Today is Saturday. It is a quiet day here in Chiredzi. We had some showers (which surprised most everyone) and some breezy moments this morning. Yesterday we made a quick trip to Dinè so Donna and Jenn could see the progress on the guest house. So we made the 2.5 hour trip. Ne’a was taking pictures of some of the awesome scenery and the people both along the way and in Dinè.
After the tour of the house, the dropping off of the layettes (thank you, Shelton Christian People) at the clinic. We then went into the church where I delivered a word of encouragement and we had lunch, the usual. Then it was a quick run home, arriving shortly after dark. Today has been a search for paint brushes for working at the Village. Other than that we are sitting and resting.
This might give me a moment to reflect on our experience here. Every time I go to a third world country, here, Haiti, or Mexico, I find myself reflecting on things. Often it is my life and the values I carry. I find great joy in worshiping our God. I love to sing, dine at the table, and sharing the word. When I travel, I experience different ways to express that joy. Here it is found in singing, dance, and drum. Africans do this trilling sound with their tongues {Mostly women} that signifies something like pleasure and applause. It is never my goal to turn our home church into a model of what we have here. But I do enjoy myself very much.
Unrelated to that is the terrain of this country. Between Chiredzi and most anywhere we pass a range of rocks, large, very stone monoliths. You will see pictures when I share on my first Sunday home. They are amazing. They often have huge stones upon other stones. Some look like one piece, others are striations. These hills of stone are similar to the night sky in where they take me. Every few nights I venture out to see what God has placed in the heavens. Several places we have been there are no city lights, no light pollution, and what I see I have trouble believing. I sometimes wonder if someone else is out there. I know the whole spiritual realm is there, but I am taking other life like we find here. We may be alone, or we may be part of a larger cosmos. Yet, whether it is the range of stones or the path of the stars, I am bought to the place of awe and reverence. Places like this, mostly because of unfamiliarity, bring me to pause, and reflect, and wonder with the psalmist, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” (Maybe my paraphrase). May our great, awesome God bless you this day. Don’t forget to worship tomorrow.