Early Encounters

"After becoming very cozy in my bed at this guest house [in Johannesburg, South Africa], I quickly fell into a deep sleep. In the morning, I awoke to the sounds of another guest chattering to someone as he was walking past my room. I stretched, yawned, and prepared to get up and get ready for the day. Then I checked the time. 10:08. I suddenly began to panic. I knew that I had to be checked out of my room before 10, and the stern reminder of the receptionist from the night before started playing in my head: 'Brehkfahst ess from hahf pahst seeks to hahf pahst nine. Don't be late.' I immediately checked my phone to determine why my alarm didn't go off; it must have died during the night since I don't have a proper outlet for charging purposes [Looking back, it makes no sense as to why I thought my phone had died. It was obviously not dead since I just checked the time on it...]. I checked my alarm app, and my alarm was still set for 8:00 AM of May 13, 2014. Then it hit me: my home screen was still displaying the date 'May 12, 2014.' It was still the day that I arrived in Johannesburg. This means that I slept for one hour (I dozed off around 9) and had awoken feeling fully rested. After just one. hour. of. sleep."

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I thought I would start off with an amusing experience on my way here. So much has happened since that time. Let me quickly catch you up to date:

• I landed in Kenya around 1 AM local time on the 14th.
• Later that day, Vickie (my host missionary) and I went to downtown Nairobi to run some errands.
• That next day (the 15th), I journeyed about 6 hours upcountry with Vickie and some familiar and not so familiar people to introduce Bible Quizzing to two schools around that area.
• I just got back from that little jaunt about 2 hours ago.

Congratulations! You are now (in general) up to speed with what has happened so far. I left out several key and not so key details. Some of those involve seeing wild zebras along the highway, getting lost several times on our way upcountry, and getting a flat tire while driving to our accommodations. However, all of these things that happened, whether good or bad, have made my trip so far memorable and exciting. I cannot explain the depth of my love for these people and this land.

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"I am a spectacle.
To some, I am famous.
To some, I am ignorant.
I am hope.
I am help.
I am a disturbance.
I am hatred.
I present a chance for relief as well as an opportunity to be taken advantage of.
I am a spectacle."

I'm not going to pretend that being here is all fun and games. I love the prospect of spending my summer with beautiful little faces, smiling and chanting "How are YOU!" as I pass by. I love being able to see animals that most people only see in zoos and even having the chance to get very close to them. I love being able to experience a culture that most simply read about in books or watch a Discovery documentary about. But I am not ignorant. I know of the violence and outbreaks happening here. I know about what could happen to me simply because I am a "mzungu." I know that I have the possibility of being harmed or worse while I am here.

But I am not afraid. No, I am not seeking out danger, but I know that no matter what happens to me, God is still my protector, my provision. He will keep me safe and take care of me, even if that means welcoming me into his courts earlier than I expect.

Everything, no matter how big or how small, has a special place in His hands.

For that, I am eternally grateful.

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"The company and souls full of Christ that I have encountered on this trip are overwhelming and beautiful. Last night we ate a fully Kenyan meal composed of ugali, chipatis, greens, and meats prepared by an elderly lady who lived on the school's property. She did not have much, but compared to others, she did. She praised God for everything. At one point, she told us that nothing was hers; it is all God's. She was happy to cook for us and serve us because she knew that everything in her house, and even her very life was not hers, but all God's. I want that mentality. We all need that view."

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Thank you for following me on this journey. I would not be here if it was not for your support and encouragement. You all mean the world to me, and I mean it with all of my heart.

God bless,
Bekah