Photo Update

I know it has been awhile since my last update and I have exciting things to share how God has been working in my life and lives here in Mango.  However, I will have to leave you with that little teaser for now.  In the meantime, here are some photos of life here in Mango!

Mango has some great sunsets!

A small village outside of Mango

The waterfalls during rainy season.  It is very dry now!

First day of school!

Wearing one of my new African skirts

Emma, our guard dog

Wedding party in the street

Learning some new skills while here

My first package!

6 Ways

Here are 6 ways to know that you are living in Africa.

1.  You are stared at everywhere you go every. single. time.

2.  Goats bleating from sun-up to sun-down.

3.  It becomes "normal" to have random times of no power or water.

4.  Everything is listed as seasons: rainy season, hot season, buggy season, termite season, etc.

5.  Cars, trucks, and motos are all overpacked beyond capacity.

6.  Most days you throw up your hands over something and say, "Wa-Wa".  West Africa Wins Again

Some Snapshots

What?!  Two posts in one day?  You better believe it!  Here are some photos of my first two weeks in Togo.

My grocery helper

The taxi van loaded with all of our gear

The best way to keep your head from bouncing around on the road north

A typical scene on one of the mountain passes

Before the storm

After the storm

The view from the road between Kara and Mango

Game day in Togo!

The pouring rain

Fried caterpillars

The Everyday Struggle

It has been a little over two weeks since arriving in Togo.  Mango is green and beautiful right now since it is the rainy season.  Of course with the rain comes humidity.  This Idaho girl doesn't like humidity.  I can just add it to the list of things I need to adjust to.  Let me tell you, the adjustment list is long!  It is also overwhelming!  While it is easy to get caught up in what seems to be the impossible, I recognize many of the ways that God has provided for me.

All of my luggage arrived safely and all of my flights went smoothly.  God provided a travel buddy (a businessman from my church who just happened to be flying on the same flight as me!) from Boise to Brussels and there I met up with the Molsee and Niles families for the Brussels to Lome leg.  God is good!  God has also provided amazing teammates here in Mango.  They are encouraging, sympathetic and very helpful.  They feed me, listen to me when I cry, and make me laugh.  Words cannot describe the community of missionaries that have formed in Mango.

Yet in all that good, I struggle most days with the thought of living here for the next year.  It isn't even a year, only nine months!  Some moments I want to jump on the next plane out of here and other times I get encouraged and think, "I can do it!".  It is probably a good thing that it took over 24 hours of flying and another 9 hours of driving to get here, because that is a good deterrent for leaving.  While I still have thoughts about heading home to the comfort and normal I have there, I have realized that I let fear take over my thoughts.  Fear over the dark, the bugs, the heat, the market, the cooking, living by myself, etc.  I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9:
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness."  Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

I don't mean for this post to sound all doom and gloom.  God has led me to teach in Togo and He will not abandon me here!  I rest in His power and know that His grace is sufficient for me.

Summer 2014

That Overwhelming Feeling

I am sure we all have those seasons in life where it just seems like we are drowning in details.  That seems to be the season I am in.  I am constantly making lists.  Lists for my classroom, lists of things to do outside of school and lists for preparing for Togo.  It seems that as soon as I get everything organized and feel like I have a good grasp on things, more items pile on.  How do I deal with it?  Well, sometimes there is crying (okay, a lot of crying) and other times I just ignore it all and put it off for another day.  How should I deal with it?  Take it to the Lord.  I need to be constantly in prayer and committing my plans to Him.  I don't do this as much as I should.  What do I know?  God is good.  I am excited for this path He has put me on and I pray I can do it for His glory.

I memorized Psalm 63:1-4 and it is a great reminder of God's sovereignty, steadfast love, and I will bless His name.

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

beholding your power and glory.

Because your steadfast love is better than life,

my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live;

in your name I will lift up my hands.

Prayer Card

Check out my prayer card!  I couldn't have put these together without the amazing help of my friends Amber and Andrea.  Check out their blogs and talents here and here.  In fact, I did little work and was blessed by their hard work!