Back To Blogging!
As good as it is to get away, it’s twice as good to be home again! For me, that means getting back to blogging. Thanks for your patience while I was away.
Just about everyone knows that I process things over time. Should you have missed that fact, consider that I still have not completed my written summary of the 2005 trip to Namibia… though I am getting closer to finishing it! No doubt, I will be processing the 2006 Namibia experience for quite some time. As I look back over the last three weeks, this trip is growing on me. I’ll be honest – there were times on this trip when I was really discouraged. There were even moments when I looked around and determined in my mind “I won’t be doing this again.” I suppose this is why it is not good to make decisions too quickly. My perspective is slowly changing. I hope to put some of the lessons learned on this trip into words here in the coming weeks and months.
Here’s one for starters. God’s people come in all shapes and sizes – and He loves us all! Now you’re likely asking, ‘so where’s the big revelation in that lesson?’
Let me tell you about a young lady named Justine. She met my wife Shari when my team arrived in Arandis and they became fast friends. Shari learned that Justine was a single mom of a 3 year old boy named Armando, but that she had quit bringing him out in public because of the cruel things others would say to them. Armando is a very big 3 year old. He’s easily taller than most 8 or 9 year olds and he is very heavy. Justine said that people called him fat and would gossip about her as an unfit mother. Armando’s size is the result of a medical issue, not neglectful parenting. While our team was in Arandis, Justine spent nearly every moment with us – and she began bringing Armando along. Our team members immediately fell in love with Armando and his playful disposition. My favorite memory is when I was trying to record By Faith when I looked over to notice Armando was ‘drumming’ on my microphones to the beat. When our eyes met Armando broke into an ear to ear smile. It made for a totally useless recording – but we all had occasion to laugh. Later in the evening I knelt down to put all the recording equipment away and Armando came to me and embraced me, placing his cheek to my lips for a kiss.
It wasn’t just our team that loved on Armando. Justine watched as many in her church family loved Armando. She’s not alone on this journey. It just seems as if God used our team’s visit to help her come to realize this truth.
The name Armando means literally ‘strong man’. I cannot wait to see what God makes of this young life.
Just about everyone knows that I process things over time. Should you have missed that fact, consider that I still have not completed my written summary of the 2005 trip to Namibia… though I am getting closer to finishing it! No doubt, I will be processing the 2006 Namibia experience for quite some time. As I look back over the last three weeks, this trip is growing on me. I’ll be honest – there were times on this trip when I was really discouraged. There were even moments when I looked around and determined in my mind “I won’t be doing this again.” I suppose this is why it is not good to make decisions too quickly. My perspective is slowly changing. I hope to put some of the lessons learned on this trip into words here in the coming weeks and months.
Here’s one for starters. God’s people come in all shapes and sizes – and He loves us all! Now you’re likely asking, ‘so where’s the big revelation in that lesson?’
Let me tell you about a young lady named Justine. She met my wife Shari when my team arrived in Arandis and they became fast friends. Shari learned that Justine was a single mom of a 3 year old boy named Armando, but that she had quit bringing him out in public because of the cruel things others would say to them. Armando is a very big 3 year old. He’s easily taller than most 8 or 9 year olds and he is very heavy. Justine said that people called him fat and would gossip about her as an unfit mother. Armando’s size is the result of a medical issue, not neglectful parenting. While our team was in Arandis, Justine spent nearly every moment with us – and she began bringing Armando along. Our team members immediately fell in love with Armando and his playful disposition. My favorite memory is when I was trying to record By Faith when I looked over to notice Armando was ‘drumming’ on my microphones to the beat. When our eyes met Armando broke into an ear to ear smile. It made for a totally useless recording – but we all had occasion to laugh. Later in the evening I knelt down to put all the recording equipment away and Armando came to me and embraced me, placing his cheek to my lips for a kiss.
It wasn’t just our team that loved on Armando. Justine watched as many in her church family loved Armando. She’s not alone on this journey. It just seems as if God used our team’s visit to help her come to realize this truth.
The name Armando means literally ‘strong man’. I cannot wait to see what God makes of this young life.
1 Comments:
pastor darin, i hope you are having an awesome time with your girls! hehe we have your three dogs bringing us to a grand total of 8 but it's been pretty humorous :-) I guess I'm still on Namibian time I never was an early riser before but I find myself waking up at 5:30/6 no matter how late I go to bed, which is why I somehow find myself writing to you at 6:30 wanting so bad to feel a connection to Namibia in someway because my house is far too lonely a contrast to the past few weeks.
I just wanted to say that I am glad God is processing this trip through your heart and that it is "growing on you." Sometimes we cannot see all the amazing things He is doing around us in the midst of discouragement but He did SO many awesome things. So be encouraged because God has already used this trip and will continue to use it in a big way.
It was good hearing about Armando and Justine and it brought a smile to my face, because relationships over there are far less complicated :-) Armando's smile was so big that day and it was so obvious that it was because you took time to play with him.
I miss you Pastor Darin, I love you, give your girls hugs for me, and I will see you when we both get back from our traveling adventures.
<3, mandy
PS: STINK!!!!
By amanda, at 7/20/2006 6:53 AM
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