Supporting thoughts

These last couple of days I've been trying to throw my heart over the concept of support raising. It was an online chat conversation with my future team leader in Thailand that brought this all up. Nearly every time I speak to her she manages to slip in a 'So when are you coming over?'. I finish my last training by the 22nd June 2008. However the School that I hope to staff begins in July 2008! That's an extremely short time to wrap up, say goodbye to everyone in Sydney and move to Thailand. It's also a really short time to make sure I have enough financial partnerships in place to actually be able to go!
I was heartbroken at being run out of Zimbabwe and having to abandon our plans for ministry there. I think I would be even more incredibly disappointed with myself if I had to leave the ministry project halfway in Thailand for lack of funding. So hence - I have begun thinking about support raising.
Firstly, I thought 'this is really weird'. Fact is, till this whole mission thing came up, the only people I've ever asked to give me money are my parents. Sponging off your parents probably comes naturally to every child. It's a whole new ball game when you realise that God wants you to depend on His and the generosity of other people to live. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus is rather blunt about the fact "you cannot serve both God and money". Having probably shot my career in the neck by resigning and stepping out of commercial design, it's a case of serve God first, and leave the money up to Him to provide.
So I began to read this book called 'Funding the family business' by Myles Wilson. He had been supporter of his brother, who was a missionary with Campus Crusade for many years. Then eventually he and his wife decided to take the step to become missionaries themselves. He pointed out that it was strange that the missionaries he talked to felt burdened with the task of asking for support, when actually he had found giving extremely enjoyable. And thinking back, when I was working I did quite enjoy giving to mission and hearing back about what that money has acheived - it was always fun to see. So I guess it should always be enjoyable - both being the giver and being the reciever because both positions are in an opportunity to bless the other...

Lightning Crashes

This morning, I was cranky on my way into work because two of my buses pulled up to the stop but then only let people off and wouldn't take on passengers - so I was late and ended up walking part of the way there. As I rounded the last corner on the Kings Rd in Chelsea I realised why - a police cordon was re-directing people around the wreckage of a silver car. As I passed it I heard a female cop say "one dead in the silver car, the driver of the taxi in critical condition". It's a little bit small town around here cause of the council housing estate opposite so people have been dropping in with rumours of up to three dead in the silver car, and that they were joyriders.
Anyway, feeling cranky about public transport being late seems a bit callous in the light of this.
Then I received an email saying that one of the youngest children I had taught in the preschool in Joburg died a month ago, but they'd thought he had just moved back to Mozambique. Fernando was quite cuddly and had the world's biggest smile, but he was sick in the last weeks while I was there, listless and sleepy all the time. Apparently his father took him to a witch doctor and then he died. This total waste of a young life just makes me angry - I think that there's probably a good chance he would still be living if he had been medicated properly.
However, also over email came the great news that one of my friends, Corrine, is pregnant! She's had scans (you can almost see facial features) and it's all very exciting!
So this morning has just been like the Live song, 'Lightning Crashes'...

lightning crashes, a new mother cries
her placenta falls to the floor
the angel opens her eyes
the confusion sets in
before the doctor can even close the door

lightning crashes, an old mother dies
her intentions fall to the floor
the angel closes her eyes
the confusion that was hers
belongs now, to the baby down the hall

oh now feel it comin' back again
like a rollin' thunder chasing the wind
forces pullin' from the center of the earth again
I can feel it.

lightning crashes, a new mother cries
this moment she's been waiting for
the angel opens her eyes
pale blue colored iris,
presents the circle
and puts the glory out to hide, hide

Cold and damp...ahh the english winter

Well, that pretty much will summarise my weather for the next few months. Onto other topics!
I've been working doing web design for a bike shop. I slave away over my computer in the dungeon downstairs beneath the shopfront and pop up every so often to blink in the sunlight (wait, what am I saying, there hasn't been any sunshine to blink at!). My boss is lovely, if rather rough around the edges being a biker and all, and the hours are great. The only problem is, seeing as he lives a biker lifestyle and takes off on random roadtrips fairly suddenly, I work completely random days and I never know how much money I might earn in a week.
Enter God's answer - moving in with the Parnhams. Not only do I save money, but I do love their family and they have a TV! I know that shouldn't factor in my decision to move, but it is a rather exciting bonus after years without.
Also, I've been playing tennis at the free courts on the hill beside where I live. It's sooooo good to get back into the game, even if I am incredibly rusty. And I scored a free lesson in backhand from one of my playing partners...
My thoughts are already turning to Australia (maybe cause I miss the beach and sun), especially after finding out that I have been accepted into the School of Frontier Media in Perth, come January (Hooray!). Apparently I was accepted a while ago but no one told me so I've been sitting here getting rather nervous till I heard. Anyway, on an otherwise frustrating friday, I managed to book a cheap plane ticket to Perth and so am out of Sydney on the 5th Jan!
Although I am really enjoying my time here, it's also exciting to know what I'll be going on into...and I can't wait till Thailand!

There's a fox in my backyard...

Yes, this morning I looked out the window of my bedroom and say Mr Fox! He was wandering down towards a black cat also sitting in the long grass, but disappeared over the fence when I opened my window to try grab a photo. I have seen him on the road as well.
I've gawked at the big icons - Big Ben, Westminister, the tube, red double decker buses, the Thames and the Millenium Eye - but it's the little, essentially english, moments like meeting Mr Fox, walking down a narrow country lane bordered with hedgerows, being approached by squirrels in Hyde Park, that catch my breath with the conciousness that I really am in this land that has till now only been fairytale and history to me.

Hiep Hoy! Holland!

So yes, I am a very bad blogger...it was my friend Marnie who inspired me to finally get off my lazy cyber butt and log in. Her blog is http://hongkongmoo.blogspot.com/ and it''s a darn
sight more developed than mine!




Westminster Abbey

I spent my first week in the UK actually at a Christian camp called Soul Survivor. A lot of the recent worship songs have come from these conferences and I can see why. As it is I heard new songs called Éverlasting God' and Í'll stand that I think will become quite popular when they eventually reach our shores. although it rained and was muddy and chilly, I still had a good time and God pointed out some important things to me. The missions area also re-affirmed by call to Asia. It was probably a very nice cross-over between a DTS and normal London life.
The next two weeks were job searching in london. l'm extremely lucky in that since my London friend Kate was able to organise house-sitting, I still haven't had to pay for accomodation yet in europe and so have had the luxury of being able to hunt for a graphics job rather than grab any.


Now I am currently visiting DTS friends in Holland. The village my friend Marieke (the biker in the photo) lives in is sooooo cute and we have been riding around everywhere - including to the beach!
Next week I visit TJ in north Holland - the Friesen land.

Nearly out of Africa...

It's only a couple of sleeps till I fly for London. I've been tidying up and preparing for it. I've also been reflecting on all this time in Africa and what I've learnt.
Most of all I think I have learnt to wrestle with God, rather than not involving him at all and avoiding the hard emotions.
Why did we have to flee a country? I don't know but I do know God is okay with me being angry about it - He's big enough for that.
Why are so many still suffering? I don't know but I do know Christian Africans that have a deep joyful faith regardless.
Does God use ridiculously young and naieve people? Yes.
A lot of our time felt wasted and ineffective- was it? Perhaps, but then most of mission work is long boring 'wasted' work with very few rewards and possibly never seeing the results.
Would I do it all again if I knew what would happen? Definitely. I do not want to let go of the little understanding that I've gained of a people standing among a country in ruins and what the lives are like behind those faces on the world vision ads.
I have made many great friends who are now scattered around the world, which makes me exceedingly grateful for the giant re-union heaven will be. I will miss the children here at Beautiful Gate, I have watched some of them grow from whimpering babies to having developed vibrant little personalities even though they are only just talking. It will be strange not waking to their chatter.
See you in London.

Last Night in Joburg

So while the strike was going on we didn't really have any schoolkids coming to Joseph Project so we began working with one of the Lambano baby house, which has very small children and toddlers. Most of the time we just held them and played with them. For one day I went to the park with them which they loved.



Thankfully this isn't me getting nibbled on. But they were right next to our van.


Tonight is our last night at Joseph Project. We reunite with the other teams on saturday and begin debriefing next week. Outreach has been challenging, rewarding and downright dangerous at times. But I have learnt and experienced a lot even though our team did not end up working where we thought we would. Definitely I want to be back in africa someday.