Sparklers and Sunsets

After at least twenty-four hours of airplanes and airports, it felt wonderful to step foot on ground – Tanzanian ground at that! One breath of the hot, humid air of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, and I felt right at home. I closed my eyes and almost convinced myself that I was in Managua, Nicaragua, in the country that first stole my heart for kingdom mission work. The atmosphere reminded just enough of previous mission experiences to allow me to exhale slowly and feel like I belonged there, but at the same time, there was the distinct smell of Africa in the air. I knew that this adventure would be new and fresh. Yes, this experience would build on everything I have already come to know about God and the church through mission work in Latin America, but I also knew it would bring new challenges and lessons that will cause me to grow in ways that will definitely exceed my expectations.

We continued to travel by bus on the scenic highway across Tanzania to Chimala where we will be spending the next four weeks working in a mission hospital. On the way there, we passed through a game park. Staring out the window, I asked God to reveal His glory to us through the animals He created. I was just hoping to get a glimpse of a giraffe or something, but of course, the Lord exceeded my expectations.

First, a whole family of baboons crossed the road right in front of us. We had to almost stop to keep from hitting them! Next, we saw a long neck stretching up to the trees in the distance.  I thought the vehicle slowed down so that we could get a longer look at the giraffe, but then I realized it slowed down because there were about fifteen giraffes on the side of the road right in front of us. I was so excited to see the far-away giraffe that I can’t imagine what my face looked like when I saw so many right out my window! To top it all off, we saw zebras, elephants, warthogs, buffalo, impala, and wildabeasts. It was practically a safari.

This is why I have abandoned expectations. God always exceeds them. I have abandoned the pursuit of expectations in pursuit of God Himself, trusting that reckless abandonment to the God of the Nations is a greater joy.

Once we finally arrived at the Chimala hospital, the sun was setting. As I watched my first African sunset, I felt like a little girl holding a sparkler on the fourth of July. As the sky fades and darkness settles in, you light a sparkler and find fascination and wonder in the tiny spraying sparks. You know the fireworks show is yet to come, which will be greater by far, but part of the magic is found in the anticipation. In the sparkler.

As I prayed a silent prayer, I invited God to come with us all our days here in Chimala. Then I quickly corrected myself. God doesn’t need an invitation. He is already here. Instead of inviting Him, I welcomed Him. In response, I felt Him welcome me. This is His people, His nation, His realm, His heart. He returned the invitation, inviting me and our team to join Him in what He is already doing.

Let the sparks fly. The fireworks are coming. God is good.