In a Quote

I have a lot of posts swirling in my head that will hopefully make it here soon.... :)  but in the meantime, an excerpt from Katie Davis's book "Kisses from Katie".  If you want a glimpse into my life and why I'm here, this pretty much sums it up....

"Most days, I wished I could wake up under my down comforter in a house with my loving family, not all by myself.  Sometimes I just wished I could hang out with my little brother and his buddies, eating junk food and laughing late into the night.  Sometimes I wanted to spend hours upon hours talking with my best friends about boys and fashion and school and life.  I wanted to go to the gym; I wanted my hair to look nice; I wanted to be allowed to wear jeans.  I wanted to be a normal person living in America, sometimes.
But I wanted other things more.  ALL the time.  I wanted to be spiritually and emotionally filled every day of my life.  I wanted to be loved and cuddled by a hundred children and never go a day without laughing.  I wanted to wake up to a rooster's crow and open my eyes to see lush green trees that seemed to pulse with life against a piercing blue sky and the rusty red soil.  I wanted to be challeged endlessly; I wanted to be learning and growing every minute.  I wanted to be taught by those who teach, and I wanted to share God's love with people who otherwise might not know it.  I wanted to work so hard that I ended every day filthy and too tired to move.  I wanted to feel needed, important, and used by the Lord.  I wanted to make some kind of difference no matter how small, and I wanted to follow the calling God had placed on my heart.  I wanted to give my life away, to serve the Lord with each breath, each second.  And at the end of the day, no matter how hard, I wanted to be right here."
-Katie Davis

Couldn't say it better. :)  Especially after spending the day with the kids at Kurasini orphanage today, playing and loving and cuddling.... as they just kept reaching out for more and more and more.....

Travels & Such

Hello!  It has been a while.... I've been traveling and getting ready to travel again- I spent Christmas in South Africa, the week after in Zimbabwe, the past several days in Zanzibar and am getting ready to go to Ethiopia for a week on Monday! Whew.  Exciting and lots of great work being done, but a whirlwind! (def. not complaining though :)).  I spent Christmas in South Africa with my brother Eric and his fiancee Lisa and her family.... we were mainly in and around the Cape Town area, and it was wonderful.  I of course missed being home and with my parents on Christmas but it was great still being with family and experiencing Christmas on this continent.  I went to a small town church on Christmas morning that was partly in Afrikaans and spent the rest of the day with Lisa's family enjoying time together.  Eric & Lisa are getting married in Franschoek (outside of Cape Town) on April 21st, and I'm looking forward to being down there again (and getting my parents & sister onto this continent)!

After Christmas, I went to Zimbabwe for about 6 days- to the Matopos Hills area- to work with a group of women who have a sewing project there, working with them to develop new products for us to sell through Karama.  The group is assisted by Norma Ferguson, a beloved friend who lives in the Matopos Hills and serves the community in many, many ways (with her wonderful husband Chris.... love these two!!).  The group is made up of about a dozen women who are HIV+, who started the group as a source of much-needed income in a very, very hungry rural area.  I fell in love with these women when I was there and am so, so excited for our opportunity to help them.  They desperately need the work, as they have such little means for income.  As I was speaking to one of the women (who also happens to be named Norma), she asked me, "Are the people starving in Tanzania like they are in Zimbabwe?"  The question just took me aback... but it made me know all the more fully the importance of our role in getting them sustainable work.

We came up with some great new jewelry designs, so be on the lookout for them on our site soon!

Me with the adorable ladies :)

[sporting the new necklaces we made]

I just spent several days in Zanzibar meeting with some of the projects we support there .... though that trip didn't end so well.  I ended up horribly sick in my hotel room for 2 days.... ughhhh, African food finally got to me... :-/  (I spent a year here being a veg. and never got sick from anything I ate, then a few months ago I decided to start eating some chicken .... and hmmm.... looks like I'll be going back to my veg roots :))


In closing, here are some good words that I've come across recently in my devotionals.... thought I would share:


"I want to see God's supernatural activity.  I don't just want to hear about it and watch it from afar.  I want to experience it.  As Abraham's difficult obedience yielded supernatural results, so will ours.  Over and over Scripture makes clear that the determining factor for experiencing God is obedience. 

I believe a correlation exists between the COST of Abraham's obedience and the magnificent blessing that resulted.  The higher the price you pay to obey God, the greater the reward you can expect from Him."  (Priscilla Shirer)


Happy 2012 to All :)  May you see and experience God's supernatural activity this year, as you obey Him in ALL areas.... and especially those that are *costly*.

Kurasini Orphanage

I spent the day with my friend Jen at Kurasini Orphanage, the orphanage on the other side of the city that I try to go to periodically.  Instead of just going to play with the kids like we normally do, we decided to start teaching the kids some lessons that will serve their greatest needs (while still loving on them and playing with them of course).  We decided to start doing some basic health lessons with the kids as well as some Bible lessons.  Today, we taught them the importance of washing their hands (and bathing) and demonstrated how to do so (and left some bars of soap at the orphanage for them).

Jen and one of our eager examples, Baraka, washing his hands :)

We also did a small lesson on why we celebrate Christmas, what its real meaning is.  We talked about how God used a star to point the Magi to Jesus and how He uses many methods still to tell us about His son Jesus.  We had them draw and decorate a star as a reminder that God wants us to know Him.

 Yesu ni Mungu = Jesus is Lord

SUCH a simple lesson, and they so loved every second of it.  These kids just can't get enough love and attention from us while we are there.... they are literally starved for it.  Please keep these precious kids in your prayers.  And pray for the other 147 million orphans around the world.  (Yes, 147 million.)  "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress." James 1:27

Press Conference with the Presidents!

Last week I had the *awesome* privilege of going to a press conference here in Dar for President Bush and TZ president Kikwete.  The event was for World AIDS Day, put on by the ONE campaign, and Obama and Bono did a simultaneous press conference in DC.  A "friend of a friend of mine" was in town, working for the conference, and emailed me at the last minute saying he could get me a seat reserved for it (and my schedule was all of a sudden clear....) so I got to go! :)

Here's a pic during the event...

Each president spoke for about 5 minutes, speaking of their previous work and future goals to work to end the spread of AIDS .... the goal set by the ONE campaign is to have an AIDS-free generation starting by 2015 (which can be done.... check out the ONE website, www.ONE.org).  Bush has done a lot for the fight against AIDS in Africa (as have the women in his family done a lot in Africa... and are continuing to...), and he ended his speech by quoting "To whom much is given, much is required", referring to America's responsibility to act to end the suffering of so many here.  I could not agree more.

After the conference everyone rushed down to where the presidents were leaving... Bush and his family (all of whom were there- Laura, Jenna & husband, Barbara) had already been driven away but Kikwete was leaving as I got down there.  He was shaking hands with a few people (all important heads-of-departments, like the head of the Peace Corps, head of USAID, head of the Clinton Health Fund, etc etc) and he actually spotted me (taking this picture below, haha) about 5-10 feet away from him and came over toward me to shake my hand (assuming, I'm sure, that I'm some important head of a department... haha).  Was pretty cool.... :)

President Kikwete

Praying for the end of the destructive effects of HIV/AIDS ....

Mabinti: Rebuilding Lives for Women with Fistula

I just added a blog post to our Karama blog, so go there to read about the day Dyan and I spent yesterday with some of the artisans at Mabinti.  Mabinti is one of our partner artisan groups that produces some of the beautiful products we sell at Karama.... Mabinti works with women recovering from the debilitating condition fistula. Go read Jane and Rose's stories and learn some more about fistula.  {and how Jane will soon be on CNN or BBC!}

www.karamagifts.com/blog

Happiness, one of the artisans at Mabinti :-)

Ending Extreme Poverty

Please watch this video and let yourself be challenged.

We CAN end extreme poverty.

Looking at the past.... What previous generations thought was impossible has been done.  Look at the slave trade/womens rights/civil rights in America.

We are more globally connected to the rest of the world than we have ever been before and really have no excuse not to do what we can to end extreme poverty.  It CAN be done.

Please watch... Be encouraged.... Be challenged.... And help ACT to make this possible.

Ending Extreme Poverty

Karama!

As I've started back up here with my new role, I wanted to share some of the excitement and vision for this coming year.  As most of you know, I am back in Tanzania working full-time on staff with the (incredible!) organization Karama.  Over the course of the past year here teaching (which was wonderful in so many ways and definitely the role God called me to here last year), God led me to Karama and to a more long-term role with them. He is graciously using the gifts, visions, and desires He has placed within me to help assist the lives of many here.... the beautiful yet marginalized individuals on this continent.... and I couldn't be more honored for this privilege and the position He has given me.

Karama was started about 4-5 years ago to support marginalized individuals in Africa by giving them sustainable work, with fair wages, which in turn gives them lasting DIGNITY.  We do this by purchasing *beautiful* hand-crafted products from them {jewelry/scarves/bags/home goods} and selling them in the States.  Many of the artisans we support are disabled or HIV+, and the others are otherwise marginalized in society and would likely be reduced to a life of poverty and begging if it weren't for the provision provided by the employment we help give them.  We partner with many other established organizations (other non-profits who work with local marginalized people to give them sustainable work)- by purchasing & selling products from them (and in turn increasing the impact they are making in the lives of these artisans)- as well as supporting other disadvantaged artisans we have developed relationships with (by selling their beautiful items and training them in their skills in the process so that they are set up for more long-term success and sustainable employment).  There is MUCH that we do- too much to contain in one small blog post- so please check out our website for more on what we do and more on the artisans that we support (and to see some of the beautiful products that we carry) :-)  www.karamagifts.com  Proceeds from our sales also go to Young Life Africa's ministries to send kids in Africa to camp (where they have the best week of their lives!), to grow Young Life's ministry here and the eternal impact that they are making on this continent.

I am actually the first person to be on staff with Karama (and still cannot believe the honor & privilege God has entrusted me with through this role!), as it has been all volunteer-led up until this point.  Dyan Larmey (the founder) started Karama as a small vision and dream ("on the side" of her many other roles & callings here) to support disadvantaged Africans, and over the past few years it has grown to the point where it is now, where we need actual *staff* to keep running and growing things! (cue in *me*)

My year will consist of a lot of designing, relationship-building, encouraging, exhorting, loving, planning, organizing, ordering, working long days & long nights, traveling, dreaming, and following. (Following the Holy Spirit as He leads us where He intends for us to go).  I will be helping to design new products which will be marketable in the States, helping to then market those products in the states, helping to organize and run our systems so that we can function efficiently and then have much room to GROW, helping to develop our relationships further with the artisans we support, and acting as a voice to people in the West to "defend the cause of the poor and needy" (Jer. 22:16.... a verse God just keeps bringing me back to....).  There is SO much opportunity and potential ahead of me and all of us associated with Karama.... to GROW and GROW....  and to thus grow the impact we are making in the lives of the disadvantaged here.  I deeply covet your prayers as I move forward and go where God is calling me to go (and all of us at Karama).  I truly could not do this work without the prayers of others!  (please never underestimate the *huge* and *eternal* impact prayer makes!!)

Some of the beautiful women we support.... These women make our paper bead necklaces in Uganda (beads which are each hand-made by individually rolling recycled scraps of paper.... turning otherwise discarded pieces into something of value & beauty.... one of our favorite purposes at Karama :-))

 

The Karama Mamas :)

(on a trip here to Tanzania from the States last year)

Dyan Larmey (Founder) is on the right and Jill Morley (soon to be Executive Director) is in the pink.

Each of the other ladies (Heather, Jane, Susan, Kim) is hugely important to Karama and helps make it what it is (by investing *huge* hours on a volunteer basis!)

SO thankful for these incredible women and SO humbled to be part of what God is doing through Karama!

********

Stay tuned for more stories about Karama and the beautiful people we support.

And check out our Karama Blog in the meantime! http://www.karamagifts.com/blog/