Anglicans, Africa, and the need to Breathe.

Tonight I got to go speak about Sinakekele Children at Trinity Anglican Church just around the corner from my house in Sarnia. They were having a short term missions information night and a bunch of people got to talk about their trips, and recruit volunteers.

Everything was a mess when I showed up at the church. Nobody had told me when I was talking, and I couldn't even find the woman who'd invited me. There was only a handful of people there, and most of the people were either on the committee that organized the event, or the people speaking. Most people seemed frustrated. A woman told me that they had advertised for weeks to the congregation and hardly anyone had bothered to show up, not even any of the four pastors of the church. She was pretty discouraged.

I'm pretty easy going; chaotic situations don't usually bother me since I create most of the chaos in my own life. However, I've been gone all weekend and got back only to remember I had this presentation. I was tired, and a bit edgy. My first reaction was to be a bit annoyed, I think. I had spent my afternoon preparing my presentation, and printing out information sheets, and now there was few people to hear about Ruth's work. I was frustrated for Ruth though, more than myself. I had hoped to make some good contacts for her.

Things turned out to be wonderful though. The situation diffused a lot of the pressure and I wasn't nervous at all. I got up, didn't use my notes and had a great time talking to the few people about Sinakekele. People asked lots of questions.

Besides having a great time talking, I was completely amazed by the other speakers. What appeared to be a wasted evening and a discouragement turned out to be a very meaningful night. It was weird, thinking that so many people had the opportunity to hear some amazing stories, and nobody had showed up. It really put global ministry in perspective. There are few people who will act, but it's such a blessing to those that do.

The most amazing woman spoke about her trips to orphanages and asylums in the Ukraine and numerous other countries. She's a nurse in Sarnia and just returned from India with a group of doctors and nurses from Sarnia who volunteered to do a complex reconstructive surgery on a seven year old boy with a deformed face. The Discovery Channel is making a documentary on their trip. She was an incredible woman, soft spoken, humble, and strong. I just sat in amazement.

But she told absolutely devastating stories. She worked in an orphanage for disabled children in the Ukraine, where parents are encouraged by the government to discard any child who has a deformity. Simple things like being cross-eyed or having club feet sentence these kids to a life of abuse and misery. These children cannot even be adopted since their parents are still alive. Every morning Christian Sisters will come into the orphanage and feed, hold and bathe the children, who are abused by the government workers. There's a pit just outside the building that is used as a mass grave. These children are often used to harvest organs. All of this horror is happening in Europe, which is so hard to believe. But this woman had so much grace and hope. She couldn't speak more highly of the Sisters who worked in these places.

Nothing makes me more excited than hearing from people serving around the world. This is becoming problematic. All the jobs I've always dreamed of doing...journalism, working for the CBC, being a high school teacher, writing...they never make me feel how I feel right now. I realize there are many problems in North America, and there is a lot of work to be done in every field and in every situation of life. However, there has to be a reason that I can't even breathe I get so excited when I think of all the work and challenges that I could pursue in global development and humanitarian work. That's got to mean something. I'm not saying there aren't these issues in Canada...I think we're often blinded to the greatest needs around us since we're part of the culture that ignores them. (Case and point being Canada's Aboriginal people.) Although right now God's linked me to a need in South Africa...that was random, I don't think I had much say in it.

Whenever I hear people's stories I am amazed at how willingly God reveals himself to people who just step out of their pews and take a chance. It blows my mind. I sometimes get caught thinking that God is allusive and that theory is just blown to pieces when I hear about how evident God is in these people's lives and challenges. Unfortunately I think this happens most in countries where the people can't default and rely on wealth and security, and are forced to live each moment breathing with God. I find nothing more encouraging.

Sitting in a nearly empty church listening to these stories made me realize I need to use this insane excitement and passion because I think God just reaches down and gives it to me for some reason, and there are few people who will even make the effort to come out to an information night. Life is exciting. The possibilities are endless, but I have a feeling God will put something together.

Tonight I wanted to be an encouragement, and I was the one who received. Isn't that how it always works?