Never enough time to see it all.

I would love to share all that is happening all the time but it seems that there is never time. So here is a snap shot of one of the benefits of living in Africa, a self-lead safari into the bush looking for Hippos! Me and 5 guys headed out to find hippos and we succeed after 5 hours of playing around in the Land Rover (which I have been temporarily upgraded the last month). It was drive on dirt road for hours, then ask around, higher two guys who say they know where to go. Then we drove down a bike path (yes in the Rover) to a river where they said the Hippos used to be, but they were all shot years ago. We explained we wanted to see live hippos. They said we had to go to the beach, but we didn't want to back track, so they said, "turn right." Now there is no road, no path, and grass 5 feet high. So we went 3.5 kg of mud, grass, small trees, BIG trees and a whole lot of fun! Some of the guys seemed to be more nervous than I was ( I was driving) b/c we didn't have a jack or a spare tire, which I thought would give us better stories and they thought would get us eaten alive. I did come prepared in every other area that we would need. The tire was another members responsibility.
After coming over the sand dun, we walk over to see a lone hippo drinking about 400 yards away from us. It was worth it all! We where like little boys all over again. We ducked down and walk to where we would come right up on it. And then the camera's where snapping away. IT eventually walked into the ocean and we never saw it again.
But we knew we would have a great drive home as we navigated again through the bush. Then we run into about 30 Baboons. This was icing on the cake as the Lord was delighting our hearts even more. One Baboon was huge and his scream made the hair on our necks stand up. We quickly jumped in the Rover and drove away.
Just another day in Africa right?

Blessings
Heath




Greetings

She turns 8 tomorrow

Wedding in Africa

Abiel, Judah and I (Heath) had the wonderful opportunity to be in Jean and Teisa's wedding on Saturday. They are two of the missionaries here in Pemba. It was beautiful and full of power. They went out into the village the day before and invited everyone who wanted to come to a free wedding feast (sounds scriptural). Then on the day fed all a chicken dinner with a coke. It was at best PACKED but in the heart of God, a thing of beauty because his children obeyed his desires. I find it amazing how fast the kingdom advances in these contexts. So we danced, sang, prayed and sweated but many gave their lives over to Jesus during the ceremony as the gospel was preached in a very tangible way.I was reminded of our New Years Day Feast we did in Oregon. That was so much fun and I remember how much stuff we had for that one day. I just felt Jesus walking in our midst and he was so proud of us all. Thanks again to all those who loved and gave and pressed on through their fears. We're still Alive!
I am realizing more and more how easy and simple the kingdom is. Sit down one day and reflect on how you "do" ministry. Maybe you could write a list, on one side of the paper write what you specifically do (more than Children's Church, write what you do in class) and then find where the Gospel speaks on that. I believe the more specific we are the greater the insight we will see on how we waste a lot of time, energy and resoures. I have many times needed to be honest with myself on the reality that what I am doing is running a ministry program and not actually ministering. It has been a hard truth to swallow but one of freedom. It also has been one that has cost me the most but I feel released from the game and more availible to "live and move and have may being in Him." Then flip the paper over and as you read the Gospels write specifically what Jesus did. Then ask Holy Spirit what that looks likes in your present circumstances and remember circumstances always change.
We had an individual come through here last week who was traveling the world doing a study on NGO's. Iris was one of the two Christian based NGO's she visited and second to last on her list. She meet with Rolland and asked him what was the BEST way to do non-profit work. To which he responded, "Raising the Dead!"



So whether it is weddings, raising the dead or feeding the poor, the one sure thing is that we KNOW it is a win-win situation, because that is how Jesus said we bring the Kingdom to earth.

Bless you all and thanks for taking hold of the Kingdom with us, we have nothing to loose.
Heath

Giving is Power

Giving is Power

I turned 30 years old last week (June 28). I had a little advice from Emie (because she is older than me and turned 30 months ago) so the day wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Though the week leading up to it was. I am actually OK with being 30; I just can’t believe that I am. I feel like I am 22 but glad I am not!
I remember being in grade school and not wanting to go back to class after Christmas break. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to go back to school but because I knew we would all sit around and share what we got for Christmas. I knew I wasn’t going to impress everyone. Though my childhood was blessed and in ways dysfunctional, I always received something. But I also knew that the rich kids received just about everything in the Sears catalog. The reality is that about a week later no one really cared any more.
I wrestle at times with the desire to own “nice” things. If I had nice things the kids on the playground would be impressed and I would be somebody. With a “somebody” status then I could be greater and have more power. Then I would be in a position to do great things.
What I wrestle with the most in my life though, is that I must make an impact on my world and more specifically those I come in contact with. I realized this last week that the more tangible it is the better I feel about myself. So I went through a mini-mid-life-crisis the week heading into my birthday. “Am I making a tangible impact on people?” I am confident I am impacting people spiritually but numbers or budgets do not measure that, so it is hard to get my head around it.
Coming from a culture that thrives on getting (way to much), I was relieved that REI and other superficial forms of gifts don’t exist here in Pemba. So the Lord set me up.
A long story short, Emie and I were led to help a young man with the building of his house. He had saved his money for months bought land and then many months later began to build. Emie went last fall when she was here and prayed over his land asking the Lord to bless it. So I went the day before my birthday to check where he was in the process. Emie and I had agreed to put a tin roof on and to help out with his doors. So I went, talked with him as best I could, and we decided to purchase the materials the following day.
“Happy Birthday Papa” was a great thing to wake up to. I am feeling richer, greater, and more powerful already. What is wealth? What does blessing people look like? There are millions of people who don’t need our money, but our time, resources, smiles, love, ear, etc. If money is all we have to offer people then we are very poor indeed.
I was off to meet my friend and buy 40 sheets of tin. After three stores we found a place that had enough. We loaded it into the mini-bus and drove into the village as far as we could get. Then it was all on foot. My theory is “work smarter, not harder”. So I hired two guys to take the mile walk a couple times with the tin on their heads.
It was a spiritual battle the whole walk. “You shouldn’t be giving him this much money”. “What about your family, you need the money?” What happens when everyone else wants tin on their roof (most people have grass), are you prepared to give to them also?” And so it went.
We had parked the van inside a Leprosy compound so it would not get broken into and the tin stolen. When we finally returned back to the compound my friend introduced me to his friends he has there. It was a wonderful time of laughing and talking. I took pictures of them and they just rolled as they saw themselves on film. What does blessing people look like?
It hit me somewhere in those moments, maybe after praying for one guy and he wasn’t healed (that would have been a birthday present). Here I am in Africa, turning 30, buying hundreds of dollars worth of tin for a complete stranger, laughing and praying with Lepers and loving it. Oh, if the kids on the playground could see me now, what would they think? No wrapping paper, no candles, no balloons, just life! Some giving and others receiving, it is less stressful and you don’t have to take anything back.
I have stopped waiting for some organization to join in order to do my part in leaving an impact on my neighborhood; I realized I could be a one-man organization. So can you! So start blessing people with a smile or a hug or a lunch or a vehicle or the means to start a chicken business, or a bag of rice or buy all their oranges and give them away or buy someone a house or a roof. I believe it’s less about what is given and more about “in whose name it is given.” Matter of fact, in the Kingdom if God you could give water and be blessed for it. Though I think it is not meant to be the end but rather a beginning.
I can’t believe I am 30 and more astounding, as Emie brought to light, is how the Lord brought me into my 30’s giving to the poor and praying for healing in Africa. What a great decade it is going to be. If it is even close to the last 10 years the kids on the playground will be extremely jealous.

Jesus led me to this verse in the midst of my mini-mid-life crisis, days before my birthday.
“And without question, the person who has the power to bless is always greater than the person who is blessed.” Hebrews 7:7

Becoming greater!
Heath

Family Foto