In all your ways acknowledge Him

In keeping with the soundtrack tradition, play the song below before you scroll!

On my street. My house is at the end on the right (hidden behind the white one)

“When God asks you to go, that's okay. Whatever that means you have to give up or miss out on, that's okay. Whatever you are afraid of or anxious about, whatever causes you to feel bitter, whatever you look back at longingly, that's okay.... Take a moment and thank God that he doesn't seek to change his plan to fit our wants and needs, but instead seeks to change us for the better."

I typed the above excerpt in a sticky-note on my computer desktop on May 22, 2014, a few days after I learned that I was going to Benin. At the time I knew I couldn't even imagine all that God had in store for this journey. And whaddaya know, I was right. I'm learning that road you walk with God begins the moment you perceive God's voice and choose to follow it away from the complacent, stationary life, and then continues on from there until you choose to step off of it. But there are no shortcuts.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and lean not on your own understanding."

Proverbs 3:5

Sometimes I think these words gets over-used, to the point that we don't even read the verse anymore when someone references it. But the number of times my understanding and God's way have pointed in two opposite directions have proved their relevance. It's relatively easy to trust God when he takes us on exciting and fun adventures.

But when I face difficulties and emotional lows here, there's nothing "funny" or "adventurous" about it. In frustrating moments, I'm often tempted to act and speak in ways that are less than what God calls us to.

On January 7th, in my journal: "When my desire to follow the world is screaming much louder than my desire to follow God, my conviction that following God is still the [right] choice needs to be there."

If you're familiar with Proverbs 3:5, you've probably met its conjoined twin:

"In all your ways acknowledge Him,

and he will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:6

What an encouragement to know that when we make God the Lord of everything we do--not just the Lord of our Bible study and worship, but Lord of our grocery shopping and Lord of family discussions, too--He is ready to meet us where we are, to be our gentle shepherd, and to lead us back to the path we wandered away from, where he delights to walk with us, and we with him. When we practice listening directly to God in every chapter of the day, we don't need to worry about extraneous voices telling us what we should do, or what God expects from us. I have a story to show what I'm talking about.

One day I was with Paulin filming a bridal shower. We were invited to share a meal with all the guests afterwards. The main dish was a West African specialty called "pâte", which literally means "paste". It is the grey-est food I have ever seen. But it's not as bad as it sounds! I frequently enjoy it with my host family or at work for lunch. Anyway, when someone brought us our food, she gave a plate of pâte and vegetables to Paulin, and to me she gave a box of crackers, and apologized, "We weren't sure what you would like to eat, since you don't eat pâte." We were surprised, because no one there had actually asked me whether I liked pâte! The assumption was that white people don't eat traditional Beninese food. It was kind of them to consider my needs, but Paulin helped me to politely explain that I do eat pâte. Relieved, they kindly brought me a plate identical to his.

Here's my point. As it turns out, what other people think God says or wants, or what I hope God says or wants, is certainly not the same as what God actually says and what He actually wants. So it's good to consult Him directly. He appreciates that. :)

And now for something completely different

For the second part of this post, you'll have to finish or stop the song that played for the first part of this post, and play this one instead. Then scroll down and enjoy this series of totally unrelated photos that illustrate some other fun shenanigans around Cotonou :)

(I know they're singing about volcanoes in central America, but just ignore that)

Last year my host sister Lowi completed her internship, which is one of the final stages of a university education in Benin. After their internship, Beninese students deliver a presentation (a "soutenance") about their internship experience, and what they learned. Lowi and her partner spent a lot of time preparing, and then Lowi invited many family and friends to support her for her soutenance, and I got to be the photographer :)

Lowi and her partner presenting (Sorry, the room was a little dark)

Luckily, Lowi and her partner passed. They were both so relieved and happy, and I can understand why!

Lowi and Sejes after she passed. Smiles all around!

 Elisabeth and I came back to the "swimmable" beach another time. It's a fun change of scenery. This time, I took a hike out on the rocks that block the waves, and encountered some fishermen. Very interesting to see.

The massive rock wall that protects the beach from huge waves

A fisherman on the rocks by the beach

 While I was working in the kitchen one day, one of my other host sisters came up the stairs and found me doing my dishes. "Where is your camera? I want to take your picture!" It was a really sweet gesture.

My sister Justine insisted on taking my picture while I was in the kitchen :)

A young boy carefully observes the yovo in her natural environment
(a.k.a. me in my office)

Enjoying the local fruit--the mangoes are amazing!!

One day I decided to bring a book to the beach to relax. I had been reading in the shade for at least an hour when I heard a distinct *chink-chink* sound coming from very close by. I looked up to see that kid on the right standing less than three feet in front of me! He was holding what appeared to be an empty tomato sauce can. I was so surprised that I began to laugh. His friends came over and struck poses next to him. They were pretty good! No one cracked a smile. I caved and gave them some change in exchange for the laughs and this picture.

Boys acting as human statues at the beach. 

A Harmattan Sunset

Cool, dry, dust. Three words to neatly sum up the season West Africans call harmattan. While all my co-workers arrive at the office and wear their jackets all the way through morning prayer to warm up after "braving the cold", I come bouncing in with more energy than I've had in months, because it was only 72 degrees this morning! (It dips all the way to a chilly 65 overnight...) They all know that I'm loving this weather. :)

When many westerners think of an African sunset, perhaps it's a red sky and sprawling orange light, à la Lion King (just add an acacia silhouette and the image is complete). But the harmattan sunset is truly a unique and beautiful sight. The sun actually disappears behind the layer of dust that hangs in the air, and it's invisible by the time it reaches the horizon. From my rooftop, where I took these photos one evening, it's possible to hear the call to prayer resonating from a nearby mosque, which provides the perfect background music to a truly beautiful scene.

Walking in an 85-and-dusty wonderland

Happy New Year everyone!

I'm sorry I was not a very prolific blogger in the month of December. Wycliffe Benin had a holiday break between December 20 and January 5, which to me sounded like a great opportunity to sit down and write a monthly update and send my best wishes to all my readers, but I think I got a little carried away with the restful hiatus.. All the same, I'd like to wish each of my readers many very warm albeit one-week-belated New Years blessings! May the God of peace and all worthy joys reign in your hearts, homes, and families in 2015.

Here goes my holiday update... (Can't forget the soundtrack! Press play and keep reading...)

Advent

I knew I wanted to be deliberate about celebrating Advent, the weeks leading up to Christmas. In a way, being removed from the commercialization that often surrounds Christmas in the US meant I had a special opportunity to focus on the true reason for the holiday without so many distracting preoccupations. I had a candle that I had brought along in my luggage, which became my Advent candle... It's cherry scented!

And thus, nightly Advent Bible studies on the floor of my still-unfurnished living room became my pre-Christmas tradition. Funny how being deliberate about carving out time to spend with God actually helps you to focus! It was so nice to have this special time to relax and unwind in the Word at the end of the day.

During these times of reflection, I journaled quite a bit. In one entry, I took time to reflect on cultural differences that I encounter in Benin, and focused on seeing these differences not as obstacles but as opportunities to learn new things about the character of God and the world that he has made.

For example, in moments when I'm impatient and tempted to say, "This shouldn't take so long," I forget that love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4). That means appreciating what is going on and valuing each moment for what it is comes before efficiency.

In moments when I feel like everyone is too preoccupied with "my business", I forget (in addition to the fact that Americans are fiercely protective of their privacy compared to Africans) that God, in his infinite love, knows everything about me (Psalm 139:1), every part of my body and mind. When someone asks about "my business", it is a way of showing that they care about me in a similar way, and I don't have to worry.

Christmas

December is a time of year when things start to cool down ever-so-slightly in this region of African. It's a season known as Harmattan, and it has something to do with dust being blown down from the Sahara Desert, and the wind makes it feel considerably less hot and much drier throughout Benin for a matter of weeks. The difference becomes more noticeable the further north you travel, but even in Cotonou, what appears to be fog in the distance is in fact a residing cloud of Harmattan dust. Objects left out, even indoors, can be found with a fine layer of dust after just one night. But the cooler temperature is quite refreshing!

For Christmas I was invited by an American missionary couple, Nancy and Terry, to stay for a few days at their home in a village called Azové, which is several hours northwest of Cotonou. I was so excited at the prospect of spending Christmas with other Americans and enjoying some familiar traditions! My host family was fine with me traveling for Christmas, since New Years is usually the main holiday that families spend together. So on December 23, I was off!

The journey involved a taxi ride to a village called Doutou, where I met up with another missionary, Marianne. Interestingly, there were no other passengers in my taxi, just two full-size fridges--one in the back (pictured below), and one on the roof. On the way I bought some bread for 100 francs (about 20 cents) and enjoyed a little brunch. The whole way to Doutou, I could barely contain my excitement to finally arrive and spend four whole days with other Americans!

Me 'n' the fridge.

I was in luck, because having no other passengers meant the driver could drop me off right at Marianne's doorstep. Later that day, Marianne and I set out down the dusty roads in a borrowed pick-up truck, and arrived at Nancy and Terry's in time for dinner (grilled cheese sandwiches, I could have cried with joy).

The lovely Christmas tree that greeted us on our arrival was a sight for sore eyes, and the familiar Christmas tunes playing on the stereo were a sound for sore ears! Back in Minnesota, I know my dad was treating my mom and other visitors to an endless variety of Christmas music. In Azové, Terry spoiled us with the Christmas carols from around the world, and my personal favorite, the Trans-Siberian Ochestra. I was so thankful to Nancy and Terry for welcoming us into their home. It was a wonderful retreat from constant cultural adjustment and adaptation that, if you can believe it, can be tiring after a few months! We watched movies--in English! And had interesting conversations--in English! I was on cloud nine the entire time, and had great company to enjoy it with :D 

Enjoying Christmas cookies

I wish I had gotten a photo of the four of us together, because Nancy, Terry, and Marianne were really like my family for Christmas. The one at the table is the closest I got to a group picture. But their hospitality and kindness will not soon be forgotten!

After Christmas

The Sunday after Christmas, back in Cotonou, my friend Elisabeth from church invited me to attend a Christmas concert with her and her husband. It was fantastic! There was a curtain that opened, and a choir and an orchestra who played and sang festive music from many parts of the world. It was reminiscent of many past Christmases when I would attend or was part of similar Christmas concerts. Many fond memories! I am constantly thankful to Elisabeth for inviting me to things like this. She is originally from Switzerland, but has lived in Benin for a good number of years, and knows about many interesting things to do in town.

A few days later, Elisabeth again picked me up, and we had an afternoon outing at the beach with a couple other missionaries/volunteers. It was a beach I had not yet visited, with a row of large rocks built out from the shore to block the big waves, making it safe to swim. Concrete shelters provided space to sit in the shade. The water was fine, just cool enough that it felt absolutely wonderful to float and relax and enjoy the sunshine. This whole journey has been a huge line of firsts, and now I can add "Swimming in the ocean in December" to the list!

New Years

For New Years, I was back with my host family. On New Years Eve we attended a church service where we worshiped/prayed in the new year. It was definitely a night to remember, with lots of dancing and music! What a cool way to celebrate God's goodness throughout the past year, and confide in Him all of our hopes for the year to come...

On that day, they will say,

"Surely this is our God;

we trusted in Him, and He saved us.

This is the Lord, we trusted in Him;

let us rejoice and be glad in our salvation."

-Isaiah 25:9

For your love is ever before me,

and I walk continually in your truth.

-Psalm 26: 3

I know that my redeemer lives,

and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

Job 19:25