Sorry for the long delay in keeping you all updated. A lot has happened in the last few weeks, including a safari (pictures below). But there's one simple question that I keep getting asked over and over again, "So, what is it that you do here?" Whether it's visiting physicians, or Maasai warriors in the Mara, I have gotten that question more than any other. Actually, maybe not more than, "What's your name?" But you get the picture. So I want to clear the air here and make sure everyone, including myself, is on the same page.
First, I work. My official job title is "Friends of Tenwek Intern," even though I'm not a part of an internship program or shadowing anyone in particular. This position was created and designed by my brilliant predecessor. He wasn't in the position, because it wasn't invented yet, but he was serving at Tenwek for a year helping with administration and ended up picking up some slack that hadn't been picked up in a while. After seeing the benefits of the role he was playing, Friends of Tenwek (FOT), the non-profit affiliate of Tenwek Hospital, decided to create and hire an "intern" to take over after his year was over. And here I am. My job consists of welcoming and hosting visiting staff (a skill that has yet to be harnessed most effectively), to help accumulate information about what's happening at Tenwek to be used on social media avenues, to pursue grant proposal opportunities that will benefit Tenwek and its community, and basically to be available for whatever anyone needs. Everyday is different. Everyday brings a new challenge, a new opportunity to dive deeper into the capacity of what this job holds. I'm a guinea pig in this scenario, and honestly - I'm loving it. It gives me the chance to be assertive, which I'm working on, to take initiative, that will come with time, and to develop skills that I don't quite have yet. They took a chance in hiring me, and now I have the chance to exceed expectations. Lord willing.
Second, I laugh. Mostly at myself for doing something dumb or making a mistake. But sometimes the best medicine is a little laughter. I have been able to spend a little bit of time up in the hospital watching operations, shadowing medical staff (which went in a totally different direction than I thought it would), and even just walking through the wards with a chaplain. You can't walk through this place without a sense of pain seeping into your soul. These people are hurting, they're sick. And the doctors are trying their hardest to treat with every available resource. Sometimes it's just not enough. But the one thing that I see more of in this hospital is people smiling at me. This place has pure joy that can't be burdened by the sin of looming death. Joy that shines bright as a light in the darkness, that can't be hidden under a bushel - NO. This place is the little light of the community and what a beautiful sight it is. The only thing we can do is laugh and know that the God who designed it all has His hand in everything. Laughter breaks cultural, lingual, social, and religious boundaries. And when you can laugh with someone you can open the door to some amazing opportunities that only God alone could have orchestrated.
Third, I give thanks. Even when I feel like I have nothing to be thankful for. It's easy to get caught in a spiral of self pity when you're alone, speaking from experience. But despite my doubt, I remember that I'm not alone. I'm never alone. And that could either be slightly creepy, or absolutely reassuring. I'm going to choose door number 2. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." - Hillsong. Where the Spirit of the Lord is (which is everywhere, all the time, with us, surrounding us, and pursuing us each personally and wholly), there is freedom. There is freedom to fail, to feel weak, to love, to rest, to work, to complain, to worship and to give back the thanks that He sovereignly deserves. A few years ago, my sister gifted me one of the Starbucks mugs that has the leaflet insight that can be decorated with pictures, quote, inside jokes and whatnot. Madi had chosen a nice leafy template, selected assorted pictures of us from the years, and put a Bible verse on the top. When she gave me the mug she told me the verse was "random but good." Exact quote. It states in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I got to thinking how concerned I've been about what God's will is for my life? Aren't we all? Aren't we always weighing choices and making sure that we have God's final "Yes" on a decision before it's made? I want to encourage you, that although we deliberate on these big questions trying to figure out what God's will is, the answer is written in this "random but good" verse in 1 Thessalonians. The will of God in Christ Jesus for all of our lives is to rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances. It's absolutely not the answer I wanted to hear (I prefer a letter ending up in my mailbox telling me that I'm accepted into Hogwarts without even applying), but it's the answer that's ours to have, if we choose it.
I hope this was helpful. Even if it wasn't, it gives me the chance to process. So thank you for giving me that opportunity, and reading it all the way through.
Please pray that I find time to worship and love deeply. Also, please pray that this community would continue to be encouraged by God's overwhelming presence!
