Getting Real

The past 72 hours have been absolutely epic. In both the positive and negative senses of that word. 
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After our wives and kids left to the Bible school, Tony and I got to talking this morning (we have an hour yet to wait until we begin our teaching). We are keenly aware right now that when we set out two years ago to make this trip happen for our families, neither one of us really thought through the ramifications of that decision. Apparently what we unwittingly decided at that point was to allow God to do what he needed to do to connect with us. What that has effectively meant at the opening of this journey is that everything has immediately been taken out of our hands. 

- One of the kids had a ruptured eardrum and resulting ear infection from the 29 hours of flights it took to get here. We are far away from Kaiser. 

- Alison has a fever, the chills, and congestion that began the day we left and it hasn’t let up.
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- The airport in Dar es Salaam was just as weird as always, and we had a fairly significant mix-up on our flights that we had to try and remedy across culture, language, and sleep-deprivation barriers. 
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- As a part of our cultural engagement, we are staying in Kamala village. It is very hot, very humid, and so very different from anything we know. And our first night here also seemed to be the night the entire village decided to stay up and party all around us. The net result is that the adults in our group combined still didn’t achieve a full night of sleep. 

- Another of the kids came down with a fever this morning- the first morning of the work part of our trip.

It feels like I’m complaining. I’m not… just observing what is happening. Tony and I are very, very conscious of the reality that as men, husbands, and leaders, we are out of our depths here. We are being put in a place of utter dependence. Which for men—especially men used to having a lot of control—is the most challenging and uncomfortable place we can be. 

And then, right in the middle of our team’s morning dialogue about the struggle to adjust, a friend sent scripture. The scripture spoke of God’s power, his abundance, and his supply for every need. 

And (I kid you not) as I was reading it aloud, lightning streaked across the sky. 

I have no doubt that God intends to show his power to all of us on this trip. And—as scary as this is to admit—that He can and will do whatever it takes to open us up to that power. 
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So I ask you a favor: Pray for us, if you can, right where you are. Pray for us as hushands, as men, and as leaders who need to learn how to be led. 
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- Jake