Visa

In case anyone was wondering what our plans are for the next 4 months, let me try to fill you in so you can pray.

Mgcini and I are getting married end of July 2017. Come hell or high water - in Zimbabwe or the USA, it's happening.

The goal is to be married in the US. Short reason for that is simply so he can meet my family in person and we can start our life in a more stable nation.

How we get here is a little complicated. Right now we are in the process of applying for a Fiance visa so that Mgcini can come to the US. We would have to get married within 90 days of his arrival, and then can apply for him to get a green card to stay a few years longer.

We sent in this visa application at the end of December 2016 and expect to hear literally nothing until at least the end of March.

Please pray for us. This is hard. Really hard.

Best case scenario at the end of March we hear the visa petition was accepted and Mgcini can then move on to be interviewed at the embassy. Ideally receiving his visa by the end of April. I will be going to Zimbabwe in May with a team from SBU, will stay a week or so after they leave to have a celebration with Mgcini's family and friends, and then Mgcini and I will fly together to the good old US of A. We meet more family, get married, and live in Bolivar a few years minimum as we work and do school.

Worst case scenario the visa is denied or we hear nothing at all from immigration until after I leave for Zimbabwe this May with a team from SBU... in which case I will be moving to Zimbabwe at that time.

We know that no matter what happens with the visa, it's God's will. This is comforting, but it doesn't fully remove the stress and anxiety of waiting months to hear if our life will be in Missouri or Southern Africa in a few months.

We covet your prayers. Average time to receive this type of visa is 3-5 months. That's what we are praying for. Unfortunately I hear horror stories of people being denied or having to wait 8 or more months to even hear any news.

God is big. I am so thankful for the encouragement Mgcini and I have received from both sides of this planet. We are praying for a miracle and eagerly await to see what God has planned for us.

He's my best friend, and obviously I love him a whole lot. Pray with us as we journey through this season of life. Right now it seems impossibly hard at times, but we can't wait to look back at this and see how God's hand was at work.

Valentine

This is the first ever Valentine's that I've been in a relationship.... and my fiance is approximately 8,800 miles away from me. This has been a great day of reflecting and thankfulness. Allow me to be sappy for a minute so every year Facebook can keep bringing this up for us.

I am so thankful for you, Mgcini. When we first met, you showed your heart through your kindness to me and to others. You became my best friend because I never felt like I had to pretend around you. You let me be myself and we had the best of times. You're one of a few people that I have so much fun with I let all guard down and literally dance, laugh, and sing like no one's watching.

On Valentine's day last year you bought the entire training house chocolate. You went out of your way to make us an amazing breakfast - and lunch - to make sure everyone felt special.

You're genuine. Open. Honest.

Finally one day you told me you liked me. When I told you "sorry, I like you too, but I can't..." you were content to wait a whole year to take the next step.

You never pressure me to do anything. You respect me. Genuinely care about me. You helped me get through tough times last year and you drive me closer to Jesus each day. You are willing to suffer through countless phone calls with a three second delay just to make sure you can hear about my day and tell me you love me, miss me, and think I'm amazing.

So here's an open letter to you, and the world, to make sure everyone knows you are amazing.

When you asked me if I wanted to marry you, it was one of the easiest questions I've ever answered. Your love for the Lord and passion for sticking to the Truth is just one of many things that makes me excited to follow you for the rest of my days. You are an amazing leader. You will be an incredible dad. You fill my heart with joy like no other.

Come what may, we thank God that He has brought us this far and look forward to where He will take us. Thanks for being willing to embark in life as a sojourner with me as we prepare to finally find our home in the arms of Jesus. Love you to the moon and back. ❤

Ladies, let me encourage you that there are some incredible solid men out there. They may be right in front of you, or God may take you on a crazy journey before He plops him in your lap. Just know that God's timing is oh so perfect and He literally always knows best.

Community

This past week I've been enjoying big city life. For the most part. (Don't ask me about the ridiculous amount of time I've spent downtown speaking with immigration this week. I will forget all the things I am grateful for.)

In general, I hate cities. They stress me out, and make me want to go lay in a corn field.

The nice thing about cities is that cities have people. Lots of them. And with people comes community.

Yesterday in my discipleship group we were focusing on fellowship, and why it's so important to be involved with other believers. This made me very grateful.

It took me a while to really get plugged in here in Harare, but now that I have, I am so thankful for the people in my life. I get to meet with two amazing ladies every week as we all can learn from each other and the different cultural experiences we have had.

Last weekend I was at a Young Life event. As I sat in an ant-infested tree waiting to take group pictures of the 200 teens gathered there, I couldn't help but smile and think about how much God has blessed me this year.

Like, how incredible is it that there are so many amazing Christians in the world who are excited about discipling others? When I start to get frustrated or discouraged with the great need in the world, it's people like this that inspire me to press on. I love people. Especially young people.

I'm so glad that God has led me to different communities of believers to help me as I grow this year. It's insanely hard to be alone in an unfamiliar place. For a few months I struggled a lot with being motivated to press on in ministry and doubting why I was even here in this country.

Perhaps I am here to be changed. Well duh. I came here knowing it would change my life. But the community God has placed me in this year is one that has made me step out of my comfort zone. I have become less timid in jumping into new things. I'm now an aggressive city driver and have learned to tailgate cars turning through intersections to survive haha. I talk with police officers on the road. Stand alone when there is no one to stand with me. I am building the confidence that it will take to pioneer new ministries in the future.

In my church here I have been able to be a quiet observer. I'm a doer. I'm used to helping with Awana, sound, PowerPoints, children's church, Sunday school, etc. This is great, but boy did I need a break. I'm so thankful for the community of believers that is my church here. I can blend with the congregation during service, but I can't escape invitations to tea and lunch or requests to come sit by new faces.

I've seen how powerful the church in Zimbabwe can be... if they put their minds to it, they could change the world. And that's what community is all about. If we gather together as Christians, we can literally do anything. There is no force that can stop us. So get together in your communities today. Talk to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Get inspired and fired up to keep investing in others and make the Gospel known to all corners of the earth.

There is power in community and fellowship with one another. Alone, the task ahead of us is impossible to achieve. Together, the task ahead of us is impossible to fail.

Prodigal

Hi. Sorry for being the prodigal blogger. Haven't even thought about it for months!

My last post was in May, so here's a quick summary of the last four months:

June: I met some cool Americans interning here, spent a week in the bush, and photographed a big conference on missions hosted by OM.

July: I went to Kenya, saw baby elephants, and kissed a giraffe.

August: I got fed up with being in an office. So I went and found myself some fun-loving youth. Joined Young Life and helped with VBS. Also on an unrelated note I learned how to make tortillas.

September: Eden decided I need to see Zimbabwe. So we've started a list of destinations we must squeeze into the next two months.

In all seriousness, I need to get back in the habit of posting weekly. I'm taking life for granted and not documenting how God has been changing my heart from day to day. I've grown so much this year. My way of thinking has changed and I've experienced things that will forever change my life. 

I want to remember these things forever and be able to use them to influence others. Life abroad gives you so much perspective. I've gotten to watch the US elections from the view of the world. I've grown to appreciate and be proud of where I am from, but I've also learned to pray from a new perspective. Americans are often stereotyped as ignorant. And that's cause lots of us are. What we do affects the world. Whether we like it or not our movies, products, music, and style stretches way farther than you'd think. And with that, our sins, our faults, our big big mistakes and failures.... those stretch far, too. Positive or negative it affects the world. Not just through war or hunger, but in a much deeper way.

The church in America has gradually stepped further and further away from the Bible. Social media has let opinions go wild and has changed our culture and our Christianity (among other things that have changed over the years). The church here is confused that the people that came as missionaries not so long ago are now promoting a whole different lifestyle. 

The church in America is doing amazing things today in our own towns and all over the globe, but let's keep encouraging each other! We are strong. We can be stronger. Let's be willing to learn from our foreign brothers and sisters, and let's always put the Bible at the forefront of our actions and decisions.

"Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" - John 8:31-32

Seasons

Hey friends. It's winter here. I'm dying. Well, I mean, technically we are all dying... I just feel like my death process is accelerated at the moment. The past month has been a bit of a blur. In fact, this whole year is becoming a blur. Lately in the office I've been working on our Social Media and preparing posters and flyers to be printed that help communicate what OM is all about.

On May 18 I went to Pretoria, South Africa with the communications department. It is here where I found fall. Green grass and sunny skies, but lots of leaves on the ground! It was so fun to explore a new place. Pretoria is like the perfect city cut out of a postcard that's actually been well kept up for it's whole life. South Africa is not Africa. It's Europe. It was a blast to be able to visit!

While a lot of fun was involved in this short trip, the main purpose was to get some training in OM communications. We met some of the OM International communication team and got inspired to keep doing what we do. As you can see here, we were freezing in Pretoria as well.

To get there I enjoyed a 16-18 hour bus ride chilling on the top deck of a double decker bus. I had yet another excited land border experience. They're so different from the usual airport immigration lines I have experience passing through. I am falling in love with this land more and more each day.

Last night I got to have a little taste of Chicago and home as the Moody Men's choir performed in my church's sister church. It was good for my soul to see and hear people from not just the US but basically my backyard. I kinda felt like a creepy fan girl wanting to go talk to them afterwards, but it was worth it to hear about their adventures in Africa and to be encouraged by them as I shared about what I am doing here.

Pray:

• I'm freezing. Pray I stall well and my nose stops running.
• Pray for the economy in Zimbabwe.
• Pray for continued opportunities for me to get involved in the community. I can't always find opportunities within OM, but I am praying for boldness to go out and do things on my own as opportunities arise.

Toilets

Today I have been inspired to write about toilets. Why? Because I now know more about toilets and plumbing than I ever have in all my life. Here’s the thing. Toilets break. Water shuts down every now and then. And about one in every three toilets I encounter the back is open and you have to figure out just what lever or string to pull inside to make it flush.

                 

As I was chilling in my room this past Saturday reflecting on life, this random revelation about toilets came to mind. I’ve kind of forgotten that at one point all of this random knowledge about how toilets work was foreign to me. When I arrive at new places I’ve learned to backtrack plumbing and figure out how to turn water on and off. Often times I get to search for a water source to manually dump water in to flush it myself. Hand sanitizer and toilet paper are always in my bag because literally like every public toilet is most likely lacking these things. Not to mention the fact that quite frequently public toilets are missing the seat – and occasionally the lock or the door itself is missing too.

(This is probably the weirdest blog post you’ve ever read, and I’m only a little bit sorry about it haha)

That being said, I’ve noticed that God has been teaching me some serious flexibility and patience. I don’t miss the comforts of home very often, and I consider that a huge blessing to my sanity haha. I don’t think twice about cold showers. Boiling water for a bath is my new normal unless I’m too lazy and would rather freeze. (Ashamedly I admit that 5 out of 7 days a week I am too lazy and would rather freeze.) Hand washing clothes now seems super economical and appealing to me even when I get back to the States.

This lifestyle makes me appreciate everything so much more. While I know doing simple daily tasks here can be a little more entertaining than at home, I also know that we have it pretty great here. Others out there are struggling much more and I am so thankful that God is a faithful provider in all ways for what we truly need.

But wait. There’s one more thing.

Target. I get to scroll through Facebook and see angry posts about Target, movements to boycott Target, reasons why it’s not a big deal, and all kinds of stuff about their new decision on their public bathrooms.

Friends. I agree that this is unsettling and yet another sign of how sin is gripping our nation. But at the same time…. PEOPLE. Just be thankful you don’t have to pay a dollar to use their toilets (that actually have seats) and you don’t have to bring your own soap and toilet paper and then try to figure out how to flush the stupid thing.

Disclaimer: Don’t get the impression that every toilet in Zimbabwe is a disaster haha… I’m just speaking from random experiences as I have traveled around.

Vernacular

A day in my life... using as much common vernacular from here that's unfamiliar to home as I can:

Typically in the morning I'll get up, bath, plat my hair (being thankful I no longer have fringe) and grab a quick bowel of muesli for breakfast. If it's nice and I'm feeling ambitious I'll throw on my trainers and go for a jog. Then when it's time for work I put on my slippers, put my trousers over my pants, grab a jersey if it's cold, and head out the door.

Taking Kombi's isn't really my ideal transport situation, so I'm totally chuffed that I found a car that is my own. On my way to work I throw my pack in the boot and drive to the gate. The gardener or amai Vally will typically open it for me, and I'm on my way! I pass a few robots on my way to work and always get frustrated when they turn amber. Wouldn't want to be late. My tyres need to be replaced so I put my PHD skills to use and take it slow. Also don't want to drive straight and look drunk.

At work I get out my laptop and get busy. Sometimes the zesa goes out, which is pretty frustrating especially when my laptop's almost flat... even more frustrating when network's down, too. But zesa isn't down often and when it is you know it will always come back just now. Some days I forget my power cord and have to ask a friend to borrow me theirs. Once a month I'll get my GWUG after they take out zimra. I'm seriously so thankful for those of you who support me and make getting my GWUG possible.

A few days a week we get take aways for lunch. We go to Food World, grab a trolley, and fill it with meals of sadza and veg, rice and stew, or a thousand other options. We may buy some plastics for a few bond coins and push the trolley to my boot. We typically don't have any drink for lunch, preferring to just drink water, tea, or coffee instead. However, occasionally someone will ask for a small pulpy. Sometimes we'll have fresh chips with tomato sauce or get some crisps to snack on... and some days I'm keen for some biltong, but it's expensive. We eat outside in the garden for fellowship. (We have an avocado tree and a swimming pool. Our garden is awesome.) Eventually someone's gotta say, handei, and we get back to work. We bin our serviettes (napkins are for babies) and throw our take aways in the rubbish bin, too.

We're responsible for hoovering our own office and keeping bathrooms clean. If we actually have Jik, Andy's, and mop cloths lying around this is a lot easier.

On my way home I may hoot for a dollar airtime so I can buy my bundles. Bundles of Joy are my favorite kind of bundles. I'll get a few of those every week. If I'm out of petrol I'll stop at a Zuva station and sometimes they'll ask if I can pop my bonnet so they can check my oil.

I have dinner with my family here and then get ready for bed. For dinner I often do get drink of some kind... Blackberry Mazoe is my favorite, otherwise I go for Fanta. After putting Colgate on my toothbrush (though mine is Crest...) I brush my teeth. I go to bed and whatsapp friends from here and home as I fall asleep. Network is terrible in my room so I'm grateful for TelOne.

Handiti? Zvakanaka. There's the story of my typical life... from A to Zed. Iribo.

Now read it again with an African-British accent.