I will update the blog from all the happenings today tomorrow since it's so late, but I wanted to send out a blog to let you know the immediate prayer requests we need to come our way for tomorrow:
1) Anna and I are having dinner with the female leader of the youth center in the Muslim community...please pray for open doors and wisdom for us as we speak and build a relationship with the girl. This is huge that we were invited to her home and that she is picking us up, so please keep it in your prayers constantly throughout the day. We are looking to have a meal with her around 7pm.
2) All five of us are going again to the park tomorrow to try and play soccer with the older boys and really just have a good time continuing to build relationships with them. Please pray that the boys show up and that there will be opportunities for us to mention God if possible...we cannot provoke, but we can answer if asked.
3) Continued unity for our entire team.
4) We have an outreach tomorrow with some kids so please pray that the kids have a great time and that they feel the love of Jesus and that God just radiates out of all of us who will be involved in the day.
5) Pray that we will be able to set up another soccer day for the boys and a rescheduled girls night with the girls for Friday evening.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Catching You Up to Speed...
Friday:learned slumdog millionaire dance, boys club, home visit, cricket, made dinner for everyone
Saturday:moved down town, worked out, showered and got dressed up, major storming
Sunday:team devotional, major storming, church, futbol game, world cup finals, major storming
Monday:team devotional, some storming, ran, girls from youth center, starting to plan, ice cream
I'll just fill you guys in on some of the major points of what happened since Friday and if you have additional questions about what I wrote above, feel free and email or post a comment on the blog and I will expand when I get some extra time. On Friday the boys got to play futbol with a few boys and spend some time with them in the boys club. The boys said that the kids were pretty mischievious and really didn't respect them and wouldn't allow them to form the teams but they instead picked their own teams. This culture is interesting and has presented us all with so many challenges in the planning and execution of things we are wanting to do. We are constantly on our toes and having to really keep in sync with the culture and the best way to just serve and love the people, knowing that there is a team on the ground here for the long haul and we want to make sure that we represent them well and don't cause any problems for them. This community is very tight knit where everyone knows each other. Reputations can be lost in the snap of a finger and typically when they go down the pot, there's no coming back. While the boys were with the young boys, us girls got to go visit the girl that we visited a couple of days ago and her brothers as well. It was a fun little visit as they wanted Anna and I to perform our dance that we learned earlier that day from Slumdog Millionarie. We were all bored earlier in the day so the boys and us girls found the dance they do to Jai-Ho in Slumdog Millionarie and definitely filmed a music video...absolutely hilarious...I promise to show you later on but it can't be put anywhere public due to the discression here. Anyways, the girl and her brothers wanted Anna and I to do it so we totally did and made fools out of ourselves, but we all had a really fun time and they all began to really open up to us. The boys wanted to teach us how to play cricket so we all went outside and played, which was fun. I had never played before or really seen it before, so it was a cool and cultural experience. The neat thing was that our host girl told us that the boys don't warm up to her friends very well and although Anna and I had done some things wrong in our visit (due to cultural standards), the boys were begging us to come back the next day, and the girl loves us and was laughing so hard the whole time we were together, so that was just God working in the midst of that situation. Oh how I love the favor of the Lord!
On Saturday we moved from the house we were staying at to the base for the organization we're working with. We are staying in a room with bunk beds and several girls in one room and community showers. I've been sleeping well so no complaints on my end. I think everyone is doing well here too, but we are just making commuting trips back and forth to the Muslim community in the car that we were given to drive, which is pretty cool. The team has trusted us with a car and a lot of freedom so that is super awesome. After leaving the Muslim community for the day we all took long showers and got all dolled up and went out to try and watch the Germany v. Uruguay game...Anna and I hadn't felt much like girls all week since we've been in super baggy clothing from head to toe in addition to having to pull our hair back everyday, so it was nice to put on a tank top, jeans and have our hair down and make-up on. It was also nice to wash my hair since it hadn't happened in a few days so that was a much needed thing. After going out we definitely went home and stormed it out with each other over some things, so that really began the storming process for the team that I talked about in the previous blog.
On Sunday I led a team devotional before we went to church. We traveled about 30 minutes to church and actually attended a very spirit-filled church that was awesome. We all loved the service and really had a great time of worship and hearing a couple from the church speak about some of their experiences in sharing about Jesus in their workplaces. It was a great time for our team to get to go to church and to go to one that was spirit-filled. It was great to just be in the house with other believers and really cry out to God. After the service the pastor announced that the church would be getting together later on to watch the finals of the World Cup at the church, but that they would also be playing a futbol match together before the game. Our ears definitely perked up, especially Anna and I since we've been unable to play as much as we've wanted to in the community we've been in. We decided that we'd do that and ended up having a great time. The boys were actually pretty good and the game was legit so that was really cool. They told me that I was the first girl to come to "Monday Night Futbol" (although it was on Sunday due to the game), so that was pretty cool becasue I was able to hang in with them well, and then Anna joined and did a great job as well. It was great to get to play and to really be challenged. It took a little bit of time for them to trust all of us that played, even the boys, but once we all proved to be "worthy" then we got more passes and more respect on the field so that was cool. All of the players weren't from the church so it was neat to see how the church was using futbol as a ministry as well. To all of their credit, the game was under control, no one was swearing or chewing the other out, and we really had a lot of fun. I believe God smiled on us as we were playing! :)
On Sunday evening we had some major storming among the group. We tried to talk it out before bedtime so that the sun wouldn't go down on our wrath, but unfortunately it did. :( I spent time in my bed praying and journaling and just asking God to convict me and speak to my heart about my attitude and my frustrations and what-not. I almost ended up setting the facility on fire as well as I decided that it would be a smart idea to lean up against a pillow over the floresent light that we each have on our bed...I started smelling a burning smell which ended up being a hole burnt through my pillow and also burned the outside of the bulb...I was thankful that I smelled it since I also have an allergy cold at the moment and so grateful that I did not start a fire because if it would have been on there any longer, I'm sure a small flame would have emerged. Thank you Jesus! When I woke up in the morning, I put on my worship music and began to read the Word and really continue to reflect over our storming. Last night I was literally ready to quit and leave my team forever and book a plane out of here. I was so angry and frustrated and had no clue how I was ever going to work with them. I told God that if marriage was anything like this then maybe I needed to stay single for the rest of my life...hahaha (but not really funny). It was bad. But thankfully God is faithful and He pointed me to an amazing set of scripture in Romans that really spoke to me and changed my heart. In our team meeting in the morning, I decided to apologize to the team and ask forgiveness on my end for my short comings and frustrations. I also told them that I'd like them to read the passages of Romans for us to discuss on Tuesday, so I think that will be great. You can just continue to pray for unity in our team.
Today was absolutely amazing. Anna and I were able to host six girls from the youth center in the Muslim community to our facility to play futbol, which never happens in this community...girls really don't meet together and they certainly don't go outside to a new location to meet with one another. That was a huge wall broken down. The girls ended up not being interested in futbol at all and we did some Tae Kwon-Do with them, and then opened up the gym for them to play pool and xbox. Anna and I were able to connect with the youth center leader and her friend that also works with her and she actually invited us to her house to talk more and get to know each other better. That was huge! We're actually going to go to her house on Thursday and she's going to pick us up so you can just be praying that she will see Jesus in Anna and I and that God gives us wisdom in the things we say to her and/or our responses to her. There are several key words we're not to say while we're here, so we really need to be intentional in everything we do and say. The girl from the youth center is definitely more modern in her approach to Islam and approaches the life of a Muslim woman a lot differently than the others in the community. She works with the girls on identity issues and also encourages the girls to do the things that they enjoy doing. We are really believing for her salvation since she has amazing reach with the community and the girls in the community. To be honest, she was the 100% best contact we could have made here to really help develop a relationship with her and really be Jesus to her. We're going to bring one of the girls on the team here with us on Thursday to meet with her since she is here long-term and will be here when we are gone so we're praying that they really connect well as well so keep that in your prayers. It's so amazing how God works. They found out that I sang and they wanted me to sing and told me that it was okay if I sang a Christian song so I ended up singing the bridge to Father of My Life, so that was really neat. We were able to share some things with them in addition to talking about neutral subjects such as human trafficking and also talked about their culture and the dynamics of home-life. I am just praying for the two girls that they will really see Jesus and accept Him as their Savior so that they can be apart of the Body of Christ, and also so they can partner with us in affecting these girls in the long-term. How amazing would it be if she was saved and was able to do identity with the girls from a Christian perspective instead of a Muslim perspective? Amazing!!! Continue to keep all of this in your prayers and I will update you all again in a day or two!
Love you much!!!
Saturday:moved down town, worked out, showered and got dressed up, major storming
Sunday:team devotional, major storming, church, futbol game, world cup finals, major storming
Monday:team devotional, some storming, ran, girls from youth center, starting to plan, ice cream
I'll just fill you guys in on some of the major points of what happened since Friday and if you have additional questions about what I wrote above, feel free and email or post a comment on the blog and I will expand when I get some extra time. On Friday the boys got to play futbol with a few boys and spend some time with them in the boys club. The boys said that the kids were pretty mischievious and really didn't respect them and wouldn't allow them to form the teams but they instead picked their own teams. This culture is interesting and has presented us all with so many challenges in the planning and execution of things we are wanting to do. We are constantly on our toes and having to really keep in sync with the culture and the best way to just serve and love the people, knowing that there is a team on the ground here for the long haul and we want to make sure that we represent them well and don't cause any problems for them. This community is very tight knit where everyone knows each other. Reputations can be lost in the snap of a finger and typically when they go down the pot, there's no coming back. While the boys were with the young boys, us girls got to go visit the girl that we visited a couple of days ago and her brothers as well. It was a fun little visit as they wanted Anna and I to perform our dance that we learned earlier that day from Slumdog Millionarie. We were all bored earlier in the day so the boys and us girls found the dance they do to Jai-Ho in Slumdog Millionarie and definitely filmed a music video...absolutely hilarious...I promise to show you later on but it can't be put anywhere public due to the discression here. Anyways, the girl and her brothers wanted Anna and I to do it so we totally did and made fools out of ourselves, but we all had a really fun time and they all began to really open up to us. The boys wanted to teach us how to play cricket so we all went outside and played, which was fun. I had never played before or really seen it before, so it was a cool and cultural experience. The neat thing was that our host girl told us that the boys don't warm up to her friends very well and although Anna and I had done some things wrong in our visit (due to cultural standards), the boys were begging us to come back the next day, and the girl loves us and was laughing so hard the whole time we were together, so that was just God working in the midst of that situation. Oh how I love the favor of the Lord!
On Saturday we moved from the house we were staying at to the base for the organization we're working with. We are staying in a room with bunk beds and several girls in one room and community showers. I've been sleeping well so no complaints on my end. I think everyone is doing well here too, but we are just making commuting trips back and forth to the Muslim community in the car that we were given to drive, which is pretty cool. The team has trusted us with a car and a lot of freedom so that is super awesome. After leaving the Muslim community for the day we all took long showers and got all dolled up and went out to try and watch the Germany v. Uruguay game...Anna and I hadn't felt much like girls all week since we've been in super baggy clothing from head to toe in addition to having to pull our hair back everyday, so it was nice to put on a tank top, jeans and have our hair down and make-up on. It was also nice to wash my hair since it hadn't happened in a few days so that was a much needed thing. After going out we definitely went home and stormed it out with each other over some things, so that really began the storming process for the team that I talked about in the previous blog.
On Sunday I led a team devotional before we went to church. We traveled about 30 minutes to church and actually attended a very spirit-filled church that was awesome. We all loved the service and really had a great time of worship and hearing a couple from the church speak about some of their experiences in sharing about Jesus in their workplaces. It was a great time for our team to get to go to church and to go to one that was spirit-filled. It was great to just be in the house with other believers and really cry out to God. After the service the pastor announced that the church would be getting together later on to watch the finals of the World Cup at the church, but that they would also be playing a futbol match together before the game. Our ears definitely perked up, especially Anna and I since we've been unable to play as much as we've wanted to in the community we've been in. We decided that we'd do that and ended up having a great time. The boys were actually pretty good and the game was legit so that was really cool. They told me that I was the first girl to come to "Monday Night Futbol" (although it was on Sunday due to the game), so that was pretty cool becasue I was able to hang in with them well, and then Anna joined and did a great job as well. It was great to get to play and to really be challenged. It took a little bit of time for them to trust all of us that played, even the boys, but once we all proved to be "worthy" then we got more passes and more respect on the field so that was cool. All of the players weren't from the church so it was neat to see how the church was using futbol as a ministry as well. To all of their credit, the game was under control, no one was swearing or chewing the other out, and we really had a lot of fun. I believe God smiled on us as we were playing! :)
On Sunday evening we had some major storming among the group. We tried to talk it out before bedtime so that the sun wouldn't go down on our wrath, but unfortunately it did. :( I spent time in my bed praying and journaling and just asking God to convict me and speak to my heart about my attitude and my frustrations and what-not. I almost ended up setting the facility on fire as well as I decided that it would be a smart idea to lean up against a pillow over the floresent light that we each have on our bed...I started smelling a burning smell which ended up being a hole burnt through my pillow and also burned the outside of the bulb...I was thankful that I smelled it since I also have an allergy cold at the moment and so grateful that I did not start a fire because if it would have been on there any longer, I'm sure a small flame would have emerged. Thank you Jesus! When I woke up in the morning, I put on my worship music and began to read the Word and really continue to reflect over our storming. Last night I was literally ready to quit and leave my team forever and book a plane out of here. I was so angry and frustrated and had no clue how I was ever going to work with them. I told God that if marriage was anything like this then maybe I needed to stay single for the rest of my life...hahaha (but not really funny). It was bad. But thankfully God is faithful and He pointed me to an amazing set of scripture in Romans that really spoke to me and changed my heart. In our team meeting in the morning, I decided to apologize to the team and ask forgiveness on my end for my short comings and frustrations. I also told them that I'd like them to read the passages of Romans for us to discuss on Tuesday, so I think that will be great. You can just continue to pray for unity in our team.
Today was absolutely amazing. Anna and I were able to host six girls from the youth center in the Muslim community to our facility to play futbol, which never happens in this community...girls really don't meet together and they certainly don't go outside to a new location to meet with one another. That was a huge wall broken down. The girls ended up not being interested in futbol at all and we did some Tae Kwon-Do with them, and then opened up the gym for them to play pool and xbox. Anna and I were able to connect with the youth center leader and her friend that also works with her and she actually invited us to her house to talk more and get to know each other better. That was huge! We're actually going to go to her house on Thursday and she's going to pick us up so you can just be praying that she will see Jesus in Anna and I and that God gives us wisdom in the things we say to her and/or our responses to her. There are several key words we're not to say while we're here, so we really need to be intentional in everything we do and say. The girl from the youth center is definitely more modern in her approach to Islam and approaches the life of a Muslim woman a lot differently than the others in the community. She works with the girls on identity issues and also encourages the girls to do the things that they enjoy doing. We are really believing for her salvation since she has amazing reach with the community and the girls in the community. To be honest, she was the 100% best contact we could have made here to really help develop a relationship with her and really be Jesus to her. We're going to bring one of the girls on the team here with us on Thursday to meet with her since she is here long-term and will be here when we are gone so we're praying that they really connect well as well so keep that in your prayers. It's so amazing how God works. They found out that I sang and they wanted me to sing and told me that it was okay if I sang a Christian song so I ended up singing the bridge to Father of My Life, so that was really neat. We were able to share some things with them in addition to talking about neutral subjects such as human trafficking and also talked about their culture and the dynamics of home-life. I am just praying for the two girls that they will really see Jesus and accept Him as their Savior so that they can be apart of the Body of Christ, and also so they can partner with us in affecting these girls in the long-term. How amazing would it be if she was saved and was able to do identity with the girls from a Christian perspective instead of a Muslim perspective? Amazing!!! Continue to keep all of this in your prayers and I will update you all again in a day or two!
Love you much!!!
Let the storming begin!
So management literature tells us that a team goes through five stages on the way to becoming a true team: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning...we have officially entered the storming phase here! Although it is a healthy and necessary aspect for all teams to go through, it is a very painful and frustrating process. We are definitely a family here and frustrations with one another and with the team are coming out. The enemy is at work to come in and cause division, but we are pressing through and continuing to discuss, pray and work through the trials and frustrations. We believe that God has huge things planned for us while we are here--we are already seeing many walls come down in just this short time--so you better believe that Satan will attack at this point. Please keep our team in your prayers for unity, patience, grace and love with one another. The last couple of days were rough, but thank Jesus we stormed it out for those days and really got back on board making sure we were praying and doing our team devotionals with each other and today was a fantastic day (I will write about it in the next blog). Greater things are yet to come!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Day of Prayer
Today was a very long day for us as we traveled into the city and spent the day in prayer with the whole team here. We prayed with "our senses" so we had various rooms devoted to sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell and specific things for us to pray about in each room. It was really neat because the team set everything up for us and there was literature to read and my heart just broke for some of the things that I read that we prayed about. For instance, Dalits (aka untouchables) are considered the lowest class of the caste system and basically trash in the Muslim society. No one wants to touch them, talk to them or value them so they are nothing to everyone. it absolutely broke my heart for these people. How could they continue to follow a religion like Islam that so devalues them? We need to really pray for these people. The whole time of prayer was awesome and we really got to pray for some different things that I never even knew about so it was great. We had a meal with the whole team and just spent some good quality time together.
After the day of prayer we got to meet with the guy who runs sports ministry in Pakistan and the guy who runs sports ministry in Egypt. It was so awesome to talk to them and hear about how their ministry is going and where we could fit into the mix if we ever decide to be a part of their team. Unfortuntatly there are no playing opportunities for Anna and I there, but you never know what God may have planned and in store for me! I'm just opened to be used at this point and these Muslim people absolutely need Jesus!
We just got home a few minutes ago so we'll be resting and relaxing the rest of the evening. Tomorrow and Saturday are big days for us so I will keep you all posted! Continue to keep us in your prayers!
After the day of prayer we got to meet with the guy who runs sports ministry in Pakistan and the guy who runs sports ministry in Egypt. It was so awesome to talk to them and hear about how their ministry is going and where we could fit into the mix if we ever decide to be a part of their team. Unfortuntatly there are no playing opportunities for Anna and I there, but you never know what God may have planned and in store for me! I'm just opened to be used at this point and these Muslim people absolutely need Jesus!
We just got home a few minutes ago so we'll be resting and relaxing the rest of the evening. Tomorrow and Saturday are big days for us so I will keep you all posted! Continue to keep us in your prayers!
Testing the Waters
Yesterday was an absolutely amazing day for all of us. The morning started off by us walking around the town and going shopping for a few more appropriate things to wear. It was a lot of fun going in the different shops and yes, I definitely bought some stuff that is amazing...I cannot wait to sport my new gear! It is interesting walking on the streets and really trying to fit into the culture. We cannot hold the gaze of a man for longer than a blink and we have to be covered up, except that we do not cover our heads...if we cover our heads, they will think that we are converted Muslims. I was a lot more relaxed walking around the town than the day before and felt like I could be myself a little more, so that was really good.
We had a sit down meeting with our head leader guy and the other guy that is the leader of the program facility that we are working at. It was a little bit frustrating/confusing because they kind-of reversed some of the things they had told us the day before, so now they told us that Anna and I could go play futbol (soccer) with the boys in the park as long as the boys were with us and that we were covered up on the bottom with pants, but they did allow us to wear t-shirts. I was a bit frustrated because I felt like this meeting was almost exactly opposite as the last meeting where I cried, so I was just confused and wanted to know who was telling me the right thing (not that it was wrong, but it just was conflicting messages). I of course expressed my feelings openly, but respectfully, because I want to make sure that I am doing what I need to be doing for the culture, and also for the team on the ground here. I want to be a good representation of the team, and of Jesus. They cleared up some things so the verdict was that we would go to the park after our meeting and try to lure some kids in to play futbol.
After the meeting, we walked to the park and first went in the little youth center that is near by. We talked to the girl that runs the center and she said there are a group of girls that come in on Mondays that she works with and so we scheduled them to come to our facility to do indoor soccer with them this coming Monday, and then also to do tae kwon-do with Vlad once Anna and I are finished working with them and spending time with them. It is so neat how God opens doors. I was so distraught after the first day thinking there was no way I'd be able to share my passion with these girls/boys at all, but God really opened the door for that to happen and we are definitely looking forward to Monday evening. While we were in the youth center, there were some teenage boys in there and they saw us with futbols and asked if we wanted to play a match...to which we responded, "absolutely yes!!!"
We played the match on a basketball court that is also converted to a futbol court. We played our team verses the Pakistani boys. It was an absolute blast! At first the boys thought that Anna and I sucked and that we were pushovers and got super cocky...that changed REAL quick! hahahaha...we took them to school a few times which was absolutely hilarious so they really respected us as players. They were very respectful of us on the court and we really had a good time with them. We had to make sure that we didnt't hold conversations with them for longer than a minute...we still aren't supposed to look in their eyes for more than a blink, which we definitely screwed up on, but it'll get better. Unfortunately we lost both games, hahaha, but it was so much fun regardless, and the boys really had a lot of fun too. It will be great for us to continue to meet these boys from time-to-time to really be able to build a relationship with them and continue to pray for them so that we get ministry opportunities with them to tell them about Jesus. You all can definitely be praying for the boys that we are playing with that God will begin to soften their hearts and open their eyes to a revelation of the truth. Pray for wisdom for all of us in conducting ourselves...pray for Anna and I to really do what is necessary in the culture, even though it is extremely difficult for us, and pray for our boys to really be able to get in there and build strong relationships with the boys since it would be inappropriate for Anna and I to do so.
There is much frustration for me in all of this because I so want to develop relationships with the boys and minister to them through sport, but it is just not possible for us to do so because of the culture. It breaks my heart, but I need to be flexible and really focus my attention on the girls and really encourage and support our boys to be the ones to get in there and build the relationships and make an impact through futbol. Anna and I will focus more on the girls, and we can plays futbol with them, but it is more private. We also have to be careful not to empower them too much because the culture is soooo different. While I may think that they should get to play if they want to, they may not really want that, and honestly, they really can't due to the culture and the way the Muslim world works...it is so sad and unfortunate. I have to remember as well that just because it is desired in my culture or I may think things should be done a certain way, I do not know it all and those that work specifically with this culture really have the wisdom we need to help make it work. Just pray for strength for Anna and I as we are having to learn some different things and really just submit to what is going on here. This is the first time that this team has decided to try sports ministry, so we are pioneers for the program. We are essentially testing the waters and challenging ways of doing things as well to see what works and what doesn't work. They have a lot of faith and trust in us, but it will take a lot of prayer, work and effort to really get a sports program going here on a consistent basis as these things typically take a lot of time. For instance, it took over a year to get full permission to start running an exercise class for the women just once a week. Please pray for open hearts and minds, favor and wisdom for us and those in charge of the program in helping to start a sports ministry here.
Anna and I got to go with a friend here to visit a 18-year old Muslim girl at her house and really just spend some time with here being girls and talking about anything and everything. She painted henna tattoos on our hands and made us some amazing samosas so that was pretty cool! Our friend here has been building a relationship with here for over a year now, so it was really exciting to see how much she has changed since when they first became friends. She has a great view of what Christians are like and has really made huge strides in her life. She used to drink and smoke and do a lot of terrible things, but she hasn't been doing any of that stuff anymore. Unfortunately, she had cuts on her wrist when we went over there, so we need to just continue to hold her up in prayer that she will know who she is in Jesus. She said if it wasn't for our friend here be-friending her, she wouldn't be alive...that is the power of Jesus and the power of relationships. Please continue to pray. Anna and I will be meeting with her a few more times as well so pray for wisdom and opportunities to speak into her life about Jesus, her identity and anything else that she is facing.
We had a sit down meeting with our head leader guy and the other guy that is the leader of the program facility that we are working at. It was a little bit frustrating/confusing because they kind-of reversed some of the things they had told us the day before, so now they told us that Anna and I could go play futbol (soccer) with the boys in the park as long as the boys were with us and that we were covered up on the bottom with pants, but they did allow us to wear t-shirts. I was a bit frustrated because I felt like this meeting was almost exactly opposite as the last meeting where I cried, so I was just confused and wanted to know who was telling me the right thing (not that it was wrong, but it just was conflicting messages). I of course expressed my feelings openly, but respectfully, because I want to make sure that I am doing what I need to be doing for the culture, and also for the team on the ground here. I want to be a good representation of the team, and of Jesus. They cleared up some things so the verdict was that we would go to the park after our meeting and try to lure some kids in to play futbol.
After the meeting, we walked to the park and first went in the little youth center that is near by. We talked to the girl that runs the center and she said there are a group of girls that come in on Mondays that she works with and so we scheduled them to come to our facility to do indoor soccer with them this coming Monday, and then also to do tae kwon-do with Vlad once Anna and I are finished working with them and spending time with them. It is so neat how God opens doors. I was so distraught after the first day thinking there was no way I'd be able to share my passion with these girls/boys at all, but God really opened the door for that to happen and we are definitely looking forward to Monday evening. While we were in the youth center, there were some teenage boys in there and they saw us with futbols and asked if we wanted to play a match...to which we responded, "absolutely yes!!!"
We played the match on a basketball court that is also converted to a futbol court. We played our team verses the Pakistani boys. It was an absolute blast! At first the boys thought that Anna and I sucked and that we were pushovers and got super cocky...that changed REAL quick! hahahaha...we took them to school a few times which was absolutely hilarious so they really respected us as players. They were very respectful of us on the court and we really had a good time with them. We had to make sure that we didnt't hold conversations with them for longer than a minute...we still aren't supposed to look in their eyes for more than a blink, which we definitely screwed up on, but it'll get better. Unfortunately we lost both games, hahaha, but it was so much fun regardless, and the boys really had a lot of fun too. It will be great for us to continue to meet these boys from time-to-time to really be able to build a relationship with them and continue to pray for them so that we get ministry opportunities with them to tell them about Jesus. You all can definitely be praying for the boys that we are playing with that God will begin to soften their hearts and open their eyes to a revelation of the truth. Pray for wisdom for all of us in conducting ourselves...pray for Anna and I to really do what is necessary in the culture, even though it is extremely difficult for us, and pray for our boys to really be able to get in there and build strong relationships with the boys since it would be inappropriate for Anna and I to do so.
There is much frustration for me in all of this because I so want to develop relationships with the boys and minister to them through sport, but it is just not possible for us to do so because of the culture. It breaks my heart, but I need to be flexible and really focus my attention on the girls and really encourage and support our boys to be the ones to get in there and build the relationships and make an impact through futbol. Anna and I will focus more on the girls, and we can plays futbol with them, but it is more private. We also have to be careful not to empower them too much because the culture is soooo different. While I may think that they should get to play if they want to, they may not really want that, and honestly, they really can't due to the culture and the way the Muslim world works...it is so sad and unfortunate. I have to remember as well that just because it is desired in my culture or I may think things should be done a certain way, I do not know it all and those that work specifically with this culture really have the wisdom we need to help make it work. Just pray for strength for Anna and I as we are having to learn some different things and really just submit to what is going on here. This is the first time that this team has decided to try sports ministry, so we are pioneers for the program. We are essentially testing the waters and challenging ways of doing things as well to see what works and what doesn't work. They have a lot of faith and trust in us, but it will take a lot of prayer, work and effort to really get a sports program going here on a consistent basis as these things typically take a lot of time. For instance, it took over a year to get full permission to start running an exercise class for the women just once a week. Please pray for open hearts and minds, favor and wisdom for us and those in charge of the program in helping to start a sports ministry here.
Anna and I got to go with a friend here to visit a 18-year old Muslim girl at her house and really just spend some time with here being girls and talking about anything and everything. She painted henna tattoos on our hands and made us some amazing samosas so that was pretty cool! Our friend here has been building a relationship with here for over a year now, so it was really exciting to see how much she has changed since when they first became friends. She has a great view of what Christians are like and has really made huge strides in her life. She used to drink and smoke and do a lot of terrible things, but she hasn't been doing any of that stuff anymore. Unfortunately, she had cuts on her wrist when we went over there, so we need to just continue to hold her up in prayer that she will know who she is in Jesus. She said if it wasn't for our friend here be-friending her, she wouldn't be alive...that is the power of Jesus and the power of relationships. Please continue to pray. Anna and I will be meeting with her a few more times as well so pray for wisdom and opportunities to speak into her life about Jesus, her identity and anything else that she is facing.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Among the Veils...
Greetings from our newest destination. We are living in a Pakistani community among Muslims in the area where we are ministering. We got in late last night and today was our first day to be briefed on some of the stuff we will be doing while we are here for the two weeks. It was an extremely emotional day for me and for a couple of my other teammates. The day started off with the team in the location talking about how their weeks went. We then went on to learn about the culture where we are staying and how we will be living for the next two weeks. I began to cry when I learned that girls and boys in this community do not play sport together, and that girls basically do not play in public. Anna and I were under the impression that we would be playing soccer with the girls and running sports camps with the boys, but this is not the case. It was absolutely heart breaking for me to hear that and just frustrating that a culture could devalue women so much. The boys are welcome to play, however the girls are not. My heart broke for this as well since sharing my passion for soccer with the girls was something I really wanted to do, but I'm reminding myself that it's not about me...it's about God and His purposes and I'm here to serve in whatever capacity He needs me.
In the area where we are living, we have to be completely covered except for our feet, and we do not have to wear the veil over our heads, but we leave it draped on our neck just in case we need it. It is very warm here in the summer time, so the dress was a bit warm today until it cooled down a bit. Tight clothing is out, and women must wear long enough t-shirts to cover their butts and long enough jackets to cover their elbows and almost to the wrist. In carrying ourselves, we are to basically walk behind the men, and we are not allowed to make eye contact with a Muslim man or shake his hand or touch him at any time. We also are not to be touched by them. When we do talk to a man, we are to look at his shoulder or his chest or the top of his head, but eye contact is not appropriate. Smiling is also not appropriate when engaging with a male. The reason for these things is that males in the Muslim culture are extremely driven by sex and view women as objects that they just use for their enjoyment. Men have extremely wandering eyes and minds and when they look at you, you can see exactly what they're thinking and what they would want to do with you...it is disgusting. Women must keep covered to help the men not have wandering eyes and minds. There are a lot of affairs in this culture and men often seek prostitutes as well...I asked about diseases among the women, but the women basically never go to the doctor, so the answer to that question is uncertain, but most likely it is yes, there are diseases transmitted. This is only the first day, but it is taking some time to learn these things within the culture so that we can be culturally sensitive and build relationships with the people to then be able to minister to them.
We did an outreach today in the downtown area and passed out tacks and books to Muslims and non-Muslims and basically got to talk and debate with some about Christianity. It was an interesting experience trying to figure out how to engage in a conversation with a man while not looking into his eyes, but still being myself as much as possible. We just need to make sure that we do everything possible to not make life difficult for the team that stays here while we are gone, so we dress the part and act the part the whole way through because we are constantly watched and we want to make sure to build the relationship. I saw Satan working significantly today as we were passing things out in just listening to the various debates and I'm pretty sure I talked to someone who was strongly into New Age. I also got to talk to a man who acted like he knew the Bible, but was clearly a messenger from Satan sent to cause division among the Body of Christ by talking bad about the other organization who was working alongside us this afternoon. The enemy is cunning and sneaky and thank God that He gives us wisdom to discern the schemes and evil devices of the enemy. I began to just pray and pray in the Spirit to intercede. Another interesting thing was when Muslim women came to the table and picked up books and literature, a Muslim missionary was watching them and took the books from them and trashed them and told them what we were saying was rubbish. After talking to our leader tonight, we walked away with interesting insight on this: Muslim missionaries take a risk in doing this because they are basically communicating to their people that there is something to be feared about Christianity since they are so adamant about them not reading or looking at the literature. We can watch movies and preaching sermons on Islam and it wouldn't change our view about Christianity, but they fear that Christianity will change the Muslim view. The prayer for us now is for the Muslims to come to do that so that those searching and hungry will see that there is something powerful about Christianity...we are believing for those women to start to question now. Please pray for all of the lives that were touched and impacted today by our outreach.
The boys had a tough time today too seeing the culture from a different angle. A couple of them were pretty torn up watching Anna and I basically be stripped of our "natural rights" as American women. They struggled when they went to hand a leaflet to a Muslim woman who could not look them in the eyes. They so badly wanted to be there for the women, and for Anna and I. It hurt me to see them hurting as well. Men in this culture can do whatever they want, whenever they want. Our boys had to wear pants today to make sure they were culturally sensitive, especially since they are obviously not Muslim. We are all definitely being stretched and challenged in this task. We are believing for God to work in us and through us, and praying for the opportunity to come up to be able to use sports wherever God would lead us.
Over the next couple of days, Anna and I get to spend time with the women in the community and just love on them and encourage them. These women take time to open up, but once they do, there is so much hidden under the veil. Many of the women cut themselves and want to just kill themselves because it would be better than the life they are living now. My heart is breaking so badly for these women and I just want to hold them. Luckily for us girls, being touchy-feely is an okay thing and the women are very touchy with one another. (Men are also very touchy with one another and will often walk down the street holding hands, and it is not gay). This is definitely a different world and a different culture and I am getting stretched beyond belief in just this one day. I'm excited to grow and learn all I can so that I can be more understanding and compassionate and really be able to help empower women to live for Jesus and go for their goals and the things God placed on the inside of them. It is my desire to be able to encourage the girls here who love soccer to be able to play and use their talents and gifts as worship to God.
Please continue to pray for our team that is here and for safety: Niccole, Anna, Brian, Vlad and Gabr. This experience is eye opening and very difficult. Pray for wisdom for us in all situations, and pray that God will continue to give us the words to say at the appropriate time. Also pray that relationships continue to form between the team that is on the ground here and the men/women in the community. We also have teams in 3 other countries at the moment so pray for their protection, strength and growth as well in this process.
God is doing huge things in me...I have changed so much and it is just amazing to see God at work on the inside of me. I love you all very much and would love your words of encouragement for myself and for my other teammates (niccole.grimaldi@gmail.com).
Niccole
In the area where we are living, we have to be completely covered except for our feet, and we do not have to wear the veil over our heads, but we leave it draped on our neck just in case we need it. It is very warm here in the summer time, so the dress was a bit warm today until it cooled down a bit. Tight clothing is out, and women must wear long enough t-shirts to cover their butts and long enough jackets to cover their elbows and almost to the wrist. In carrying ourselves, we are to basically walk behind the men, and we are not allowed to make eye contact with a Muslim man or shake his hand or touch him at any time. We also are not to be touched by them. When we do talk to a man, we are to look at his shoulder or his chest or the top of his head, but eye contact is not appropriate. Smiling is also not appropriate when engaging with a male. The reason for these things is that males in the Muslim culture are extremely driven by sex and view women as objects that they just use for their enjoyment. Men have extremely wandering eyes and minds and when they look at you, you can see exactly what they're thinking and what they would want to do with you...it is disgusting. Women must keep covered to help the men not have wandering eyes and minds. There are a lot of affairs in this culture and men often seek prostitutes as well...I asked about diseases among the women, but the women basically never go to the doctor, so the answer to that question is uncertain, but most likely it is yes, there are diseases transmitted. This is only the first day, but it is taking some time to learn these things within the culture so that we can be culturally sensitive and build relationships with the people to then be able to minister to them.
We did an outreach today in the downtown area and passed out tacks and books to Muslims and non-Muslims and basically got to talk and debate with some about Christianity. It was an interesting experience trying to figure out how to engage in a conversation with a man while not looking into his eyes, but still being myself as much as possible. We just need to make sure that we do everything possible to not make life difficult for the team that stays here while we are gone, so we dress the part and act the part the whole way through because we are constantly watched and we want to make sure to build the relationship. I saw Satan working significantly today as we were passing things out in just listening to the various debates and I'm pretty sure I talked to someone who was strongly into New Age. I also got to talk to a man who acted like he knew the Bible, but was clearly a messenger from Satan sent to cause division among the Body of Christ by talking bad about the other organization who was working alongside us this afternoon. The enemy is cunning and sneaky and thank God that He gives us wisdom to discern the schemes and evil devices of the enemy. I began to just pray and pray in the Spirit to intercede. Another interesting thing was when Muslim women came to the table and picked up books and literature, a Muslim missionary was watching them and took the books from them and trashed them and told them what we were saying was rubbish. After talking to our leader tonight, we walked away with interesting insight on this: Muslim missionaries take a risk in doing this because they are basically communicating to their people that there is something to be feared about Christianity since they are so adamant about them not reading or looking at the literature. We can watch movies and preaching sermons on Islam and it wouldn't change our view about Christianity, but they fear that Christianity will change the Muslim view. The prayer for us now is for the Muslims to come to do that so that those searching and hungry will see that there is something powerful about Christianity...we are believing for those women to start to question now. Please pray for all of the lives that were touched and impacted today by our outreach.
The boys had a tough time today too seeing the culture from a different angle. A couple of them were pretty torn up watching Anna and I basically be stripped of our "natural rights" as American women. They struggled when they went to hand a leaflet to a Muslim woman who could not look them in the eyes. They so badly wanted to be there for the women, and for Anna and I. It hurt me to see them hurting as well. Men in this culture can do whatever they want, whenever they want. Our boys had to wear pants today to make sure they were culturally sensitive, especially since they are obviously not Muslim. We are all definitely being stretched and challenged in this task. We are believing for God to work in us and through us, and praying for the opportunity to come up to be able to use sports wherever God would lead us.
Over the next couple of days, Anna and I get to spend time with the women in the community and just love on them and encourage them. These women take time to open up, but once they do, there is so much hidden under the veil. Many of the women cut themselves and want to just kill themselves because it would be better than the life they are living now. My heart is breaking so badly for these women and I just want to hold them. Luckily for us girls, being touchy-feely is an okay thing and the women are very touchy with one another. (Men are also very touchy with one another and will often walk down the street holding hands, and it is not gay). This is definitely a different world and a different culture and I am getting stretched beyond belief in just this one day. I'm excited to grow and learn all I can so that I can be more understanding and compassionate and really be able to help empower women to live for Jesus and go for their goals and the things God placed on the inside of them. It is my desire to be able to encourage the girls here who love soccer to be able to play and use their talents and gifts as worship to God.
Please continue to pray for our team that is here and for safety: Niccole, Anna, Brian, Vlad and Gabr. This experience is eye opening and very difficult. Pray for wisdom for us in all situations, and pray that God will continue to give us the words to say at the appropriate time. Also pray that relationships continue to form between the team that is on the ground here and the men/women in the community. We also have teams in 3 other countries at the moment so pray for their protection, strength and growth as well in this process.
God is doing huge things in me...I have changed so much and it is just amazing to see God at work on the inside of me. I love you all very much and would love your words of encouragement for myself and for my other teammates (niccole.grimaldi@gmail.com).
Niccole
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