Ready

Most mornings I wake up here and have little idea what the day will hold. Arab culture is more relaxed than the pace of life at home, which leads to many unexpected knocks at the door for a visit or conversations over tea that can last so long your legs go numb. Usually only one visit or event is scheduled for the day and catching up on emails, French study, and lesson plans can only take so long. English classes begin in one week, which will lend more structure and shape to my days, but until then, I wake up in the morning both ignorant and curious of what's to come.

Imagining yourself in my shoes might seem relieving and freeing or rather aimless and disappointing. I can assure you I've felt all of those emotions in the last three weeks. My personality loves planners, schedules, and fixed plans, but the hectic days of college have left me incredulous and somewhat guilty-feeling at the possibility of an open day on the calendar.

This lack of scheduling has forced me to become available to God in a new way. I can't categorize my life here among different commitments and then check tasks off as they are accomplished. There is no time set aside that is most certainly "my time." It all belongs to God. So, I'm learning to wait on God, I'm learning to pray in a desperate kind of way, and I'm learning to live, moment by moment, as God directs me. If it's time to study, I study, if it's time to prepare, I prepare, if it's time for a visitor, I visit, if it's time to rest, I rest. And, as I learned on Friday, if it's time to explain who Jesus is to the Iranian man at the copy store, I go with it. I don't believe God will waste my unplanned time here. So far, my availability to Him and to people has provided providential encounters and purposeful conversations remarkably different from my previous "scheduled to a T" life.

I can't plan on much here, but I can act out of a deep confidence in God's Sovereignty. Part of each morning is spent praying for what I can guess will occur in the next 24 hours. But now, mornings include a profession to my Father that He knows what the day will hold, in fact He is the very one who has crafted it for me, and an expectant plea to be made ready.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24.

Food for Thought

Today marks the last day of Ramadan, the month of prayer and fasting for Muslims. Most Muslims observe Ramadan, and are more careful to pray five times per day toward Mecca during this month, as Islam dictates. Muslims observing Ramadan fast from sun up until sun down every day in order to understand the sufferings of the poor and appreciate Allah's blessings. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, and fosters a sense of community among Muslims around the world. Please pray for Muslims around the world today at the end of Ramadan, specifically that those who have been sincerely seeking God will be led to Jesus. You can learn more about Ramadan at www.30-days.net.

Here are some additional facts about Islam, courtesy of Janee's August prayer letter and the web site mentioned above:

• 1 out of every 5 people in the world is a Muslim
• 9 out of 10 Muslims have never met a Christian
• Islam is the most practiced religion here in Belgium
• There are 53.7 million Muslims living in Europe; there are 2.4 million in the United States
• More than half of the world's poor and needy are Muslims
• 75% of the world's refugees come from Muslim nations
  

Fried chicken and buttered corn

Marhabah! That's the English pronunciation for hello in Arabic. You've read that I desperately need to grasp the French language to survive here, but little did I know that I would also be learning some basic Arabic. While there is a Belgian flag displayed in the link to this blog on Gayton's web site, the two weeks I've spent in Brussels have felt more like two weeks in Morocco. The neighborhood in which I live is actually known as "Morocco II" by the residents here. Meandering into any store, I can find an abundance of seasonings, fruits, and packaged goods from Morocco or Turkey, but the only recognizable items I can find from home are Coca-Cola, Fanta, and some generic produce. Moroccans, the most prominent nationality in this neighborhood, have commented how ridiculous the idea of inviting a family member here from home would be, as it seems so much like home to them. To say that I'm a minority is an understatement.

Adjusting to life here has necessitated a fair amount of culture shock, much more than first anticipated. I was headed for Europe, which I assumed would hold striking similarities to life as I knew it, maybe even with an extra dose of sophistication. I've only encountered the Europe I imagined a few times, however, for a quick trip downtown or for the afternoon I strolled the cobblestone streets of Bruge. No elegant cafes, canals, or high fashion can be found in my neighborhood. Instead, women donning foulards (headscarves) stand in line at bakeries and butcheries, what could be casual cafes are actually bars filled with Arab men at night, and the "park" in front of our apartment consists of concrete slabs instead of grass and a few pieces of play equipment.

Besides the blaring cultural differences, simple, everyday tasks are now learning moments for me. At church on Sunday, I had to leave the restroom to ask one youth how to flush the toilet. In an attempt to blowdry my hair yesterday, I filled the entire third floor with putrid smoke from overheating the electrical adaptor. Reading the clock requires extra time to convert the numbers I see to meaningful information. Even the simplest tasks require special concentration and a request to God for patience. I've found myself longing for the familiar much more than expected. On Tuesday, that yearning led Janee and I to deep fry pieces of chicken, butter some corn, and cut up potatoes to make french fries. As much as I love the Lebanese, Syrian, and Tunisian dishes I've tried, there is comfort to be found in good 'ol American cooking. All of you at home, don't take it for granted!

The truth that God is the same in Brussels, Morocco, and the States has provided great encouragement and rest to me in a very powerful way. He is the familiar, and certainly fills and nourishes me in a way that fried chicken and buttered corn simply cannot. In many afternoons of language study and conversations over tea lately, I have asked God where He is, what He's doing, and what I am to learn in that moment. So far, it's been difficult to hear God's response in the midst of this empty, spiritually deficient place, but I've seen a few glimpses of Him. And He is big. When everything feels foreign, when expectations fail us, when I don't know how to flush a toilet, He is the familiar.

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting. I've been without internet on my computer until a nice man named Ihmad, who happens to be a computer genius, fixed it yesterday.

It hasn't been until the last few days that I've really started to feel comfortable here. The culture shock has been a lot more than anticipated, and the language barrier has been a steep one to traverse. The pictures above highlight some events from the week. Friday night we hosted youth group at Janee and Hary's home. It was a fun night, with lots of games and pizza. The youth are so fun, and really committed to each other. Earlier last week, Janee and I met with a woman with a Muslim background who is new to the church, and asked to study Scripture with her. She made us tea and we read through John 1 together, asking each other questions and discussing whatever topics came up from the text. It was a very meaningful time together. Janee and I spent one day in Bruge, with the canals and cobblestone streets. It is a very nice and touristy area, very different from where I live!
Because English classes haven't begun yet, most of what I've been doing is joining Janee and Hary to meet with women and families in their homes, or hosting whoever decides to stop by the house one day. Yesterday, we had a big Lebanese lunch with 9 Arab men from the church, which I greatly enjoyed. Three of them are getting baptized next week. Many of the single men in the church have a close community and brotherhood, and I desire to see that for the women, although it remains more difficult to create.
Janee and I are taking a day of rest today, and going to find some American food on the other side of the city. I will update you all again soon thanks to this lovely invention I now enjoy on my computer called the internet.

J'ai arrivé!

That means: "I have arrived" in French. French is the common language here shared by immigrants and white Belgians alike. I will need to learn it quickly in order to function outside of my apartment.

To say my first two days have been a blur is an understatement. My flight went smoothly, and following Janee's advice, we spent the entire day touring Brussels to keep me moving and keep my awake so I could get over jet lag faster. The center of the city is very old and parts of it are very pretty with impressive buildings and cobblestone streets, but it will have to grow on me. Just walking through it made me a bit sad. There is something dark about it. To smile at someone you pass on the street is unheard of, and materialism seems to be worshipped everywhere I look.

Last night, I accompanied Janee and Hary to visit a man in the church who just had surgery, and we ended up spending a few hours visiting him and 18 other of his extended family members. Their family was warm, loving, and although it was difficult to actually speak to anyone, I enjoyed sitting with them and playing with the kids.

To make this process easier for everyone, I will introduce you to my new friends so you can visualize my life here a little better. Above is a picture of Janee and Hary, the M's I live with. Hary is from Syria and speaks Arabic, French, and a bit of English. He is very sweet, eager to help, and loves to make me laugh. He will be in my level 2 English class beginning in a few weeks! Janee grew up in Illinois and has spent time doing missions in Africa and here in Brussels. She has been a great teacher for me so far and a comfort to be around.

Please pray for me to be able to pray. My brain is in overdrive taking so much in. It's been difficult to focus when trying to talk to God and even know when I can set aside time to do that. All I can seem to meditate on is the phrase, "God is my strength."

Tonight is Arabic Bible Study (a small group through the church) and tomorrow will be the actual church service. I'm eager to meet church members, study, and worship with them. I'll update you again when I have internet (I'm currently on Janee's computer).

*Correction: People here drive on the same side of the road as we do in the United States.

Leaving Today!

After many days of frantic errands and sad farewells, my plane leaves this evening to Brussels!  It is such a bittersweet time for me and very difficult to leave people and life here while not yet being able to visualize what God has prepared for me in Brussels.  I read Janee and Hary's (the missionaries with whom I'll be working) monthly prayer letter multiple times this morning to remind me of the work that our Sovereign God is already doing there.  Please pray for focus and perspective for me in the coming days, as well as a heart that is eager with hope to see God's power at work in people.  

Thank you for all of your support and encouragement over the last few weeks.  The calls, emails, financial support, notes, prayer, and words of wisdom I have received from Gayton, my family, and my friends are truly a source of strength for me as I prepare to leave.  God has given me great peace through your support.  I am deeply thankful for your involvement in this journey, and frankly, overwhelmed by the beauty of the Spirit moving in people's lives all around me.  God is big!

Please pray for safety as I travel.  This will be the first time I've flown over the ocean and I'm really nervous!  Also pray for smooth logistics with flight times and my layover tonight in Philadelphia.  Pray that I would connect with Janee and Hary quickly and easily once in Brussels.  Finally, please ask God to transform my sadness to leave friends and family into joy at embarking with Him on this new journey.  

Janee says the best way to get rid of jet lag is to not sleep right away, so she'll be taking my sightseeing as soon as I get arrive on European soil!  I'll update you as soon as I can.  Thank you for your commitment to seeking our Father in prayer on my behalf.