Last Saturday

Last Saturday, my friends Marie and Heather and I went to a local village to volunteer at a church. One of the cleaning guys at our school volunteers with these children every week in his village; usually 50-80 children come, and he's the only adult who supervises and plays with them. We were excited for the opportunity to love on these kids so we went with some construction paper, crayons, and stickers and did what we could to show them God's love...

They LOVED the coloring and the stickers.

We read and talked about Noah's Ark and God's promise through the rainbow. With the help of some translation, we emphasized "Mungu ameahidi kuwa nasi daima!" (God always keeps His promises!) and that His promises are given to us in the Bible, the most important of which is His LOVE for us. And "Yesu anakupenda" = Jesus loves you.... the 2 most important words I've learned in Swahili so far!


Marie reading about Noah's Ark to them. It turns out that a majority of the kids are from Muslim families, but they come to this church each weekend because of the love and attention that they receive. So glad that they, too, get to hear about Christ's love!

When we came out of the church afterward, some of the kids had decorated our Bajaj driver's Bajaj with dog and cat stickers all around it.... Haha, he now has the best-looking and most decorated Bajaj in Dar. It was super cute that he actually loved the new additions and kept them all on. :) It's so great how far stickers can go in this place!! Even with adults! (stickers are a GREAT idea for care packages, by the way)

As we were leaving, one of the little boys started holding my hand as we walked through the village, and he took my hand up to his mouth and kissed it 3 different times.... So sweet. :)

*****

This afternoon I also went with some of our middle school students out to a local underprivileged school (for our "Service Learning" emphasis). We had a similar time coloring with them, and it just fills my heart with such joy seeing the joy that such a simple act brings to them! Our message today at the school was that they are unique and special creations of God, so we therefore had them draw and decorate their names to celebrate the unique creation that they are. More pics to come soon!

Grieve

At the end of 2009 I came across an article that talked about having a theme "Word" for each new year. The premise is that you ask GOD what the word for your coming year is- not that you come up with one on your own. That you let HIM give it to you.... pray about it, seek Him on it, wait for it, seek confirmation on it.... Make sure that the word is from Him and that it is not something you choose or decide on your own. The author of this article had been doing this for years and the "word" would be a central theme to seek out, pray over, work on, strive towards during the year. A word to see what God does with, since it's been given by Him. This author had had words like "seek", "prayer", "trust", "rest".... overall pretty good/positive "themes" that the Lord had given him and that He had thus prayed over and seen God work through in great ways.

I knew when I read this that I wanted to do the same for my coming year. I was really excited at the prospect of God choosing a word for me and all the "warm fuzzies" that would come with it. So I sought to pray to Him to receive this word. And almost instantaneously the word came to me: Grieve. No, this couldn't be it. God couldn't be giving me such a negative, foreboding word. That's not like Him. Surely He has a warm, fuzzy word for me. So I asked Him again.... What is the word for my coming year, Lord? "Grieve." I knew it was what He had given me, though I didn't want it to be. I prayed about it for weeks to make double and triple sure that this was the word He was giving me (believe me, I was giving Him any and every chance I could to give me a different word!), but He just kept continuing to confirm it. I kept hearing the word "grieve" in conversations, and grieve is not typically a common word in my daily life! So, I had it. God's choice word for my year 2010: Grieve.

I didn't know what to expect but had many different fears as to what the year could hold. At the time I had no idea how God could use such a word in such a good way in my life. Grieve. He ended up using this word to bring me to my knees in the year 2010, grieving over the pains of this world which grieve Him.

The orphans who have no one to show them love. His children who go to bed hungry each night. The widows who are sick with no one to care for them. He showed me the importance of letting my heart be broken for what breaks His. And for *choosing* to do so, because it is a choice. I could choose to not think about these things. To keep going to dinner with my friends and shopping for the latest styles and turning my eyes and ears to the pain and suffering in this world. But He doesn't want me to do that. He doesn't want any of us to do that. He wants us to grieve for what grieves Him. To make a choice to do so. And once I did just that, He wouldn't let me forget. He used 2010- my year to "grieve"- to call me to Africa. And He did so by first giving me a word, which then made me choose to look, which then made my heart break, and which then wouldn't let me rest. So that when He did pull on my heart to move to Africa, I didn't try to escape the call. I knew that He wanted me to grieve for what grieves Him, and therefore I needed to care about what and whom He cares about.

I would have never thought this foreboding word "grieve" would mean that He was about to turn the course of my life around... and that He would call me to live in Africa through it.... or that He would give me such a rich life in return.

The year's not over and I will seek to continue to grieve for what grieves Him- and to thus pray for and over those things- but I have learned so much about His heart and about His will already through this. I can't wait to see what word He gives me for 2011. Even if I'm not "excited" about it at first. :)


Some verses associated with grieving:


"Grieve, mourn, and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up." -James 4:9-10

"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure." -Eccl. 7:4

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." -Matthew 5:4

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." -Psalm 34:18

Some Ministry Updates

-I spent last Friday night with the high school leaders of Wyld Life at a Leaders' Retreat/Sleepover and am so excited for these relationships and the ministry that lie ahead this year!! (WyldLife is Young Life's middle school ministry, which I'll be helping out with this year at HOPAC). YL/WL have SUCH amazing ministries.... Relationships, FUN, Joy, Unconditional Love, Jesus, Laughter.... All of these exemplify YL's ministry and I am so thankful to be a part of it!!

-I'm volunteering at a local village church this Saturday morning.... one of the custodians at school spends a couple of hours every Saturday morning with the 75+ children at his church (all by himself!) so I'm going with my roommate Marie and another friend to volunteer with them this weekend... to play games/do crafts/etc (whatever ideas we can come up with). I'm really looking forward to it and would love your prayers for this time!

-Next week I'll be taking a group of middle school students from our school out to a local under-privileged school to do arts & crafts activities with the children.... We'll be doing this every Thursday afternoon (12:30-2:00pm)- going out to different schools- so I would love your continued prayers for these Thursday afternoons!

-In general, I'm just really loving teaching and I'm really loving my students.... I'm really, really enjoying getting to know them more and developing relationships with them. I love the opportunity to be at a Christian school where I can teach them the truths and love of Christ and the opportunity to speak it into 300+ students' lives! (that's the benefit of being the Art teacher and teaching the whole school :))

Your prayers for all of these areas of ministry are very much appreciated.... I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to be used in so many different ways and areas out here, and I believe "God does nothing but in answer to prayer" (John Wesley). So thank you! Love to you and God bless! :)

I wish I could just take snapshots....

....and cut and paste excerpts from my life out here every day.... there are just too many great moments that I don't get the chance to record!

Tonight I made this statement for the 2nd time in my life (in all seriousness):

"I could go to Africa with nothing on my back but dry shampoo!"

The first time I said this was on the way to the airport with my family as I was leaving for Africa, and the second time was tonight around the dinner table... exclaiming to my roommates of the amazing benefits of this invention. (**if you don't know, "dry shampoo" is basically an aerosol spray that cleans your hair and works as a shampoo..... A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.) So we decided to come up with a devotional, skit, book.... something... it's in the works.... "What you need to be a Missionary in Africa: #1 Love Jesus. #2 Dry Shampoo." I'm onto something here, just need to figure out how to get the word out.... ;)

I started a Bible Study tonight with some wonderful women here... we're studying Beth Moore's study on Daniel, and I'm very excited for all that lies ahead in it! Tonight's message was on the EXCESS in our culture... I'm so thankful that there are at least a few people speaking out about this b/c I believe we are so blind to the disease of excess in our culture. Especially so in America. My soul feels like it's been letting out a long, continuous sigh of relief since it's been here- finally free from so many of the burdens and bondage that American excess brings with it- and oh, how good it feels! More *things* and more *stuff* and more *indulgence* do NOT make us happy.... and how deceived we are in thinking that it will! I have so much more to learn and so far to go, I know that... but I have to say that I'm thankful God's brought me so far away from the crazy-excess in America to learn it. (Yes, there's excess here too- we as humans find ways to over-indulge anywhere we are- but there just really aren't many, if any, places in the world with SUCH material excess as America...) The antidote to the disease? Psalm 16:8,11- "I have set the Lord continually before me.... YOU fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

One more fun fact on life here:

I bought an avocado yesterday that was literally the size of a bowling ball and that literally filled an entire *large* tupperware/salad bowl with guacamole. Amazing. Everyone says everything is bigger in Texas, but really: Everything is bigger in Africa. (and ok, so unfortunately that includes spiders, cockroaches, and rats....)

Lately...

Some of my 1st Grade students painting :)

I don't really have anything specific to blog about but I'll update a little with some random happenings from the past few days....

I went for a run this evening and got several of these 2 most common responses from the local people: "Pole" ("Sorry"; it's literally translated "you poor little thing") and of course "Mzungu!" (basically "Hey, whitey!"). Tanzanians don't typically run for "pleasure" so their most common response when seeing someone jog is to say "Pole" or "Pole Sana" (I'm so very sorry).... as if they are so sorry for the utter pain I'm enduring by running for an extended period. It's quite amusing- and also kind of nice that they're concerned- but it does make me start to question.... "Why again am I running for fun??"

Also, today at school we found out that the school uniform colors will be changing.... from light blue to navy blue.... because the *country* has run out of light blue material. Ha! Only in Africa.

I've been painting with the primary grades in Art class these past couple of weeks, so I've been spreading newspapers out on the tables so that paint doesn't get on them. Yesterday, in 3rd grade, one of the students saw a picture of Jennifer Aniston on the cover of one and was convinced it was me.... the girl who's been helping me with the primary classes said he kept telling his friends "Look! It's the art teacher! It's her!" She said he was totally convinced and kept pointing and showing his friends.... Ha! It's not so bad being in a land with only a few Mzungu's.... I'll take getting mistaken for Jennifer Aniston anytime. :)

Last week, Young Life's Senior Africa Leadership Team (S.A.L.T.) was in town from 8 African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Ethiopia).... It was SUCH a wonderful week... I got to spend time with my beloved friends James Davis from Liberia and Patson and Pierre from Zimbabwe as well as make some new great friends with the others. This team is full of such joy and life that it's contagious.... many laughs were had and praises sung to our God.... in many different languages and with many African instruments. Unforgettable!

Worshiping with the SALT Team

With my friends Kate and Heather :)

Fundraising

Some of you have asked me about donating to my financial support while I'm here. Yes, I do need to raise support to cover my living expenses, and I would love for you to partner with me in my ministry by doing so! :) The school does give me a monthly stipend which goes quite a way to cover my expenses (since the cost of living here is so low), however I do need to raise additional support to cover my remaining expenses. I do not have an exact figure as to what I will need, but from what I've gathered living here this month, it seems like about a few hundred dollars a month will cover it (I'll update as I figure out more specifics the longer I'm here). Monthly expenses consist of groceries/food, transportation, phone, internet, electricity/gas, the guard at our living compound, and additional incidentals. I will also need to pay rent soon for the upcoming 6 months (rent is paid in full for 6 months at a time), which will be $1200 ($200/month). I would love your help in meeting these needs if you feel led to give. A crucial part of my ministry here is the "support system" I have at home, and this consists of your prayers (and friendship and emotional support! :)) as well as the financial means for me to be able to live here and serve the community I am in.

If you feel led to give, you can make tax-deductible donations through Young Life's website at www.younglife.org by going to the tab "Giving". The site will then give you step-by-step directions in order to set up an account and once you have done so, click "Give a Gift". The page will then give you the option to "Give to a Young Life Area Ministry"- click the "Search" button next to it and choose the option "Search by Area Number" and type in Account # "X450". My account will then come up (Steinhoff/Tanzania) and you can give directly to it. (Bank account withdrawals are preferable to credit card donations, as credit card donations will have a credit card fee that is taken out of the donation total.... but credit card donations are very welcome, too, if that is best for you! :)). You can choose the option of making a one-time or recurring (monthly or quarterly) donation.

If you have any questions about the above steps, please feel free to email me at esteinhoff@sbcglobal.net. I truly appreciate your support (in ALL aspects.... I really cannot thank you enough or express enough my need for and gratitude for your prayers, too!). As you support me through your prayers and financial donations, you are enabling me to serve the people of Tanzania in the various roles that God has placed me in here (teacher of future leaders in Africa, role model to youth, Christian witness, soon-to-be volunteer with orphans, soon-to-be developer of small businesses via Young Life's branch of "Karama", etc. etc. etc.!)

Please do not feel obligated to give because God loves a "cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7). But if you are "cheerful" at the idea of supporting my ministry :) I would love your partnership and please know that I am committed to using the expenses wisely and with diligence, as I know that it is provision coming directly from the Lord. Also be assured that "It is more blessed to give than it is to receive" (Acts 20:35) and that as you become a part of this ministry, you will experience the blessings and rewards that come with it! (And oh, how I can testify to this truth by how blessed I've already been in giving away the "material comforts" of life in the US in order to "give" of my life here in Africa!)

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support.... again, please let me know if you have any questions at all, and I look forward to partnering with many of you as I move forward on this wonderful journey the Lord has me on! :-)

Love,
Erin

Timely Words from Jeremiah

In my devotional this morning, I read Jeremiah 29. I've been studying the book of Jeremiah, and this chapter was so amazingly applicable to my life and my time here now. I'm sure most of you are familiar with verse 11: "For I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not for evil, plans to give you a future and a hope." This is a wonderful verse and is often used by Christians to encourage and uplift each other (and should be!). But seeing this verse in context gives it so much more meaning and makes it that much more powerful.

The Israelites have been rebelling against the Lord for generation upon generation. He had brought them to His promised land and blessed them incredibly there; yet when they got to this place of blessing, they turned completely from Him. Yes, they would still go to the temple on Sabbath days and perform the rituals and "acts" that were a part of their Judaism, but their hearts were far, far from Him. They worshiped other gods, participated in horrible and evil acts (including child sacrifice, Jer. 7:31), and were completely defying and ignoring the Lord. He sent prophet after prophet- for generation upon generation- to plead with them to turn back. That if they turned back in their HEARTS (which would therefore change their actions), He would bless them and forgive their sins. For years upon years, they ignored these prophets and continued in their ways.

God therefore knows that "tough love" is now necessary- the only way to reach them now is to treat them with discipline in order to get their attention and thus ultimately turn their hearts back to Him. (Oh, how patient He is! How many chances He had given them until He resorted to this!) His method of discipline is to take Judah and its people into captivity by Babylon, through Nebuchadnezzar. He sends Jeremiah to tell the Israelites (and surrounding nations) to submit to the captivity of Babylon- that their only hope for future blessing and restoration is to submit now so that they can be restored later. (And all the while false prophets abound, telling them the opposite- telling them "words they want to hear", which are not from the Lord.... thus reminding of us the importance in discerning the lessons we hear from our preachers and teachers). If they submit to Babylon, they will keep their lands and the Lord will bring them back and restore them and bless them there (after 70 years- one more of the thousands of amazing prophesies that have been fulfilled in the Bible). In the meantime, though, these are His words to them while they are in Babylon:

"Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare." (Jer. 29:7)

This verse is so powerful to me now, and I hope that it can speak to you as well. The Lord has not sent me to Tanzania as a form of exile, but He HAS sent me to Tanzania. And I can thus know that if He has sent me here, He wants me to pray for and seek the GOOD of this land. And He wants the same of you.... where has He brought you? Whether it's Dallas, LA, Uganda, London..... God has brought you there "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). He has purpose in His plans and wants you to pray for and seek the good of that place. (But don't forget to pray for Africa and Tanzania, too! :))

After He tells the people to seek the welfare of Babylon while they are there, the Lord gives His promise that He will return the people to their homeland. Why?

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'" (Jer. 29:11)

Though their time in exile will be very hard, His plan for them is still GOOD. He still desires to give them a FUTURE and a HOPE. (Again, how lovingly patient and merciful He is!) He immediately follows verse 11 up with this:

"Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you... I will restore your fortunes... and I will bring you back." (Jer. 29:12-14)

When will they "find" Him and have their blessings restored? When they seek Him with ALL THEIR HEART. Will His purpose of bringing their hearts back to Him- after all those years of rebellion- have been fulfilled? Yes. Was His method of using discipline (like any loving father does) worth it? Yes, I would say that it definitely was.

Where has God called you? Is He perhaps even calling you to go to another foreign or strange land? Or is He maybe taking you through a period of discipline right now because you have been ignoring Him and He wants your full heart back? What does He speak to you through this chapter?

I will continue to seek the good of this land where He has sent me.... to pray for my fellow Tanzanians and to seek their welfare by serving them and their children. Thank you, Lord, for the honor and the privilege of sending me to such a wonderful country and such a wonderful people. Help me to be a blessing to them. (and please help me learn Swahili, too!) :)

"Tanzanian Kids Say the Darndest Things"

I have to post this link.... instead of me writing about life in Tanzania today, please read it from someone else who did. This is HILARIOUS .... and so much funnier to me even because this is EXACTLY what happens (i.e. same mistaken pronouns) in Dar es Salaam, while the writer of this blog lives on the total other side of the country (like 20 hrs. of driving from here). This blog is a guy's who is a friend of some of my friends out here.... his blog is awesome and I'd actually randomly come across it last year in reading Africa stuff.... crazy small world.

Anyway, read this excerpt about what Tanzanian kids say to get a glimpse of my daily life here :)

http://jamesbrett.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/tanzanian-kids-say-the-darndest-things/

Join the Journey Devotional

My church (Fellowship Dallas.... the one at Park Ln. and Central... best church in Dallas- you Dallasites need to check it out! :) www.fellowshipdallas.org) has a daily devotional series that you can sign up for and receive daily emails from. Members of the church write the devotionals, and each year they go through the Bible (or a specific part of it, like the New Testament). Anyway, today's devo. was written by me... so check it out! And sign up to receive the daily emails! :)

Here's the link:

http://fbcd.jointhejourney.com/log/62967