great & then passing out.) So I had people at home keep praying for healing, PEACE, & protection. The clinic gave me a lovely shot in the rear & planned to give me 4 more, one per day. The first one didn't make me feel any better, but worse. So I decided to skip the clinic the second day and go to the very best hospital we could drive to. There they gave me an IV of fluids, B-12, a stomach acid reducer (malaria causes increased stomach acid), & something to stop the nausea so I could eat. This made me feel M U C H better!!! They ran LOTS of tests and found NO SIGN OF MALARIA! (I made them check twice.) God healed me!!! Praise the Lord!!!!! All my blood levels were normal, so literally there was nothing wrong. I had them run every possible test to check for everything & they all came back normal! No Worms. No Parasites. No nothing. The Doctors told me I was just feeling the side effects of the drugs the clinic had given me…which could last a week.

PRAISE JESUS FOR HEALTH!!!!

So I regained my strength & rested for the next 2 or 3 days as I processed everything that had gone down. Now I'm feeling great! I can eat normal amounts of food again. And I even bought Pringles to snack on…I'm grateful for the BP gas station a little walk away from our house here in Dar Es Salaam. I have more peace too. I'm still a little shaken up from the passing out warfare stunt, but I've regained the will to FIGHT BACK. One of my friends gave me a letter to bring on the trip that I was to read when I felt DEFEATED. The day after the hospital I felt like there was no better time to pull it out. It really encouraged me to STAND FIRM & FIGHT. It also reminded me of my all time favorite Bible Verse:

“But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, ALWAYS abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

-1 Cor. 15:57-58

I'll tell you what, reading & choosing to believe the Word of God rather than what I am feeling has been what got me through this time that I would have loved to get on the FIRST flight to America. Well that & all the people praying for me….thank you so much for praying for me. It was encouraging to know people were praying and believing with me. (I love guys at FNF & The Uprising!!!)

I haven't gone back to the hospital that I passed out at. I've decided not to. But I will be fighting back against the enemy and doing ministry this last week we are here in Tanzania. A lot of our ministry here is just hanging out with the family, teaching English, doing house-to-house evangelism, and sharing what God is saying. So I'm daily choosing to step back into these things step-by-step.

~I wrote and titled this blog  the first 3ish days of bring here. Before things went array. I laugh at the title of it now. Leave me in Tanzania and I will cry....serious.

Leave me in Tanzania

Man oh man…where do I start?

Well we traveled 39+ hours on a greyhound type bus from Kampala, Uganda to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania last Wed & Thursday. Honestly from all the stories from previous WR teams being in Tanzania, I was less than happy about going to this country. But during the 39+ bus ride, I got to see Kilomanjaro, wild Zebra, wild antelope, a sandstorm, & the beautiful African landscape. It was a wonderful treat & I am beyond grateful for it.

We have only been here for about 4 days now & well I love it! Day 1 with our WONDERFUL contacts, The Lord gave me rest in my spirit from spiritual warfare. I had no idea I was battling, but I know now that I am at ease, resting. The Lord reassured me, DAY 1, that the place I am staying is known in the spiritual realm & Satan has no foothold. God comforted me with the truth that He had mighty high ranking angels standing guard around our place. I also felt like, if I happened to die or something, these praying people would pray day & night (night and day…Love you Ruth.) until I was raised from the dead. So with all that, I rested VERY well the first night…not to mention I had a REAL bed! (Praise the Lord!!!)

This place that I was scared & upset about having to come to, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE. I mean just leave me in Tanzania for the next 6 months. We haven't gone out and done any outreach yet, but we will start this week. Even without doing outreach, we have been able to get to know our host family & church family. And they all are FAMILY. I literally feel at home here. I just don't know how to communicate how great our family here is. They overwhelm us (in a good way) with hospitality like no other. They always tell us “BE FREE.” Mmmm I love that life they speak. I will share more later about my family here.

This morning we have Sunday Service! Honestly I had not been to an African church that I could say, “Yep…that's exactly what I thought it would be like.” Until this morning!!! We clap, sang, shouted (with our mouths, not our feet…lol.), danced, etc. It was wonderful! At one point there was even a conga-type line making it's way around the church in a rhythmic dance. (The women said they would teach me so I can dance with them next Sunday! Woohoo!!) There was loud music, deep bass, bright colored dresses, behaved children, and solid teaching of the Word. Ahhhhhhhh…I felt warmly welcomed & yet at home. It was wonderful.

**Be praying for us this week as we start ministry:

T: House-to-house visits

W: Schools Visits & Cleaning

TH: Hospital Visits

F: Orphans & Street Kids

S: House-to-House Visits