“…I am with you always…” That is what Jesus promised His disciples after He was resurrected and came to them on the mountain in Galilee. That promise wasn’t just for His 11 disciples. It is now for all of His disciples…for me. “Gina, I am with you always.” I heard God whisper it to me the other night as I was unpacking my things in my new room at headquarters. I heard Him whisper it to me as I started to wonder how hard it will be to be on my own in a foreign land. He said it to me as I was hanging up the pictures of my families and my close friends thinking if there would come a time when I would feel lonely.
In some ways, Zimbabwe is a lot like California. It is very hot right now. Sometimes in the 90’s during the day, but it is chilly at night. When I am by myself in the office and everything is quiet, I open the doors and listen to the wind blow through the trees. At night, when we are finished eating dinner, we hang out in the living room and I set up my laptop so we can watch a movie. I go to bed and listen to my ipod to fall asleep. However, when I wake up in the mornings I am faced with things that make Zimbabwe very different from California. I wonder, ‘do we have electricity?’ I get up extra early and stand in front of my shower and pray, ‘God, let there be water for me this morning.’ I head into the town office hoping that the internet will be working so I can get through to my email and maybe even talk with my family on Skype. I am faced with it when we are walking on the streets, because of the puzzled looks and blank stares that follow me. I try and hang back when we are visiting grocery stands because the vendors jack up the prices when they see a white face. They are under the false impression that all white people are rich.
Pastor Alan exchanged $10US and gave me $200,000 Zim dollars in return. Lots of shops now aren’t even accepting local currency anymore, only US currency or South African currency. It’s unthinkable that a country won’t even accept its own currency because it is so worthless. Take a minute and think if this were to happen in America…..seriously, think about it…..you wouldn’t be able to buy in US dollars anymore. You would have to use Euros, or Pounds, or Zim dollars. Can you picture it?
So what makes it worth it? Because sometimes it is frustrating…and sad…and a pain in the neck. What makes it worth it? Well, getting a smile from a child. Hearing a group of children singing about how Jesus’ way is number 1 or about how God is so good to them. Watching a child stand up in front of their whole school and pray or listening to them pray the prayer of salvation. Seeing them jump up and down and scream with excitement when our team walks into one of their auditoriums to do an assembly. That makes all the frustrating, sad, and pain in the neck moments worth it. I wish you could hear and see it too.
“…I am with you always…” I am hearing it every day now. Jesus must not want me to forget it. I am in this world, but I am not of this world. I am here to do God’s work and fulfill the call He has given me. My fight is not against flesh and blood. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. I will be still and know that He is God. I will rejoice in the Lord always….again I say, rejoice!! If a child who barely has anything can do it, I, who have had every opportunity, can do it as well!!
He is with me always,
Gina :)
Monday, October 27, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Doing Well...
Family!
I know you have all heard from my mom about how I am doing so that is all out of the way. I know she also sent you a personal update from me as well at the beginning of the week.
I am continuing to do very well. I am getting along with the team here and making friends easily. At the moment I am in our city office...which has a cable modem (PRAISE GOD!!)...and I am finally able to get online. I have been trying for the last few days to get on, but the internet has been down in the office complex due to lots of people using it. I'm not sure I will be able to try everyday, but I will get online as much as I can. Sometimes, because of appointments we have, I only have 15 or so minutes, so it is usually a quick try or just a few emails and then I'm off again. You will continue to hear from me as much as the internet allows me and as much as the electricity allows me.
Zim feels like home. I knew it would, but I didn't think it would happen this quickly. I completed my first week here on Wednesday and it has only felt like a few days. God is so good!! I'm kissing and hugging lots of babies and small children who don't have anything. When I say they don't have anything, I mean, no shoes, maybe only one pair of clothing they use until it is falling off of them and only one meal a day....made of the corn porridge I told you about and some sort of vegetable like greens or cabbage. The orphanages have been extra special this week. We are handing out shoe boxes from Samaritans Purse to some of the orphanages and when the kids open the boxes, they kind of just stare at the contents. They are unsure of what to do with little trinkets, they have never seen a stuffed animal or a small doll before and don't know what to do with them. We have had to literally take them out of the boxes and show them how to use them or play with them because they have never seen anything like it in their whole lives. I watched a little girl eat strawberries and pineapple for the first time in her short 8 years. I can't describe to you the look on her face as she started to chew and taste the sweet and tart tastes. These kids have never eaten anything other than bland food that is only eaten to give them some nutrition. Dorothy took me to a grocery store last Sunday and literally there is NOTHING on the shelves here but some wilted vegetables, some blocks of butter, and bottles of soda.
People in Africa are starving to death when there are people in the world who get mad when their ipod stops working or when they are inconvienenced with not being able to get their favorite flavored ice cream at the store. It is so important to count your blessings. Thank God everyday for things like electricity and hot water, because there are people in this world who are living without. Never take for granted the small things in your life because someone in the world may have no idea what it is like to have a doll or clean water or constant electricity. Thank God that you don't have to stand in line for an hour to withdraw money from your bank account or have a limit of only $2 a day that you can withdraw. This is Zimbabwe. This is what the people here have to live with. Standing in line for everything. Paying out of control amounts of money for small things. Its crazy.
I love you. I miss you. I will write more later. I'm off to do a school assembly.
Thanking God,
Gina :)
I know you have all heard from my mom about how I am doing so that is all out of the way. I know she also sent you a personal update from me as well at the beginning of the week.
I am continuing to do very well. I am getting along with the team here and making friends easily. At the moment I am in our city office...which has a cable modem (PRAISE GOD!!)...and I am finally able to get online. I have been trying for the last few days to get on, but the internet has been down in the office complex due to lots of people using it. I'm not sure I will be able to try everyday, but I will get online as much as I can. Sometimes, because of appointments we have, I only have 15 or so minutes, so it is usually a quick try or just a few emails and then I'm off again. You will continue to hear from me as much as the internet allows me and as much as the electricity allows me.
Zim feels like home. I knew it would, but I didn't think it would happen this quickly. I completed my first week here on Wednesday and it has only felt like a few days. God is so good!! I'm kissing and hugging lots of babies and small children who don't have anything. When I say they don't have anything, I mean, no shoes, maybe only one pair of clothing they use until it is falling off of them and only one meal a day....made of the corn porridge I told you about and some sort of vegetable like greens or cabbage. The orphanages have been extra special this week. We are handing out shoe boxes from Samaritans Purse to some of the orphanages and when the kids open the boxes, they kind of just stare at the contents. They are unsure of what to do with little trinkets, they have never seen a stuffed animal or a small doll before and don't know what to do with them. We have had to literally take them out of the boxes and show them how to use them or play with them because they have never seen anything like it in their whole lives. I watched a little girl eat strawberries and pineapple for the first time in her short 8 years. I can't describe to you the look on her face as she started to chew and taste the sweet and tart tastes. These kids have never eaten anything other than bland food that is only eaten to give them some nutrition. Dorothy took me to a grocery store last Sunday and literally there is NOTHING on the shelves here but some wilted vegetables, some blocks of butter, and bottles of soda.
People in Africa are starving to death when there are people in the world who get mad when their ipod stops working or when they are inconvienenced with not being able to get their favorite flavored ice cream at the store. It is so important to count your blessings. Thank God everyday for things like electricity and hot water, because there are people in this world who are living without. Never take for granted the small things in your life because someone in the world may have no idea what it is like to have a doll or clean water or constant electricity. Thank God that you don't have to stand in line for an hour to withdraw money from your bank account or have a limit of only $2 a day that you can withdraw. This is Zimbabwe. This is what the people here have to live with. Standing in line for everything. Paying out of control amounts of money for small things. Its crazy.
I love you. I miss you. I will write more later. I'm off to do a school assembly.
Thanking God,
Gina :)
Monday, October 6, 2008
Today is the Day!!
Hey Family!!
Today is the day I fly out. My flight leaves at 5:40PM east coast time or 2:40PM west coast time. Make sure you say lots of prayers for me over the next three days during my travel time. I am going to do my best to stay in contact as much as I can while traveling and when I arrive. I am unsure of what the internet connection is going to be like when I get there so be patient with me until I figure it all out.
A lot of people have asked for my mailing address while I am in Africa. Unfortunately, I don't have one to give you....I mean I have one, but it isn't one you can use. If you were to send me something directly, I would never receive it because their government would take it. There is a way you can get stuff to me though. If you send whatever it is to: Global Passion Ministries, 100 Anderson Road; Napa, CA 94558 and let them know somewhere on the letter or package that it is for me, then they will be sure to get it to me. Make sure it is nothing too big because whatever it is will be given to an actual person to carry to Zimbabwe with them. That is the only way I will be able to receive it.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. They will be felt wherever I go. I love you and you will be hearing from me soon.
Going with Peace,
Gina :)
Today is the day I fly out. My flight leaves at 5:40PM east coast time or 2:40PM west coast time. Make sure you say lots of prayers for me over the next three days during my travel time. I am going to do my best to stay in contact as much as I can while traveling and when I arrive. I am unsure of what the internet connection is going to be like when I get there so be patient with me until I figure it all out.
A lot of people have asked for my mailing address while I am in Africa. Unfortunately, I don't have one to give you....I mean I have one, but it isn't one you can use. If you were to send me something directly, I would never receive it because their government would take it. There is a way you can get stuff to me though. If you send whatever it is to: Global Passion Ministries, 100 Anderson Road; Napa, CA 94558 and let them know somewhere on the letter or package that it is for me, then they will be sure to get it to me. Make sure it is nothing too big because whatever it is will be given to an actual person to carry to Zimbabwe with them. That is the only way I will be able to receive it.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. They will be felt wherever I go. I love you and you will be hearing from me soon.
Going with Peace,
Gina :)
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