The sign is incredibly true. Returning I am a different person than I would have been had I simply stayed. Sure I would continue in the work I am doing for Nuru and in telling the stories that I have known about what Nuru is doing, but now things are pretty different for me. The time spent in Kuria has made this issue even more central to my life, my mission, and my purpose on this earth.
I carry the dust of Kuria in my clothes and on my shoes now, and the people of Kuria in my heart. Last night, as I slept in my own bed for the first time in several days, I found myself awakening confused and disoriented and wondering where I was. I woke up twice in the night to go to the bathroom, and felt around to crawl out from under the bed net on my bed only to discover both times that I was not under a bed net. Because of the place in the world where I live, I don't have to worry about a mosquito bite causing me or my children to suffer and die. (I do have to take anti-malaria medication for the next week though just to be on the safe side). When I woke up this morning, I had planned to take it easy today, and to adjust back to life here slowly, but I feel a tremendous burden and a great urgency to engage others in confronting the crisis of extreme poverty and help our global neighbors to lift themselves out of their condition.
I know that returning is not the same as staying, and I also know that the opportunities that have been afforded to me to witness both tragedies and triumphs in Kuria firsthand are not that readily accessible to everyone. At the same time, I hope that my life experiences and the stories I tell can help others get a better grasp of how they can make a difference in this world and awaken to the need as well as the opportunity to serve others and love our neighbors well.
I hope to share more stories of some of the wonderful people I met while away, either in this blog, or in face-to-face conversations with you and others. In the meantime, I will continue to reflect upon my experiences and adjust to life back here in West Virginia.
In summer 1996, I ran into a group of college students who were singing worship songs on a pier in Myrtle Beach. As a fairly new Christian, I introduced myself to them--I was thoroughly excited to meet other young people who were Christians. One of those people was a guy named Dave Lyons.
Dave was involved with a college ministry/church on the campus of the University of Maryland called Maryland Christian Fellowshipwhich is part of an association called Great Commission Ministries. A ministry which unbeknownst to me, the church I attended, Chestnut Ridge Church was also part of.
Who could have predicted the turns my life and his have taken? Who could have predicted that many years later, we are both laboring for the Gospel and actively involved in service in our respective churches. Who would have thought that in the last couple of years we would be able to catch up, to pray with and for each other, and encourage each other in the specific work God has given us the opportunity to do.
This photo was taken of Dave and myself at the Great Commission Churches National Pastors Conference. We have some pretty cool conversations when Dave and I get together, and it is cool to be encouraged by a brother who I seemingly met by a "chance" occurrence while on vacation with my family in Myrtle Beach.
Just a few weeks ago, I visited the church where Dave is now serving, Oak Ridge Community Church to talk with him and others about a coffeehouse event they are starting.
When I think about meeting Dave and others back in 1996, I had no idea what turns my life or theirs would make. I had no idea if we would ever connect again. And honestly, that's the way most of our interactions with others take place. We have no idea. We have no idea what turns our lives will take. What we can do is be faithful to the gospel of our King. We can strive to love our neighbor as our self, and make the most of the limited interactions we have with others during our relatively short stay on this planet before the life to come.
I'm grateful for friends like dave, and opportunities to reunite, reacquaint and spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
So I guess I can just encourage you to be mindful of your time on this earth. Enjoy your friends and acquaintances you meet along the way, and always seek to be an encouragement and a blessing to others. Who knows what great friendships God has in store for you with people you haven't met, or those who you meet while on vacation far from home. Strive to be aware--there are no ordinary moments.