more reasons to love Africa...

'nuff said.

in the eye of the storm

Today I went to the funeral of a little girl, just a week old. She did not have a name, and her tiny casket is something I will not soon be able to take out of my mind. I am reminded of this world we live in, where the wages of sin is death. Death is no respecter of persons, age, race, color, status. Our friends, Cristaan and Nelda, have been trying to have children for quite some time. They have been through several previous miscarriages and still births. This conception was going well, until two weeks ago. Nelda was due in April, but was admitted to the hospital due to complications. There was an emergency C-Section and the baby was delivered last Tuesday, January 24th. I was blessed to be present at the hospital just after the birth, where we talked and prayed with and for Christaan, Nelda, the baby and family, and we worshipped God through scripture and song. It was a beautiful time of being the Body of Christ. Here is a picture of Nelda's mother, friends (both named Melody), and Christaan and Nelda at the hospital after Nelda's surgery:



Nelda remained at the hospital with their baby. The baby was having some difficulty with rapid breathing, the next day she appeared to be doing better, but was battling jaundice. Later this yesterday, she passed away. Christaan called this morning with the news. My heart was so sad. Yet I know God is even in this time of sorrow. We prepared a meal for the family and joined them at Christaan and Nelda’s house to pray and sing. They brought the baby and there was a short “viewing” at the home, then we walked to the cemetery for the burial. Todd (one from our team) shared some scripture from Isaiah 40, and a short message explaining how this world we live in will always bring death, but Jesus offers life beyond death, through His payment on the cross. He exhorted those there to recognize our need for Christ’s payment for our sin. We worshipped. It has been so humbling and joyful to see Christaan’s heart through all of this. The cry of his heart is that God’s Name be glorified in whatever happens. Even while experiencing the complications last week, during a Bible study he began leading at his house, he presented the gospel to a young man there who put his trust in Jesus for salvation. Hearing Christaan’s joy over a brother being saved, even while feeling the uncertainty of his own situation, was such beautiful evidence of the work of God in his life.

This week has been full of ups and downs and I covet your prayers for the team. There is great evidence that the team itself is under attack and we need prayer that we stay steadfast and strong under His protection.

The Ascent

The Acsent Camp follow-up weekend happened this weekend. We planned a short weekend get-a-way held at Joan and Deiter’s farm for the students who attended camp and those who have been coming to the after-school Bible studies at both secondary schools. It was a time to connect with the students more outside of school time, and to review the teachings from Camp in December. One thing everyone enjoyed was seeing pictures from the December camp at Swakopomund. Another big hit was the tire swing.




Two highlights from the weekend: 1: The “question panel” we did on Saturday afternoon. The leaders sat in front of the students and explained that this was a time to ask any of the questions they wanted to ask us – anything from general questions about us, to questions about God and the Bible. From the very first question it was clear that these young people are hungry to know the things of God. Questions from, “Why do some churches heal people?” to “What is a false prophet and how can I tell the difference?” There were so many questions, so many honestly seeking answers. We searched through scripture and shared at every possible chance to show the students that the answers we gave were not of ourselves, but straight out of God’s mouth, through His Word. After over an hour of questions and answers, God discussion and the Word of God being shared, we were already running very late on our schedule, (even for African time!) and we told the students we would have time for only a few more, to which they replied, “Can’t we keep going??” It brought joy to my heart.
2: Later that day we watched the movie, “The Passion of the Christ”. For many students it was their first time seeing the movie. We planned time following the film for everyone to go off on their own to reflect, pray and be alone with God, then we came together in small groups to discuss the emotions, thoughts, and questions that everyone had. This was the second highlight of the weekend for me, seeing the girls in my group ask questions, and come to new realizations about Jesus and His sacrifice for us. One girl, Natalia, said, “I just…I feel like I don’t deserve what He did for me.” What a plain statement of the truth of GRACE.

january from my perspective

the Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood (aka the sight where Sam became famous. we're not sure why)



Nevsky at night (complete with furry Russian hats...yes, everyone really does wear them)



(Sam contemplating: "Can I walk on it yet?")



Veiw from the Hermitage window



(what we affectionately called, "The Fake Starbucks")



(I believe this is before I clobbered him at Dominos...for the third time)



The landing of the floor in the hostel where Sam lives (yes, I'm serious)



Sam's hall (or what I will forever be entitling, "Would You Want To Live Here For 6 Years?")



My new playground



The Heavens letting loose (yep, that's rain!)



Buddy disappearing into the riverbed (knee-deep and sinking fast)

more to come...

quit russian around

day five of the Russia experience and i thought i'd give a quick recap to get you up to speed. here's the update so far...

bags stolen on wednesday: 2
hours spent on thursday at St. Petersburg police station trying to file a police report: 5
miles walked on Nevsky Prospekt on friday: 10
russian words added to my vocabulary: 12
different countries from which i have met people thus far: 11
children hugged during our time at the orphanage on saturday: 15
unexpected free meals provided so far: 2
times sam's skin color attracted enough attention to warrant schoolchildren asking him to pose for photographs: 4
inches of ice permanently plastered to the sidewalks in St. Petersburg: 2
days of winter i have left to experience: 3

from russia with love,
amanda

a homecoming

in my mind's eye: "Hometown Boy" by Over the Rhine...









Sitting in Cafe Chocolate in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Santa Baby, Chocolate Fountain and a steaming hot Mocha, snow on the ground and small-town Christmas cheer. Life is good. This is the time to cherish, to enjoy that hometownishness that is Lititz, where i spent the first 18 years of my life. To relish and remember every bit of family and old friends and keep it fresh in my memory - the one thing i can take with me to Namibia that i don't have to find a space in my bags for. which reminds me...I BOUGHT LUGGAGE! its so real now i can feel it. Coffee with a dear from from high school last night was priceless - meeting her two little ones and reminiscing, sharing the years of life which we have spent miles from one another, and rekindling a kinship that seems never to have ended. joy is mixed with sadness, knowing that this week at home (the home that will always be referred to as home, even though it's not - it somehow still is) will be the last for quite some time. and the joyful moments sharing time and space with moments that don't hold much joy, like spending yesterday in the hospital with my grandpa. so small, in pain and bewildered, eyes that for the moment they were open, searced my face looking for the tiniest bit he could recognize. i left with a touch of melancholy traced with hope, the kind that is stirred up by seeing a marriage full of endurance, grace and love that is so rarely witnessed in this age and culture of divorce - the American equivalent of polygamy. but the legacy i see in my family is a dear gift. i hope that no matter where you are as you read this, you are enjoying every bit of this time of year, when the air fills with Christmas, and we actually recognize it. So thankful for the birth of my Savior today...and the song that i hear right now reinforces the joy of His world...

"the colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky are also on the faces of people going by. i see friends shaking hands, saying how do you do, they're really saying, 'i love you'..."

so often you hear this song in conjunction with images of destruction and devastation, to somehow forcefeed sarcasm and irony. but now today, as i sit here in hometown, USA, a child of the King Jesus, saved by His gift of grace, i don't think saracasm.

i think to myself, what a wonderful world.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
and ransom Captive Israel
that mourns in lowly exile here
until the Son of God appears...

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel has come to thee, O Israel!

independance day

t minus 3 and counting...

independance day is coming. lots of thoughts come to mind:
embarking on a new journey of faith. joining rank with my Church and becoming unemployed. having some things in my life finally off "hold". sleep. glorious sleep. packing and lots of it. Word of God engulf me. family Holiday time. amberpants wedding galore...black and white and smoochiemonkeyface. frequent flier miles and getting very aquainted with the skies. bring it.
sweet freedom.

coincidence...?

Your color personality is: Yellow

Like yellow's strongest symbol, the sun, you radiate warmth. Others love to be around you because you have a gift for always looking on the bright side, and your ready smile can be infectious. Chances are your calendar is packed -- yellow lovers tend to be always on the go!
Your signature color indicates someone imaginative and creative, so don't be afraid to express yourself through the way you dress and the way you decorate your home. Cheerful yellow is the ideal hue for a kitchen, laundry room, or any room that needs some extra brightness.

Autumnween 2005

i think i broke my bum...

don't laugh. ok, you can laugh, i would if it had happened to you. ok, for real i won't say that i broke my bum, but let's just say that i can't really sit right now...i'm like leaning to the side as i type and icing the other side. i think i'm gonna have the biggest bruise ever! are you intrigued or what? ok, so i was drving up my street this morning and as i was getting close to my house i saw two dogs wandering around the road and through the yards of the houses. now they looked like dogs that somebody owns and takes care of b/c the looked clean and well groomed and they both had collars with tags. so i decided that i was would be the conscientious neighbor and animal-lover that i am, and try to get these little guys back home where they belonged. so i get home, fill a bowl with some dog food and set off down the street. after a few attempts, one of the dogs (the younger one) sees that i have food and comes right up to me, and wolfs down the food. as he was eating i got the chance to read his registration tags. i called the animal shelter and gave them the registration number and they told me the phone number and address of the dog's owner, which ended up being just two houses down and on the other side of the street from me. so i start walking down the steps with the little dog tagging behind me...then all of the sudden the dog decided he wanted to bound down the steps right in front of me and directly under my foot as it was accelerating down towards the next step. needless to say, my foot did not connect with the next step (i didn't step on the dog either, and i'm not sure how he escaped that). the next thing i do know is that i was careening down the flight of stairs, narrowly missing a fresh pile of doggy doo right next to the last step. i got up and brushed my self off, wondering just how many early-risers in the neighborhood got the pleasure of seeing that stunt. i limped accross the street, delivered the pups back home, and limped back accross the street; along with: #1) the knowledge that i had fulfilled my neighborly duty, and #2) a freaking huge bruise on my bum.

Everything's Zen

Currently reading: Utopia by Thomas More

So, I’ve been horrible at posting lately, a trend a intend to remedy right now, as I actually have plenty to wax rhapsodic about, and it is now exactly 15 minutes into FALL, the best season ever! Autumn is one of those things treasured in the Creighton household. Simply hint at changing leaf colors and hot apple cider and any one of us ladies will be putty. What could possibly be better than a season filled with crisp, cool evenings - the air scented with wood smoke, a kaleidoscope countryside of treetops, bright orange pumpkins and prickly hay bales. The soft swish, swish of leaves underfoot, strolling along bundled in a cozy sweater, just the tip of the nose slightly chilly…anticipating a good old-fashioned bonfire with S’more’s and cider and the lull of guitars late into the night. Pure joy.



The newness I’m enjoying:

About three months away from Namibia.
Striving to be a godly girlfriend. Whoa! (It’s such a good “whoa”)
Downsizing and realizing that nothing I own embodies me.
Trusting God with a lot of unknowns, understanding He has to come through.
Thankful for God’s promises, having ridden out the storm at work.
Understanding, “Vengeance is MINE, says the LORD. It is mine to repay.”
Autumn. (Of course!)

surprise...

= )

car for sale!

2000 FORD Focus ZX3



Color: Yellow

Engine: 4-Cyl. 2.0 Liter 16V
Trans: 5 Speed Manual
Drive: FWD
Mileage: 90,000

Equipment:
Air ConditioningPower SteeringPower Door Locks
Tilt WheelCruise ControlAM/FM Stereo
Single Compact DiscDual Front Air BagsAlloy Wheels

Consumer Rated Condition: Good
"Good" condition means that the vehicle is free of any major defects. This vehicle has a clean title history
, the paint, body and interior have only minor (if any) blemishes, and there are no major mechanical problems. There should be little or no rust on this vehicle. The tires match and have substantial tread wear left. A "good" vehicle will need some reconditioning to be sold at retail. Most consumer owned vehicles fall into this category.

Price: $4,330

if anyone's interested, or knows someone who's interested, let me know!

the artist, God, said I will create...

i am in awe...

the wild wild world of amanda

things that make me smile these days:

unexpected heart to hearts with rarely seen roomates
indian food leftovers
stifling hot and still climbing at the gym
friends' engagements
plans to visit my parents
text messages from africa
a rediscovered mix cd long left in amber's car
random questions every day
pretend hide and seek with lila in my livingroom
wedding cake blunders and eating the outcome for breakfast
the phrase "for reals" and totally made-up words like "marryable" and "upsetness"
flat-out Spirit-led WORSHIP during what we call practice

to seize a divine moment

some of my favorites slices from "Seizing Your Divine Moment":

"The odds are irrelevant to God."

"If we are going to seize our divine moments, we must accept the reality that we have no control over many things. We have no control over when we die or how we die. We must instead take responsibility for what we do have control over - how we choose to live."

In battle: "Even when we live, it doesn't mean that the victory comes without suffering."

"The realm of uncertainty is the place of miracles."

"In fact, we are told that if our prayers do not result in an affrimative answer, it is because we didn't have enough faith. We didn't believe strongly enough... The promise of Jesus that if we ask anything in His name, He will do it, is fueled not by how strongly we believe in something, but by how we represent God's purpose and intention."

"The door we fear going through the most may be the very one where we will meet God most profoundly."

"We must remember that if we are thrown into the lion's den and we get eaten, God is still faithful."

carpe deim

Had coffee with j. tonight. I went to E’s early and just spent some time reading and staring out the window for a while, then he met up with me later on in the evening. its small and eclectic and it’s a nice alternative to the corporate giant and social hub that starbucks has become. plus, you can go and remain anonymous, relax, sip a latte and read a book and no one will bother you. Whereas in starbucks its nearly impossible to go without running into someone you know, usually from apex, who will chat with you. When I want socialization I go to starbucks, when I want solitude or uninterrupted conversation, I go to E’s.
So, I’m nearly finished with “Seizing Your Divine Moment” just a few more chapters I think. Its been really good, and this is the theme line that has been repeating over and over in my brain since I read it: “The realm of uncertainty is the place of miracles.” God has already been using it to call to mind a lot of moments He is placing in my path, where often I could have chosen the way of risk (which may produce failure, yet leaves uncertainty for God to act in) or the way of mundane safety. Sadly, I saw a moment tonight in which I chose safety. There was a religious debate going on amongst three women a few tables away – I sensed a good opportunity for me to go introduce myself, ask to join them, share Truth. And I sat there, doing nothing, well not nothing – I decided to pray – but I was praying when I should have been acting. I chose safety over divine opportunity. Do I use prayer to stall obedience? Yes, I could have been stone cold rejected, fallen flat on my spiritual face as it were, but I would have been failing while I moved in line with the heart of God. Instead I stayed safe, anonymous, and disobedient.

“Faith is all about character, trusting in the character of God, being certain in WHO GOD IS and following Him into the unknown.”

It’s a scary thing to fall into the hands of Almighty God.

the sky was ablaze

i saw a brilliant display of God's artistry this morning. the sunrise. the clouds were blazing pink, red, and orange, and set against the brightest blue sky that, in contrast, made them appear to be on fire. it was so exactly what i was hoping for from God today. isn't He just so good like that? i wonder if long ago in the mind of God, He omnipotently knew that on the night before july 11th i would be aching for a display of His artistic spleandor, so perhaps He planned it all out, weather patterns and sunrise time, and even put the thought into a coworker's mind to walk down the hall at precisely the moment when the sunrise was at its most glorious, and announce to all of us, "you have to come see this!" and i wondered as i sat watching the light grow and the sky change colors, could God have done this whole thing with the delight of a perfect father in His heart, knowing that His child would be so happy and thankful and want to worship Him even more?
i feel so loved right now.

the theme of the week is grace

have you ever noticed a subtle (or blatantly obvious) theme running through your days for a period of time? well i certainly have these past few days, and it is undoubtedly "grace". monday began with a "James Chapter One" day.

"Consider it joy when you face trials of any kind, for you know it is for the perfecting of your faith"

isn't it great how God arms you with scripture right when you're going to need it most and when you're about to see it play out in application to your life? as if returning to work when half of me is still in Africa wasn't difficult enough, adding trial to the workplace wasn't what i had hoped for. i'm currently reading "Seizing Your Divine Moment" by Erwin McManus. without detail, let me say that the other night at work i was faced with one of those moments. it was a moment when the Truth was being twisted before my very eyes and i could have chosen to do nothing, but instead i acted. and it wasn't the easy road. it brought about a lot of tension. have you ever had a disagreement with someone who feels that any disagreement is a personal attack? but the Holy Spirit in me was reflecting God's anger at that moment -- anger towards pride, hypocrisy, judgementalism, self-righteousness, legalism, and just plain wrong theology. i don't know if you've felt it as well, but God's righteous anger feels physically different to me than when i myself just get angery about something. the type of righteous anger i'm talking about feels like a fire in my core that is burning so hot i feel like i'll explode, not at a person, but at the ugliness of sin, in this case the obscuring of God's Truth. i'm not one to be easily angered personally, and when i am angry, it doesn't ever feel like that. but the thought i my mind was, "the Truth in love. the Truth in love." yet no matter how calm and loving my words of Truth were, they hit the lies like an explosion. when Light enters the picture, darkness has to flee, and let me tell you, it didn't want to give in. praise the Almightly God for His promise, "I will give you the words to speak" praise Him for the instruction of "always be prepared to give an answer for the faith that you have." He is faithful. and darkness had nothing to back it up.

the conflict: the old law, rules that we must aboey to be considered "right with God"

the lies: Jesus didn't bring with Him a new law. we are still bound to the old (yet somehow only certain old laws are ones we need to to pay attention to; how that's determined, "i don't know")

the truth: Ephesians 2:15 and so much more

so that was monday. tuesday brought a non-theological type of legalism. what i means is simply this: people making up their own rules and expecting others to know and follow their rules when there is no basis for them. now hear this: i'm not much of a lover of rules. i'll be honest. funny thing is i've never been much of the rebel. when a rule makes sense to me, i have absolutely no problem obeying it. but when it doesn't make any sense to me, look out. i'm a policy girl. i make sure i know the policies at work, because if i'm breaking one, i at least want to know it. i am fine with consequences for my actions when i am overtly breaking a rule. it's to be expected, and i would expect no less. even if i disagree with the rule and think it's ridiculous, i have no problem reaping what i've sowed, if i choose to be outside the lines. the problem comes when others try to put extra rules on me that are not policy, and dress it up to sound like it is. i do not appreciate being called on the carpet about something, and scolded for breaking a rule that isn't even a rule. that's what i LOVE about Jesus. He called all those pharisees out for doing just that, putting extra burdens on the people that God didn't intend.

so that's how work was for me last night. twice. as one of my coworkers observed, "amanda, it seems like you are the designated 'crap catcher' this week." and i say, "bring it on. consider it joy. pray for those that persecute you. speak the truth in love, bless and do not curse. turn the other cheek. love others as you love yourself."

JESUS THANK YOU FOR GRACE!

image memories of Namibia

some images that tell the story of my time in Namibia...

random free-form thought-flow...

3am Ohio time = 8am Namibia time. i'm exhausted. why the heck couldn't i sleep today? lila is cute. dogs barking in the afternoon sucks. my feet are cold. i think it's funny that i type so fast using two fingers. i had a dog named sam until i was 16years old then he passed away. it's crazy that my parents are such cat-people now. i can't believe lila calls jedi "the crazy cat" because phil told her that's what jedi was. i wonder if cracking your knuckles actually fosters arthritis or if that's one of those urban myths. i'm tired. it'd really quiet here now. i can't believe they pay me to do this. the nights have been so slow. is it really only halfway thru my shift? relating to God as a King is nearly impossible to me, i have no clue how to act in front of a king. i wonder how Jesus really feels about tattoos. j. is so cool. i'm so glad he's my friend. super-quick deep chats over coffee - so frustrating to have to leave right when it's getting good. i need $1,000 to fix the plumbing. this sweater is itchy. i should have invited amanda to church when she asked about apex. i wonder if she's interested. i want to invite her and and have her bring her son. that was cool reading his blog and seeing how it has impacted so many people worldwide. i wonder how jon is. i'm so glad i know how to text now. need to ask for jenny's number. i have so much to do to get ready to leave this place. i wonder if edith will write that letter i asked her about. my stomach is full. i ate too much. how is it that i can fill myself and not even think about how half the world had nothing to eat tonight? i am selfish. my motivation sucks most of the time, if i really press myself to think about what's behind my actions. i wonder if anyone really does that. i kind of like this thought-flow thing. it's amazing to look back and see how my brain works and what toughts run together - how i got from one place to the next. God is so intricate in His planning of how the human mind works. that was one crazy beautiful storm last night. i hope there are more this summer. i want to be somewhere where i can see better next time. it's crazy how j. and i were thinking about the same stuff last night when in the midst of the thunder. i'm so thankful for apex. i want to be in namibia right now. i wonder what experience is doing? or ambrosious, or tuleni. the next team will be home on sunday. i want to meet them at the airport. need to find out what time they arrive. i wonder if someone sent something for me. i need to get to the post-office and send those letters...

who is this man that even the wind and waves obey his voice?

there was a glorious thunderstorm tonight. i hope you were able to bask in its enjoyment as i did. continuous thunder, brilliant lightning powerful wind, and drenching rain. the perfect summer cocktail. i turned off all the lights in my house and just sat there in the living room in the dark. the etherial light danced across the walls as i listened to the crashing thunder rumbling amidst the sound of rain slamming into the house on all sides. i wanted it to last forever. and the artist God smiled at His creation.