Bye Bye Baba (Dad)

I am sad to say that my dad has returned home. Our African adventure is over....for now. We had the greatest time! Many people wanted to know if we went on safari or climbed Kilimanjaro but the truth is we just did not have time! But my dad really got to see the best of Africa...the hearts of the people. We spent time in the village, visited several orphanages, went to two different churches, attended a Young Life club and just really embraced the people of Arusha.

One day we visited the home of my friend Calvin’s grandfather. He is probably in his eighties and lives in this tiny mud hut no bigger than most our walk-in closets. With four of us in there, he couldn’t close the door. He was cooking his lunch (maize and veggies) on an open stove. He spoke very little english but it was one of our absolute favorite memories. We prayed over his house and just spent some time with him. It might seem awkward to sit with someone in silence when you dont speak the same language but it’s not. Jesus totally fills the gap.

Another one of my favorite memories was when Calvin and his friend Vincent cooked dinner for us. We hiked around the village to gather all of the ingredients...avocados, bananas, rice, tomatoes, peas....yummmm. Then we went home and the two boys in their young twenties prepared for us a delicious african meal. Just as we were about to sit and eat there was a blackout....TIA. So we lit some candles and gathered around the small table and feasted in the dark. In Africa, its typically better to be home before dark or at least don’t be traveling on foot. However, this night the dinner went a little later than expected and there was no easy way for a taxi to get to us so we had to walk home. This meant traversing through rocky dirt roads, crossing a river, and hiking a path all the way back to the main road via the the little light our cell phones could provide. After dinner we prayed for safety and off we went...But as soon as we stepped outside I felt like I was in a movie...it was not nearly as dark as I feared. The Lord had lit the sky so brightly with the moon and stars it was amazing. My little heart was so content and full of wonder. I looked around and Calvin and my dad were holding hands (a sign of friendship in Tanzania) Neema was on the shoulders of Calvin’s best friend Vincent and I was just taking it all in. It was a moment of God’s faithfulness and his beauty...not just the surroundings which were magnificent, but of the bonding in true brother and sisterhood...relationships forming that will last into the Kingdom. 

Neema, Vincent, me, and Calvin

On Dad’s second to last day we had the opportunity to go and hear our friend Jennifer give her testimony to a group of Tanzanians at New Life Bible College. We arrived around 10am and in the parking lot all we heard was a chorus of voices singing! By the sound of it i imagined it to be around 1,000 people. Brother Paul asked my dad if he was ready to see Angels singing...when we walked in it was only about 150 people but they were singing and dancing their little hearts out! I had chill bumps all over and I looked at Jennifer who had tears in her eyes....we both knew we had just entered into a Holy place. We made our way down front and I was just mesmerized by the praise and worship. Clapping, dancing, hands held high, heads bowed in reverence, eyes to the sky, hearts in complete surrender. I wish I could describe this experience better, but God was there and He is indescribable. At the end Neema (who has obviously been to African church with her relatives) shouted “Hallelujah!” and everyone laughed and shouted back “Amen!!!!” When she realized she got such a response she kept on shouting “Hallelujahhhhhh” and then they would say back “Amen!” This went on three or four times and it was so funny!! 

Anyway, my dad and I had many many incredible moments like the ones mentioned above but these were just a few highlights. I am so thankful that he got a true glimpse of why I love this place. He truly experienced the Holy Spirit and was moved by the hearts of those who have little yet give so much! 
This week I have started work at Lohada and boy do I have my work cut out for me! Today the all the adaptors were missing, the computer caught a virus and just keeps turning on and off, and the printer wouldn’t work. We could not find pants to fit one of the children so he just runs around holding his pants up, and two days ago a little boy about four years old was just dropped off at our gate. His feet are deformed as they did not develop properly and he has open wounds all over his head. But he is safe now and his tummy is full so we are thankful for that. We are understaffed and need volunteers desperately but where we are weak He is strong!

Thanks for reading!

Africa Time....

One thing I love about Africa is no one is in a hurry....it really makes the day seem longer. I cant believe we have only been here 4 days we have already done so much! Wednesday morning we of course went and visited baby Neema in her village and lets just say she is not a baby anymore! She is talking so much!!! Its all swahili so who knows what she talks about all day but she doesnt seem to mind that I dont understand her. I took her with me to dinner at Alexis and Jacqui's house and we had so much fun as they were able to translate everthing for me. She is actually really witty apparently. She is doing really well, and im so happy to be with her.

We have visited Lohada and met the director and we plan to go to the second campus which is where the school is located next week. We have also already been out to Cradle of Love to see those babies and it was amazing to see how they too have grown so much! it was so fun to see all the sweet nannies who i had grown so attached to! The new infant facility is done and there were so many preemie infants, very tiny and sick. It made me so sad.

Last night Dad and I went to a restaurant called Blue Heron to see some of my friends from church play guitar and drums. It was a big reunion among a lot of our friends from last fall. It was so good to see everyone again. Life in Arusha is wonderful. The weather is perfect (about 70), the people are so lovely, and the Spirit is alive and well here!

I hope you all are doing great! I miss you!

Back to Africa....

It is Wednesday. The last few days have been a blur. I have been running around trying to get everything ready for another 6 month (ish) stint in Tanzania! I am thrilled because my dad is coming with me for the first 2 1/2 weeks and he has never been to Africa! We leave on Monday May 18th! It is a very exciting time as I know he too will fall in love with the culture and her people. I cannot wait to introduce him to this place where I have been absolutely captivated. :) 

When he leaves I will then go on to work with a Tanzanian organization called LOHADA. There are several projects within LOHADA: an orphanage, a school, a family rehabilitation program, and a program that supports the elderly. In addition to helping out with the daily needs of the children, running supplies back and forth between campuses, and filling general gaps, my main role will be to serve as the volunteer coordinator. Volunteers are one of the main ways LOHADA generates income and there are many great needs among the children and families. 

As summer approaches, if you are a high school or college student or maybe someone who is jobless at the time, please look into coming and working at Lohada for a few weeks/months. We will set you up with a Tanzanian family and provide all of your meals and perhaps take a day or two for safari! If you are interested, want more details or know someone who might be please contact me at hdupree@gmail.com

I am extremely excited to return to African soil and continue partnering with orphanages in the hope of connecting more people to the heart of Jesus. Thanks for reading and more updates to come soon!!  

www.lohada.org

just a little dose of perspective......

Pint of Beer $4.50

50 liters of fresh water $1.50

Handbag $32

Food for a week $4

Aftershave $35

Basics for new home $6.50

Sunglasses $24

Access to water $8

King of Kings

The Gospel of John has always been my favorite book of the Bible. I have to say that I recently noticed something I never have before. (I love how no matter how many times you read Scripture, there is always something to learn as it is God's living word!) But I read something recently that I just found to be really encouraging. Not only does Jesus tell his disciples that when he ascends into Heaven that they will do miracles greater than He, but even when he was with them He let them take part in His miracles. 

When Jesus turned the water to wine in Chapter 2, he could have just said the word or blinked his eyes and it would have instantly been wine....but no, he said to his servants, "Fill the jars with water." The people got to take part in his miracle.

Later in Chapter 6 when Jesus fed the 5000, he could have given all of the instructions and fed everyone himself miraculously placing food in front of each person, but no he told his disciples, "have the people sit down." When everyone had all had enough to eat he again said to them "gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." The disciples did not just stand there and watch, they were an active part of Jesus provision. 

God does not need us for His purposes, he is the King of Kings. He created the Earth and everything in it. It all belongs to Him. But how awesome that our Maker wants us to be a part of his story. He has not changed he is still performing miracles all the time and I think he longs for us to trust him enough to be a part of His glory! I hope you feel inspired to get with Jesus and do the "impossible"!! :)  

Mother May I?

Over the the last few months I have felt a bit like my life has been "on pause" or "in a time of preparation." I am working at a job I know is temporary, living at home with my parents, and in constant thought and prayer about the future. The emotions one experiences in a time such as this run from sky high to deep lonely lows. In preparing for my next steps back to Africa, I have often felt like I am in the middle of the game "Mother May I?" There have been times where I have taken leaps forward, but only to then be met with two steps backward. Then another few hops ahead oh wait take two ballerina turns the opposite direction. I wish I had been able to blog about all the ups and downs I have faced, but the truth is I have been trying to be intentional about keeping this journey private. As I seek the Lord and His will for me, I have found it best to minimize the number of voices that will try to compete with His. With that being said, I do have a great group of precious people in my life who I do go to for wisdom and counsel. People who truly know my heart and who I know are committed to praying for the will of God and are not going to only tell me what I want to hear. In John 10:4 it says "His sheep follow him because they know his voice." God speaks to me in many ways, but one of them is through these dear brothers and sisters who love me and hold me accountable. 

 A revelation I have recently realized is that living out these days until I get back to Africa is not living at all and it is not what God would have me do. I love Africa and I have a heart for the children there, but that should not be my life's passion. My ministry is every second of every day no matter where I am. I am called to LOVE. I am humbled as I am constantly renewed and restored by his grace. I am reminded that I cannot fully comprehend his greatness. Be careful because when you start to think you have got it figured out, he will peel away what we think he wants from us only to draw us into a deeper more intimate relationship with him. That is what I think is happening to me. During this time in Atlanta, I believe he is teaching me to surrender to Him in every area of my life.  I love how Jesus is constantly molding me, shaping me, and teaching me to be more like Him.  

Tin Roofs to Tin Lizzys

For the past few weeks I have been working at Tin Lizzys trying to make some money before I head back to Africa. First, can I just say that I think everyone should have to work in the service industry at at least one point in their life?! I look at restaurants so differently now. It has been a lot of fun but at times very stressful! I have learned a lot about people and how specific they can be about what they want. "Extra this...." "Hold that...." "Bring this on the side...." And unless you want to embark on World War Three you better keep the diet cokes coming! 

Working in the restaurant business has been quite eye-opening. It's just a little bit different than ministry. :) Often I find myself in the kitchen with the mexican cooks and cleaning staff. They bring me back to my heart for the Lord. They, like the people in Africa, are so unassuming and so humbling to be around. 

Jose is our main cook, his wife Dalia buses the tables, his younger brother Chava is the second cook, and Dalia's nephew, Dario also helps in the kitchen. When we speak to them in English, they respond in Spanish, so communication is fair at best. But I find that I connect with them the most. There is just something to be said about having to relate with people in ways other than talking. 

The four of them along with Jose and Dalia's three year old son Jonathan all live in one apartment. They came to the US three years ago for a "better life" but when I ask them if they like America- they tell me they would rather be at home in Mexico. Why is it that these people who come from places like Africa and Mexico where there is nothing and no opportunity want so badly to go back? 

Chava is 17 years old, he has made it to America, he could build his whole life here, achieve the American dream...but he longs to go back. Why? Maybe because he left behind his parents, ten brothers and sisters, and a community that despite their own desperate situation reaches out to those whose somehow appears worse. Perhaps Chava, who has come from a place that hasn't smothered him in lies and false images that money and stuff brings happiness, sees something that we so often don't and that is the importance of family and togetherness. 

His small family here is never together at the same time because when one of them is not working then the other one must be. They work hard and often but not for themselves, they send the little money they make back to Mexico to help support those who are most important to them. They have the least glamorous jobs: cooking, washing dishes, bussing messy extra food left on tables, yet they are the least likely to get irritated or frustrated. They simply go about their job, setting us up to do ours better. They inspire me and help me to remember what is real. 

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." 

Mark 10:43-45