In the Pursuit

Truth is large. Truth doesn't fit all nice and snug within our nation or Christianity. Truth is far reaching, disguised in all religions, and ways of life. Truth is something that needs to be sought out and distinguished from the lies, the deceptions of our own sinful nature. Truth is a mystery and is exciting to pursue. It's like a big puzzle; a puzzle so hard and with so many pieces that you can never complete the whole thing. But as you piece more and more together, the picture starts to become more and more clearer. But the picture are hints at life, ways to live, and find joy within a broken world. That's a dang fun puzzle.

Truth lies both within Africa and America - neither of us have it more figured out then the other. Both nations, along with the other nations of the world, possess strengths and weaknesses when looking from an eagle's eye and with a truth perspective.

Everytime I visit Africa I am smacked in the face with the idea of Community. This time more then any other though, it became clear how much our country is deteriorating away from a sense of "Community". We have moved away from being relational with one another and have progressed towards a more individualized society.

I sat at BaBa's house (the cheif of the village) three times a day to communally and realtionally spend my meals. Surrounded by a family that really has no boundries. BaBa and his Wife look deliberatley after 7 kids. I say deliberately because their family ecompasses much more then 7 kids, their family is their village. These 7 kids - some their grandkids, some of who have had their parents pass away, or parents because of financial reasons live in a seperate country. The oldest, anywhere from 16 to 18 yrs old has taken on the role of a mother. They all eat, work, live, experience life together. Each one desperately needed, to make life work. Fetching water, planting harvest, harvesting the crop, cooking, traveling to market, gathering fire wood, and being eachothers source of entertainment (they don't have T.V. or video games to take on that role). 

Never an orphan, never a Grandma, or Grandpa sent to a nursing home - who are very highly respected and looked at being sources of wisdom in the culture. Which in America we've done the complete opposite; we've regarded the elderly as helpless and weak. We send them off to nursing homes to live alone and visit a few times a month. 

I was told a story by another Peace Corps volunteer - during harvest season, when harvesting peanuts the Commnity will take turns in harvesting each others crops. They'll go out to the farms collect and pick all the communities Peanuts. Then they'll spend the next few weeks taking turns shelling each other's peanuts. This way they are able to work together, relationally, and provide help for each other. 

In America, we've replaced all of that with technology and with our luxuries. Our t.v.'s, Ipods, internet, cell phones, etc have all allowed us to cut ourselves away from actual conversations, sharing life, and being relational. We even have to entice each other to live relationally - HOV lanes. 

Our houses have become a very indiviudal way to escape interaction. We can spend a full day inside our homes without every spending time with the neighbors we are surronded by. Most commonly the people that live next door, other then the daily wave, are complete strangers. It's sad we've gotten to the point where we share yards, schools, neighborhoods, with our neighbors, but could not tell you about the others job, family, hardships, etc...

It is so bad, that realtionally we are awkward. Starting conversation with a stranger, walking up to a neighbors house and striking up a conversation, sitting by someone in a coffee shop, at work, class, etc... "For the most part" makes us nervous or scared. 

God calls us to love one another and live relationally. This is my favorite part of this whole post - the place I was living where I saw Community. Where I was able to see a glimpse of what God's original design is? It was all in a Muslim village. Truth is big and far reaching - but it has to be looked for and pursued.

I've cut down my thoughts and feel like I could keep going, but I'll end with this point:

What do I want out of life? What kind of life do I want to live out? Questions I continually ask myself. It's not cause I'm young and am able to either. Your life and the way you live it is a choice, no matter where or what stage you are at.

My answer: I want to expierience life with others. I want to live relationally. Not with a convenient community of friends and family, I want it to be with people without possessing any type of standard. I want to replace my time spent alone and with my computer and T.V., with an initially awakward but ultimately rewarding relationship.

The girl, that has taken on the Mother role and her baby

My two favorites, Jaunamo and Sirleyman

Getting the boys to throw up the peace sign - unsuccessful

Thanks!

Here I sit 5:52 a.m. and I can't sleep. Jet Lag. I've been back from Africa for a 1 1/2 days and still haven't fully recovered. My mind has been racing with different ideas, themes, and lessons I've taken from my 6 week trip. I need to get some of it out and typed or I think I may go crazy. There is a lot. I'll break it up and try to make it brief. For the next 3 to 4 days, I'm going to write a post every day with something different that I have taken away from my experience.

Okay. I believe that the best way to evaluate, criticize, and appreciate your life is to remove yourself from your life. To step out of your everyday routines, normalcy, and surroundings. Yes, traveling the world is helpful, but not needed. Anything from taking a vacation, visiting friends, taking time for solitude to serving in your community, volunteering at a school, or spending time in the inner city. Solely just removing yourself from your regular life and seeing life from a different perspective, no matter what that may be. My trip to Mali confirmed that for me.

Taking a step out of my American life, I realized quite a bit about myself and the culture in which I live.

I believe as a Nation we are very spoiled. Not solely our fault. We have been raised in a culture that has a lot and we know no different. It's our way of life. Which is why I hadn't hit this conclusion until I lived in a 500 person village with no running water or electricity for 3 weeks.

We live in a culture in which we have stopped appreciating and have moved to a mind set that we are entitled to all that we have and more. We deserve it. We've worked hard. I've seen children as young as 6 or 7 make countless trips to a water spring to get water for their family. I've seen 80 year old women pound millet for 12 hours a day, day after day. I've seen children walk to the market 5 miles away, in the desert, carrying a bundle of wood on their heads; to bring home a dollar. I've seen a family of 9, and a community of 500 all needing the hard labor of each other, every day to survive. Are we entitled to more then them, because we've worked "hard" for it?

Don't get me wrong. We've been blessed to live in a great country, with the lifestyles that we are able to enjoy each and every day. But it's recognizing that blessing, that has been lost. When we stop becoming appreciative and start believing we deserve it and are entitled to it all - than we STOP being THANKFUL.

We've actually become COMPLAINERS. My cell phone is not good enough, I need my tax money, I want a new car, gas is too much, my job isn't what I want, I need more clothes, my dishwasher is outdated, I hate traffic, I can't believe they got the promotion, my bills are too much, I don't like the way I look, etc.... Right? Isn't this what we sound like? Our conversations are full of complaining (gossip). All day, every day. It's become apart of our cultural norm, without recognizing it, to be critical and complain. It's damaging. We are always comparing ourselves to others, competing, and believing that who we are and what we have is not good enough.

THANK YOU Christ that I am alive, healthy, blessed with an awesome family, have food each and every day, have a car, am able to pay my bills, that I have an amazing community of friends, and that I have electricity and running water.

Being Thankful and recognizing what is good in our lives - is the way to finding a sense of PEACE and complete JOY.

One of my favorites, Sirleyman and me just throwing up the Peace Sign

The Chief of the Village, BaBa, who we spent a lot of time with and is completely awesome!

The Unexpected

The Unexpected. Though the unexpected is not always enjoyable, there are times when it makes life more exciting to live out. I've experienced both in a few different circumstances, of which I want to share a couple.

For Christmas we traveled to Dogon Country with around 30 other Peace Corps volunteers. Side note - Dogon people live in a series of villages along the Badiagara escarpment in three zones: the plateau, the cliff, and the lower plains. They arrived on the scene in the 14th or 15th century, after fleeing their lands along the Niger, refusing to convert to Islam. They displace the Tellem people, whose cave-like homes are still intact high on the cliffs above the Dogon villages. The lower plains are shared with the Fulani people.

We arrived December 24th, Christmas Eve, and spent that day and Christmas in a town called Sanga. This is where we were to venture out the next day on a three day, two night hiking trip. I was completely pumped and excited for the trip. Well.... I must of ate or drank something that didn't agree with my body. The first day into our hike I didn't feel too good. I made it about two hours in until I started to repeatedly and violently puke up everything in my system. But I wanted to push through and continue the hike in the blistering sun. Bad Decision. A half hour passed and I was back at it, vomitting. This time blood had mixed in with the flow of fluids out of my mouth. After hiking about another half an hour out, feeling completely horrible, I was evacuated back to Sanga on a motorbike where I spent the next couple days recovering and missing the hike. Disappointing.

After this missed opportunity we decided that a Niger River trip was key to redeeming the situation. Ashley, Joe, their two freinds (Jennifer and Joelle), and I went out to the river to see what we could find. There were two options: spend around $150- $200 on our private boat or spend $30 dollars on public transportation. Duh. We picked public transportation - to travel among the people. We spent three nights and four days on the river packed alongside other Malians; sleeping on tin riveted floors; freezing at night; eating - oranges, hard boiled eggs, peanuts, bread, and the food sold at the side of the boat during port visits; establishing friendships with the captain, his children and the crew; and enjoying the journey. The trip consisted of never knowing what was next, where we were going, or what we were going to do once we got there. God protected and provided and blessed us with an awesome expierence.

My last week is bitter sweet. I'm excited for my 5 day stay in Paris, to get back to Tempe and implement the things I have learned in my daily life and within YoungLife, and be with friends. But I am definitely sad to leave this experience and two incredible people, Ashley and Joe, who are challenging themselves in every aspect of their lives. They are inspirational - truly living out what they want out of life.

Joe's line that has stuck with me throughout the trip, "There are two kinds of people. Those that dream and remain dreaming or those that dream and then plan how to reach those dreams"

(I'm going to add pictures soon, the internet is being weird here and won't let me right now. So check back later)

Joe, Ashley and I on the side of the ship at Port

The Morning when we had the whole boat to ourselves (long story ask me about it in person)

When we arrived in Tonka - things got a little hectic