23 and Feelin’ Free

Last week, I had a birthday.

And as I began the 23rd year of my life, I found myself reflecting on the freedom that has been found in the last 12 months.

Freedom in knowing that God is in control of all things. That He has a plan for our lives.

I read Psalm 139 on the beach in Abidjan (we were there to pick up Heidi’s boyfriend, Taylor, from the airport). I’m pretty sure that psalm was meant to be read on a beach in West Africa! I’m blown away that the God who created the universe also decided to create me! Makes me feel really small… and really loved.

                              

Well, we got back to Bouake last weekend and the whole team celebrated together with a Christy Miller themed Murder Mystery party. You may be wondering, “What is ‘Christy Miller’ anyway?” Christy Miller is a Christian book series for girls ages 12 and up (sounds awesome, I know) and all the girls (+ Jason!) have read them all! We love them. I can’t really explain why we’ve been so captivated by it, but it’s been so fun for us to read together (yes, out loud!) haha!

Anyway, we had a great time being back together in Bouake again! AND we have 2 new teammates! So excited for Tricia and Kelly to start their own journeys here in Cote d’Ivoire.

Pastor Keo came down from Korhogo to lead a seminar on the book of Acts this week. We talked through Acts in regards to Mission, Salvation, the Church, Prayer, and the Holy Spirit. It was awesome and refreshing!

On our last day of the study, something started moving and shaking in me. As Keo started speaking of the Holy Spirit and baptism, I started feeling this intense rumbling somewhere in me- like butterflies having a wrestling match in my stomach. Something prodding me to ask a question. I couldn’t sit still. I felt as if I would jump out of my seat if I didn’t just speak up! I asked, “Pastor Keo, I need to ask you about baptism.”

Now, I was baptized as an infant- this was the choice of my parents to raise me with a knowledge of Christ, as I see it. I’m so thankful to them for that! I was also confirmed in the Lutheran Church when I was 14, claiming my faith as my own and choosing to learn more about the church. But something hit me last year in a bible study with Pastor Bruce that stirred me to question if I could be baptized as an adult. The passage I remember reading in that room at Clovis EVFree was the very same passage that Pastor Keo led me to. He pointed me back to Act 19:1-7. Baptism must be in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then I read Acts 8:26-38. There is a man who is riding back to Ethiopia from Jerusalem. He is reading from the Book of Isaiah. Philip, one of the disciples, is walking along the same road when the Holy Spirit tells him to walk alongside this man’s carriage. Philip hears the man reading aloud from Isaiah 53. Philip asks if he understands what he is reading, but the man says , “how can I unless someone instructs me?”. Philip rides with him and explains that the very passage he is reading is the Good News of Christ.

“As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘Look!, There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?’ He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him” (Acts 8:36-38).

I felt the tears of intense emotion brimming. “Why can’t I be baptized?” ringing in my ears. I didn’t want to put it off any longer either. I had avoided the question and prodding toward adult baptism for more than a year. I wanted to declare it! I wanted Pastor Keo to take me down to the river and dunk me!

And that’s what happened! Pastor Keo and Rod, all my teammates, all our Ivoirian friends on campus: Bakary, Clana, Sarah, Benjamin, and Tenena; we all walked down to the little river behind Village Baptiste and I was “washed by the water”! Steph was feeling the same stirrings and was baptized too! We sang in Dyula, Tyembara, French, and English! Pastor Keo asked me to proclaim my faith in Jesus Christ and I answered with a resounding “OUI!” There was so much joy! PLUS: we were the first Americans Pastor Keo had ever baptized! And it was all in French!

                 

        

 

                     

               

          

 

               

                          

                  

Baptism is a declaration of our faith in Jesus Christ. Just as He died for our sins and rose again, our sin and brokenness are buried in the water and we raise to proclaim our new life in Him.

This past year has been full of new freedom. Freedom from sin. Freedom from anxiety. Freedom from political crisis. Freedom from expectations.

Freedom.

Freedom to live for Him.

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)

I’m 23 and feeling free.

Faces that I love.

The youth at my church are pretty wonderful. I struggled so much in the beginning feeling like I wasn’t getting past the “stranger zone”, but they plowed that barrier over and opened their world to me. I’m so thankful for the friendship found in this group.

I thought that maybe you’d like to see what a good looking group they really are.

 

I’m having too much fun.

I love these girls TOO much.

Where is the “pause” button?

Tomato, To Motto.

I’ve been wanting to write this one for awhile, but have not been certain of how to go about it. I’m just going to try and explain what God’s been showing me.

He Goeth Before.

That’s become the motto for this year. I remember reading the phrase back in January, when I was reading Amy Carmichael’s biography. There was a photo of a page in her devotional where she had written next to the date, “He goeth before”. It struck me then as something that I hadn’t thought much about before.

Since then, those words have penetrated and proved true in every part of life. And they just keep popping up everywhere:

When I think about how in the world I managed to find myself in Cote d’Ivoire.

When I think about all the people who encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone and think about ministry in a different place.

When I think about how God’s prepared me for ministry here, and how He is preparing me for future ministry.

When I think about why He chose who He did for our team.

When I think about all He has for all of us after this year .

Everything points me back to the fact that He has gone before me.

But it’s not just me He’s gone before.

He’s gone before us all in everything. He was there at the beginning of this world and He knows the entire story. He went before His people, the Israelites, and brought them into the land He promised them. He went before us as He walked on this earth. He went before us in His death on the cross and He went before us in His resurrection to sit beside the Father. In all things He’s gone before.

All He asks us to do is keep our eyes on Him and follow. We don’t have to be looking at our feet wondering if the next step we take is wrong or right, or worrying that the next pebble we step on will cause us to fall. Jesus knows the path well, He’s walked it before!

This is exciting stuff! All this is to say that plans for next year are being confronted. Every journeyer has prayed about the possibility of continuing our ministries here in Cote d’Ivoire for a second year. So…… [drum roll please] ….

I’m coming home! [bumbadabum!] I feel that God gave this year of growth and struggle for the purpose of stretching and preparing me for what’s next. I don’t exactly know what that will be in the long run, but I do know that grad school is in the works. This year, I saw such a need for Missionary Member Care out here in the field, what that means is counseling. So, I’m hoping to move forward with getting my Masters degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling. I’m adding another tool to my tool belt as Gaylene Demars would say!

Goodness, I’m excited about what’s next! I’m even more excited about what the next 3 months will hold. As I continue to deepen relationships with my family and church, I’m reminded of the importance of living each day to its fullest. Today is a gift; it’s a day that I get to visit my pastors, grab a bite to eat with Jason and Alyssa, and sit and laugh with Dorcas as we sort rice. And you know what? God knows exactly what our days hold, so there’s no worry of tomorrow. That’s a beautiful thing. He goeth before.

4th of July!

What could be more American that a good bowl of chili?

… okay, everyone in West Africa thinks it’s the hamburger, but I challenge that chili is as American as apple pie…. or the hamburger.

                I found some great beans in the market, called haricot rouge and haricot blanc (creative I know), not to be confused with haricot vert (green beans).

                                                     

           Bell peppers, onions, and garlic are all easy finds in the Grande Marche.

       

Pepper, however, you have to grind yourself

                            

                  I know that this look appetizing!

Ground beef doesn’t really exist here, so you buy boef sans os (beef without bones) and then you take it to a grinding machine, which are usually used for making peanut butter. This beef came out looking more like meat juice! It looked fairly normal once it was cooked though!

Everything cooked Ivoirian style (I have a feeling campfire cooking is going to seem much easier after this year!).

 

          

                                              

        Mama Yeo got a kick out of me cooking! She kept saying, “ma fille, la cuisiniere!”, in this silly voice she sometimes uses to talk to me. Dorcas was a huge help, making the rice and opening the can of corn I found in the market. We were in serious need of a can opener.         

                                   

          

After hours and hours of slaving over the fire…(okay I’m exaggerating) the chili was finished minutes before a big storm started. Talk about good timing!

Then it was time for the taste test:

             

 

                  

  

All in all, I think it was a hit! Mama Yeo sent bowls of it to our neighbors, the Tuo family, and to our pastors. I’m hoping it’s because she liked it and not because she wanted to get rid of it! :)

In the storm that night, we saw some of the most amazing lightning! I could see it striking down our street! And I was worried I’d be missing fireworks!

The next day we decided to have a fun day of celebrating being 5 American kids in a foreign country. What could we do but go swimming? (even though it’s hotter in California right now!)

        

This is CJ’s little brother, Emmanuel.

                         

                

This is our Moroccan friend, Rodolph who also happens to run our favorite chawarma shop.

                              

 

We sang the Star Spangled Banner about as loud as we possibly could. I think our Ivoirian friends have gotten used to the white people doing weird things, because they seemed to think it was perfectly normal.

                  

                                                 

            Don’t worry, Mom, we’re wearing sunscreen.

        

  

It was nice to have a day to just be goofy and have fun. Sometimes we need a little bit of that. We realized that the 4th of July, for many of us, is mostly about spending time with family and friends. Sure, we barbecue, and swim, and watch the fireworks, but I think the key is being with people that you love. Many of us were thinking of our family traditions and get-togethers back home, but this year’s celebration wasn’t lacking! God provides family wherever we go.

Adventures in West African Maladies

Last week… I had malaria. There I said it.

And you know what? I’m alive and well!

Yep. I read a lot. I slept a lot. I spent a lot of time in the squat pot. A lot.

I guess I need to explain something before you can realize the gravity of this experience…

When the 10 of us arrived in Cote d’Ivoire and were going through our weeks and weeks of orientation, one of those weeks was focus on health and wellness. We went over all those things that could make us sick and I realized in that seminar that I had some real fear brewing inside of me. I remember Rod saying, “You’re probably all going to get amoebs at some point during your time here, and probably more than once”. I was thinking, “No, no, definitely not me. I don’t like being sick and it’s just not going to happen”. Then, when Rod talked about malaria, it just sounded like a four letter word. I thought, “That’s right Naomi, you get malaria and you’re life is OVER! [insert ominous and foreboding music]

So there you have it. Quite possibly my worst fear for this year here was sickness. I’ve had amoebs 3 times (1 of those times those little guys put up shields and went into protective mode, which sounds a little bit like Star Trek lingo to me). Now I’ve faced the dreaded Malaria monster.

The thing is that God doesn’t promise us we won’t face struggle and hardship. He doesn’t promise that we will never suffer or hurt. God does promise that He will never leave His people.

Isaiah 43

THE SAVIOR OF ISRAEL
1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you.
  O Israel, the one who formed you says,
"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
  I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters,
  I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
  you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
  you will not be burned up;
  the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the LORD, your God,
  the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
  I gave Ethiopia* and Seba in your place.
4 Others were given in exchange for you.
  I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
  You are honored, and I love you.

 

Now, I can’t really say that malaria was all that bad. I mean, not “fires of oppression” bad! But God has been so gracious in reminding me that even in the little sufferings (tiredness, homesickness, anxiousness, spending-too-much-time-in-the-squat-pot-ness), He’s always right beside me. What JOY is found in that one fact!

And that “Others” mentioned in verse 4… that there is Jesus. How is it we could be cherished enough to be worth the life of God’s precious Son? Oh goodness, He loves us!

Rainy Season Thoughts

We've hit rainy season here in Cote d'Ivoire. It's been a wonderful relief from what felt like an endless summer. It's been a poignant reminder that in God's timing all things are made new and refreshed. The dust is being washed away and everything is growing here. Mont Korhogo stands as a beautiful green monument from the veiw from my street.

I'm feeling refreshed too. As ministry really starts going and we head into our last 4 months, our team is faced with the dreaded question: What about next year? Some will stay another year to continue work and lead the next journeyer group. Some of us will go home to work in our own communities and go back to school. We've hit the point where this question has to be faced. With that comes stress and more questions, like: "God, what am I going to do with my life?!"

I've been learning the lesson of letting go. It's been a rough one and I'm sure it'll be one of those lessons I'll learn over and over again. I'm learning to open my hands and realizing that I was grasping plans and ideas of my own. The rain coming is a relief from the heat and dust, but it also feels like it is washing away all my questions and worry about what's next.

When it rains here, the sound is overwhelming. It's like a symphany of tin cans and a whole herd of cattle dancing over your head. It wakes me up in the middle of the night and puts me to sleep again. It's strangley comforting- I think because my room at my parent's house in California has a vaulted ceiling and no attic space, so the sound of the rain is always louder there. Last Sunday, the rain was coming down so hard that the pastor couldn't continue with the message, he was on the verge of losing his voice at this point, so they brought out the balifones and we danced until the rain calmed down. It was freeing- we were thanking God for this crazy downpour with our voices, with our hands and feet, with our everything!

That's what He wants from us: our everything. Our plans, our ideas, our hopes, our skills, our gifts, our love, our days (all of them). I remember reading a quote from Elisabeth Elliot earier this year; it said something to the effect of: It is in offering what is in our hands that God gives Himself. So I'm learning to hold with open hands, knowing that what God has planned for us is infinitely better than what we can imagine ourselves.

If you get a chance, you should listen to "Always Enough" by Casting Crowns. It was a great reminder of all these things for me this week!

Le Centre Don Orione

Every Monday and Wednesday, I spend my mornings here:

Le Centre Don Orione is a day school for mentally and physically handicapped children. In this culture, it is not uncommon for a child with disabilities to be left on the streets or in an orphanage because the family depends upon that child's ability to work. One thing that I appreciate so much about this program is that the kids don't live here. Their families bring them to the school in the morning, which keeps the child in their own homes with their families. There are about 70 kids who attend the school, where they learn the skills needed to work in their own society, but through art, games, singing, and skits.

Heidi and I build obstacle courses, paint flowers, play games, sing songs, and hang out with some very cool kids.

 This is Emmanuel - he loves to dance and make up secret handshakes (they're a secret to everyone but him!)

This is Abu - he's a little monkey!

 Sister Agnes can make just about anything out of a pile of paper, cardboard, and plastic bottles.

This place is so colorful, I feel like it's more therapeutic for me to spend time there! Heidi's going to be starting a time of physical activity with the kids, and I... well I'm starting to write simple songs for the kids in French. I'm looking forward to the next few months of creativity and fun with these guys. Never thought I'd come to Cote d'Ivoire and work in a place like this, but you never know what God has planned for you!

Speaking of "never thought"... the english class at my church starts Saturday. Everyone say a prayer for this one, I'm not feeling so brave! I never thought I'd be teaching english, but if a someone can know Jesus through this then I'm all for trying!

Alrighty, I'm off to grab some rice and sauce in town.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!