Traveling, Making ugali & Having a great time

I know it's been awhile since I have updated my blog, but there hasn't been much free time. Everything is going very well, some days feel like months and some months feel like days. The DTS is half way over, which is crazy! There are only 4 more weeks of lectures and then we will be heading to Mwanza for outreach. 

Mwanza is a 12 hour bus ride from Arusha. Our DTS will be splitting up into 2 or 3 groups and be ministering to the people there for 5 weeks. We are all really looking forward to seeing lake victoria.

This week one of the staff here on the base is getting married in Kenya. It is tradition for the girls to have what they call a 'Kitchen party' where only woman come, no men. So for this party the bride chooses a canga (a piece of fabric) and all the girls who are going to the kitchen party all have to wear this fabric, you can just wear it as a wrap skirt or some woman had dresses made out of it. Needless to say every single lady there was matching, including me. None of the westerners knew what we would be doing at this party, the only thing we knew was that it had to do with a kitchen somehow. 

When we got there, it wasn't in a kitchen which threw us off; instead there was veggies, fruit, bowls, spoons, and a bed. Soon we were learning about how to care for your husband. That you always need to make him tea in the morning, make the bed, and YOU bring him water to bath with, if you don't he will probably leave you. Then comes the... uncomfortable part of the party. They taught us, code word "Make Ugali." Meaning that they were teaching us how to make love to your husband... yes... EVERYTHING! They explained using bowls and spoons. All of us were in total shock, I felt bad for the poor girl translating for us english speakers. Probably my weirdest experience in Africa yet. 

This is one of our speakers from Uganda, he spoke for 2 weeks in the first month. 

Some of you might have heard that I scooped up a little orphan puppy. This is Nala, she was sitting on the steps of the office on the YWAM base. She could hardly walk when I got her, now she runs all over the place and is super playful. After keeping her in the dorms for a couple weeks she finally got kicked out because it turns out most africans hate dogs. So now she is living with Baba Choi who is a Koren and is the pioneer of this base, and many others. He lives on the base so we all get to visit her often.  

These are my families amazing sponsor girls, who are more like sisters to me now. Tumaini on the left lives in the Tumaini home (Tumaini means hope, so yes it is also the name of the children's home) Irene on the right lives near by the base and is a part of the Tumaini ministry although she isn't living in the home. They are both precious.

It has been raining here for almost 2 weeks solid! I love it, especially because since it has been raining there has been running water which is AMAZING! Such a blessing.

Time is flying by... and God has done some amazing things. Please keep praying for me :)

The journey continues

Time is beginning to fly by. Next week we will be going on our mini outreach, and then continuing lectures again until December when we go on our long outreach to somewhere unknown. Last week I started teaching the ELS (English Language School), parts have been challenging but overall very fun to get to know other students and help out. There are students from the age of 18 to 68, one being a very opinionated Pastor. Being a student in the DTS is very time consuming, so adding teaching on top of that has taken up all free time.  

I’m now on my third month out of the six months I will be spending here in Arusha, Tanzania. As most of you know, I came here with a one way ticket… so the possibilities are endless. Am I supposed to go home so that I can get a job and wait for the next missions opportunity? Am I supposed to stay in Tanzania? Go to Kenya?

Ever since I have been here one of my prayers has been that God would reveal to me where I am supposed to go. This last week God has shown me that Nairobi Kenya will be the next journey. My sister, Elissa, will also be heading to Nairobi around when I graduate from the DTS. I will be joining her to do ministry work in the Kibera slum with Thomas and Beatrice Omolo.  Then I will probably return in August 2013 with my parents.

The culture is much different from where I am staying now in Tanzania, Kenya is much more westernized however there is also poverty everywhere. The need in the slums is surreal, people digging in trash to try and find their next meal, children playing in human waste and one of the things that really effected me was seeing baby coffins being sold on the side of the road.

God has given me a heart for Africa for a reason, not so that I can go home, live a comfortable life and ignore His calling.  Although I’m going to be honest, living here has it’s struggles. The cultural differences are hard to get used to. None of that is a good enough excuse for me to come home though.  

When I started the DTS we were told to pick a theme for ourselves, each person would pick something different. Mine is OPEN MY EYES, because I don’t want to continue to be blinded by the American culture or the people around me. My desire is for God to open my eyes to the things unseen and the forgotten people around the world. I believe that going to Kenya will be a result of this prayer, God will continue to open my eyes.

I am so excited to pursue this journey, however I can’t do it alone. There are going to need to be people backing me up both spiritually and financially. I will need people to be committed to pray for me. Supporting this journey monthly with finances would be another way to help.  I’ll have to purchase a bus ticket to get to Kenya, a new visa, transportation, plus everyday living expenses.  I know that God provides in amazing ways and I believe He will make this a reality.  

If God is putting it on your heart to help financially with this journey please send me a message on Facebook or email me at Maddy.mzungu@gmail.com

For those of you who want to partner with me in prayer, here are some requests:

- That God would continue to show me His will

- For financial support

- Physical health

- Safety

Thank you all so much for all of your prayers!

Church Ministry

The days have been going by much faster since the DTS has started! We are required to have 6 hours of lectures and 2 hours of work duty a day, plus much more. Our class has split up into two groups who rotate doing church ministry on the weekends. This last weekend my group went to a small church called Shalom that is about a 40 minute walk from the base. On Saturday night before church we prepared a drama, worship, testimony and sermon for our ministry.  I have been to this church several times before, but never took part in the service. 

We walked to the church and caught a ride on the way back. The final count of people that rode in this little 5 passenger truck was 20. 

Rachel shared her testimony about how she was blind and was healed two years ago. 

There are several offerings throughout the church service. This one was food for the pastor and his family. 

This is where I stay, the view out my window of a lovey water tank. 

Somehow I managed to be the only DTSer who scored two closets 

The place of rest! Wash basen and all under my bed. 

Sweet little Grace. She is the children of one of the students in the Family Ministry School (FMS) here on the YWAM base. I'm considering adoption. 

So far we have had two weeks of lectures. The first week there was a speaker from Kenya who who spoke about sin and redemption. This Last week there was a speaker from Uganda who was very outspoken. The topic was hearing the voice of God and God's character and the nature of God. 

The lectures have been very interesting, especially the theological part of them. 

Thank you everyone for all your encouragement and prayers! Please continue to pray for safety and health. 

Mzungus and Joe

Name: Joe Anderson 

Height: 5'8"

Eye Color: Brown 

Nationality: South African 

Relationship Status: Kinda single. Not accepting applications 

Favorite food: Char-grilled rump, medium rare  

Random Fact: Joe has a british accent and is more westernized then Rachel. 

Name: Lois Hanna Van Oostende

Height: 5'5" 

Eye Color: Hazel 

Nationality: Netherlandish 

Relationship Status: Single. Not accepting applications

Favorite Food: Mc Donalds  

Random Fact: Her second toe is bigger then her first toe. 

Name: Sara Johanna Mattson Luukkanan 

Hight: 5'4" 

Eye Color: Blue 

Nationality: Sweden 

Relationship Status: Single. Not accepting applications 

Favorite Food: Swedish Chocolate (Marbou) and Chips 

Random Fact: Her real personality is when she is super hyperactive. 

Name: Christina Tanner

Height: 5'9" 

Eye Color: Green

Nationality: Swiss 

Relationship Status: Single. Not accepting applications 

Favorite Food: Veggies and Cheese 

Random Fact: Does not have a middle name. 

Name: Megan Lea Nicole Carswell 

Height: 5'4"

Eye Color: Hazel 

Nationality: US, North Carolina 

Relationship Status: Single. Accepting applications 

Favorite Food: Any chocolate 

Random Fact: She hates having pictures taken of her and she has two middle names 

Name: Rachel Meredith Franks 

Height: 5'1"

Eye Color: Blue 

Nationality: US Pensilvania (The farm) 

Relationship Status: Unsure. Not accepting applications

Favorite Food: Ice cream, fresh from the farm 

Random Fact: Lives in a town that has one gas station with one gas pump. 

Name: Saskia (or Sosuke like in Ponyo) Lemmer

Height: 5'4''

Eye Color: Hazel

Nationality: German

Relationship Status: Single. Not accepting applications.

Favorite Food: Something German

Random Fact: She's an only child, and that isn't her real hair.

Name: Jonathan Andrew Gentry the First 

Height: 6'1" 

Eye Color: Brown

Nationality: Texan 

Relationship Status: Taken. Not accepting applications 

Favorite Food: Chicken 

Random Fact: Has eaten in africa for the first time ever: bananas, almonds, beans, horseradish. Also loves Chaco shoes. 

Name: Charles Elliot Fast 

Height: 5'11 1/2" 

Eye Color: Blue 

Nationality: US, Washington

Relationship Status: Taken. Not accepting applications 

Favorite Food: Cheese Burgers 

Random Fact: Has an obsession with cell phones 

Letting Go

For the last couple of days I have been hearing God tell me that I am to die to self.  

Which has got me thinking…

Obviously being a Christian we are supposed to put God first and have faith in Him and He will use us.  Although I think that God asks more of us then that, I think that we are just to scared to lose control because we know that God is going to ask us to do something crazy.

 I honestly believe that God has sent me across the world so that I can learn that I am not my own, but that I was bought at a price and belong to nobody else but my heavenly father.  He will use me as long as I surrender to Him. I know people say all the time that we are to have less of self and more of God. What would it look like though if we were to completely die to self? Would you do ANYTHING for God if He asked you?

God told a man in the bible to give everything you have to the poor and follow Him. If God asked you to do that, do you have enough faith in God that He knows what He is doing to trust Him and obey? “Oh but I spent so much time and money on this, how could “God possibly want me to lose ‘my’ stuff. He gave it to me.” That is the culture we come from, letting go of the American dream is not easy.

I don’t know what surrendering to God would look like for you. It might not be moving across the country or world, but no matter what it is God will bless you because of it. He will use you in ways you probably thought were not even imaginable.

 I am learning very quickly that stepping back from the wheel and letting God have control is not easy, in fact, it is probably one of the hardest things to do. God never said that following Him is easy. I find myself saying “God use me” then He asks me to do something and my response is “oh, but please not that!” Letting go of comfort is hard, but just like my dad always says “stretch and grow” however annoying he is when he says that, it’s true. Once we get uncomfortable and let go, we see things a way we have never seen them before and grow.

In worship the other day we sang the song, This is My Desire. Some of the lyrics say Lord I give you my life, I give you my all, Lord have your way in me, every breath that I take, every moment I’m awake, Lord have your way in me.  When this becomes our prayer, God will do it if we honestly believe He will use us, He will. Mama Miracle said later on that if we are negative and expect bad things to happen, they will. If we expect God to do something amazing and put our hope in Him, He will do something amazing.  Simply put, you get what you expect. It is hard to see the things that God is doing if we aren’t looking for them.

The gate into Youth With A Mission Arusha

So this is what God has been saying to me. That we are let go of control, give it to God and then expect Him to do something amazing.  I know that this has been God’s challenge to me, but I believe that this is also God’s challenge to all Believers. Will you surrender to God; is He worth it to you?   

Kimemo, the worlds best cup of coffee

No, that is not a shot of anything I shouldn't be having in the picture, it is coffee sweetener!

 Today Charlie and I took a much needed visit to Kimemo coffee plantation where there is delicious food, of course coffee and speedy fast wifi. When we are here it doesn't feel like we are in Africa at all, but every once and awhile it is good to get out. It is only about an hour walk from the base and feels magical, probably because they have toilets that flush. Needless to say everything is going swell here in Tanzania. On sunday the Tumaini kids come back to the children's home from visiting their relatives, and this coming week students will start showing up that will be doing the DTS with us. I'm sure I will be able to keep busy, but for now I'm just enjoying my coffee. 

My new reality

I can’t even explain how I feel. Throughout this whole trip I have not been enjoying Africa like I normally do. Mostly because I’m not just experiencing it for three short weeks where I can take everything it while it lasts, but instead for an extended period of time. Leaving my parents I thought would be very easy, I’ve gone weeks at a time without them when I’ve gone on mission trips. This time is much different though. When the team was preparing to leave is when I started sobbing, (not just crying, but SOBBING) and I’m not even a crier. The thought of staying in Africa without my family all of the sudden seemed scary. My security blanket is gone for the first time and the honeymoon phase is over.

Everything I’m doing that is a struggle is not just some short-term thing, but this is my new reality. This will be my new normal. Taking a shower is much more difficult when you have to go get water, then take a freezing cold bucket shower. The food was very good when the team was here in comparison to what we get to eat now. For breakfast we get a cup of tea and three slices of white bread, lunch today was beans….. just beans and for dinner we had ugali and suka, which is maze flower that has no taste and is super thick with collard greens cooked down. I am so thankful we have food, but as a westerner it has honestly been a bit of a struggle. I have noticed that most of the white people who live on base live in a house and cook their own meals, or prepare food to go along with whatever the meals are for the day.  I however do not have a kitchen, so I will be eating what everyone else eats.  Going into town is also challenging, you don’t just hop into a car and go.  You walk over a mile to the main rode where you catch a dolla dolla (a bus that is crammed full with 20 people when it really only seats 12) then walk to wherever you have to go, then you do the same thing all over again to get back. It is really an all day adventure. Not to mention hand washing all your laundry…  

Although there are many things that are a struggle, I know this is where God wants me. When a nice warm shower, a good meal and my nice warm bed sound so comforting, I have to remember that I’m not here to live for myself. I am here to be a living sacrifice for God. I will be honest, I have cried several times since my family left on Thursday, and probably will again. In those moments all I want to do is come home.  I wish in the post I could be more encouraging, but this is what has been going on.   Please continue to pray for me! 

I wrote that a few days ago, but haven't posted it because we keep losing power/internet. Since I wrote this I have been doing much better! There are three other couples from America that are living on base for awhile and have been super helpful. I have started getting my own produce to add to meals and the home sickness is going away. There has also been a lot of free time for me to read and spend time with God. Everyone has been encouraging and been such a blessing here on the base. Only about a week and a half until the DTS starts! Thank you for all your prayers :)