Little Things Matter

There’s nothing like a 24-hour plane trip (from liftoff in Nashville to final touchdown in Cape Town) to help you appreciate little things you normally take for granted, and notice things you might otherwise miss.

Like sleep, for example. I was able to lie down horizontally this evening for the first time in about a day and a half, for a quick nap before dinner. It was glorious. I’ve never slept long or well on a plane, and a long trip usually turns a regular sleep pattern (if I had one) into intermittent dozing, and makes “awake” a relative term at best.

Another thing I miss on a trip like this is the sense of control over my own schedule; being a single person with no kids I have quite a lot of that, usually. But being subject to the schedule of the airlines and then the team encourages the team member to regress to early childhood: “Where do I sit? When do we leave? When do we eat? May I have a drink? I’m done with my dinner now. May I go to the restroom? How do you flush this thing? How come I can’t hear this movie? Why is that man wearing THAT? Are we there yet?” If becoming like a child is key to entering the kingdom of heaven (and we have it on good authority that it is), then travel can definitely benefit one’s spiritual life.

In reality, this trip is pretty low on the “suffering and sacrifice” scale when you look at the whole spectrum of what missionaries have gone through—and continue to go through—for the sake of the Gospel around the world. Financial hardship, isolation, threat of death (even at the hands of those being ministered to), disease…and let’s not even mention the travel conditions; it wasn’t exactly on a luxury liner that took Lottie Moon to China, and it took a lot more than 24 hours.

Yet everyone on this team has had to give something up to be here (some more than others, and most more than me); time with loved ones, time at work, opportunities to do other things that are good in themselves. Yet I seriously doubt anyone would trade what we will experience for anything in the world. A trip like this is a great “wake up call” to my soul, bringing my focus back to who I am in Christ and who He is, and what’s really important. It’s hard to do a complete “cost/benefit” analysis, because so many of both are known only to God. But I am convinced that the results, short-term and long-term, for everyone involved, directly or indirectly, are worth the cost, because He is worthy.

We Made It!

Well...we're here. 24 hours after we left and all of the luggage made it as well! No hang ups @ all...God has been SO good to us already! Upon arrival we have been able to see the whales playing off the coast, some walked the beach, we've sorted crayons for the children, eaten dinner, run through the rules and regulations of the Team House. (And yes, the ice cream freezer is FULL)

This is my first time in South Africa and what is hard for my brain to handle already is the extreme beauty and the extreme poverty residing side by side. 60% of the people here don't have running water or electricity. HIV/AIDS is out of control....the list can go on. At the same time I'm encouraged to see how God has blessed King of Kings and the Living Hope center...because of their obedience to go into their community and to take care of the poor. Erwin McManus writes "God clarifies in the midst of our obedience, not before hand."

Again...hard for me to put my mind around everything, espcially on 3 hours of sleep in the last 36ish.

With that being said...I'm off for bed.

Heather

Ready to go (?)

It's after midnight and I've set my alarm to allow me a "luxurious" 3 hours of sleep before I get up, get ready and catch my ride to the airport. I've obsessed over the details of what I might need according to the plan, what I might need to cover contingencies (like luggage loss), and tried to remember how heavy an ounce is when it gets together with its fellow ounces in my backpack (some sort of weird physics going on, where addition becomes multiplication over time) and pack it light. I admit I've been an easy target for the marketers of all things miniature; those shelves full of travel-size items have drawn my attention more than once these past few days.

My new large suitcase (a "sorry we dented your hardshell suitcase, in the rounded corner--the hardest part" gift from Delta last year) has surprised me with its capacity for...well, capacity. Not used to being able to close a suitcase without sitting on it.

I'm too tired to be excited at the moment; maybe it will hit me at some point tomorrow or the next day, when we're in the air.

Grace and Peace,
Mark

Team members

Here is the list of our team members, according to our primary assignments. Of course, most will get to do more than one thing, and our plans are all subject to change, since what we actually end up doing may be much more, much less or very different from what we expect. This is true of life in general, if you think about it; one more benefit of the missionary life.

Team Leader (our “quarterback”):
Aaron Bryant

Team Liaison:
Jay Johnson (joining us from Atlanta)

Construction:
Bill Bedi
Chad Moore
Steve Galloway
Brian Watt
Walt Miller

Children’s Clubs:
Leigh Ann Cates
Danielle Schneider
Leslie Todd
Mark Kelly Hall
Heather Proctor
Keeli Lonas

Computer work for Living Hope offices:
Jerry Clark
Bobby Stewart

Crafts:
Marsha Miller
Sue Raley
Shannon Carter

Teaching (equipping church staff in Bible-based evening courses on stewardship, etc.):
Liz Clark
Aaron Bryant

Unassigned/part-time (our “all purpose” members joining us from California):
David Horton
Kerri Horton

Awaiting the Aroma of Life

"For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?" II Corinthians 2:15-16

As we anticipate South Africa (now only 9 days away!) I can't help but think of those already ministering @ the Living Hope Center. They on a daily basis face morality of man. Every one that has come there has walked away with life more abundant. I can't imagine it's a sweet smell here on earth, but I can only imagine the fragrance in Heaven!! I'm excited to have a small part in the much larger story of God.

Heather

Looking Back...and Looking Ahead

The 2004 mission trip to South Africa, undertaken by a motley but loveable crew from TN (and 1 from FL) is now a distant yet vivid memory. But the relationships that were formed and the work that was done then continue to have their impact on both sides of the world.

We have a new group of 20 or so from Brentwood Baptist getting ready to head South again, and apparently will have some other Yanks there with us at our beloved guest house (a.k.a. Heaven Down Under). A few of us had to go back for more, and much of the team are 1st-timers.

For a verbose but hopefully entertaining recap of last year's trip, see my Notes and News entry called "South Africa: There and Back Again" (I steal from the best). You can also read all about it in previous posts to this blog (see the archive section).

And tune in again to see how the partnership between Brentwood Baptist Church and Living Hope will impact us as individuals and as a team. Sign me up for some computer time as soon as we get to Cape Town! Called it.

Mark Kelly Hall