trouble makers

Christians should be trouble-makers, creators of uncertainty, agents of a dimension incompatible with society.
-Jacues Ellul

how will i know the way?

today i sat in the balcony in church. i didn't understand much. an indonesian girl at least told us what chapter the scripture text was coming from. John 14, the first several verses. i read through a couple times...
"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. and you know the way where I am going."
i asked God to speak, to bring His word alive. questions flooded my mind. how did they feel? what were their tones and moods and reactions? what would be my reaction..?
i know Jesus is talking about big houses and Him getting it all ready for us to be roomies, but i think i'd jump in right there with Thomas, my voice edged with panic, "Whoa, whoa, whoa!! going?!! you're leaving?? what do you mean we know the way!!??! the Father's house? is this a joke, because i'm not laughing??!! i don't know where you're going, i don't know the way!"
Jesus calmly replies, "I am the way..."
i saw the confusion right away. maybe because i get hung up there quite often. they were going to have to see past the physical. the disciples had been walking in the footsteps of Jesus, literally, for a long time. now all of a sudden He's out? gone? going to the Father's house, whatever that means? there wasn't a yellow brick road to follow, no road signs.
"You know the way where I am going...I am the way."
don't we still find ourselves right there...longing for mapquest printout step by step directions to the Father's house, longing for physical directions when Jesus has given spiritual directions? so how do we get there? walking "the way" of Jesus, asking Him to show us how to see with our spiritual eyes. Where would He be walking if He were here in ____? in the shopping mall? in the churches? in the slums? where would i find His footsteps? that's where i want to walk, that's where i want to find myself...doing what He would have done. doing what He is doing. doing what He longs to be doing. Yesterday i heard a church leader say, " we incarnate the life of Christ because He is in us."
hmm...
so maybe He didn't check out after all. i think He walks with us...in us...around us...through us...

well, there are my thoughts for a sunday morning pondered and scribbled...

tribute to sudan

this is my life...

Mother and child healthcare seminar

Day 1

Day 3

We had anywhere from 30 to 40 women come each day to learn how they could love God and take care of the people in their community.

I found alot of healing on this dusty road to Congo. This tree was like a wise old friend with it's patch of golden leaves and spacious shade and deep roots...i like trees.
Our dear little friends...sammy, josephine, dosa, and another neighborhood kid.
Bethany, me, and rachel on the way to an island clinic in Uganda. Island treasures that welcomed us and...
bid us farewell.

More of our Sudanese friends/translators/sisters.

This dear woman had been working as a traditional birth attendant for more than 30 years. She helped deliver the healthcare worker who now runs this clinic. She told us she was our mother, dear woman...

"let's go little sister!"

how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news...

We did 2 weeks of teachings in a village under an enormous mango tree. i had so many "is this really my life?" moments.

Many of these women have been refugees most of their lives. My friend taking my picture with my camera.

Our beautiful students/teachers.

Our sources of joy and laughter and fun!

Who needs a stroller?

I grew to love these dear women...I think Rose (the one with the belly) has delivered since we left. She wanted me to catch her baby, but baby didn't want to come. I pray she had a joyful delivery...

Cheese!

Most popular house model...it works for the kitchen, living room, bedroom, dining room...

hi from singapore!!!

hey everyone!!

we're in singapore getting indonesian visas!  we'll fly out tomorrow morning to hit up the last leg of this journey.  new places, faces, language, food, culture...again, again.  i was just pondering with my friend ashley..."i'm not sure i've got it in me to do this all over again in a new country."  this morning during a team time of worship all my heart could muster up was "Lord, You are worthy of whatever i have left."  now talking with ashley i'm thinking, "oh jill, you're so dramatic..." haha has God ever left me high and dry?  we decided all it boiled down to was loving God and loving people day to day.  that's it.  Mother Theresa said, "Following Jesus is simple, but not easy.  Love until it hurts, and then love some more."  That's where i feel like i'm at.  i loved alot of people in india.  and then i loved some more people in africa, until it hurt.  until i cried.  until i didn't know what to do with myself.  and then we had to leave.  i had to leave my loves behind.  i still hurt.  "...so this is what it feels like to leave behind a love, or to be separated from a love.  my heart is heavy as i sit watching the African sun set behind the field of green grass and mud huts.  i'm tempted to listen to old school love songs and feel sory for myself.  the foxes have holes and the birds have nests, yet the Son of man has no where to lay His head..."  (journal entry from march 25, uganda after we left sudan)  So this is where i am...love until it hurts, and then love some more....

i'll be back to updating with lots of pics as soon as we get settled in.  yea!  

goodness gracious

hello everyone!!!
(or anyone who is still checking this blog since i pretty much quite posting)
you wanna know why? it costs stinkin' $6 an hour for internet AND I'M STAYING 4 MILES OUTSIDE OF TOWN. AND NOW I'M GOING TO TYPE THE REST OF THIS POST IN CAPITAL LETTERS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE CAPS LOCK KEY GOT STUCK. ANYWAYS, YEAH EVERYHTING IS EXPENSIVE HERE BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAS TO BE IMPORTED. SO WE JUST COMPLETED MONTH ONE. AND I'M LOVING IT. THE CULTURE IS WARM AND LAID BACK. SOOO GREAT. THE WEATHER'S HOT, BUT IT COOLS OFF ENOUGH TO SLEEP AT NIGHT. I LOVE THE PEOPLE, THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL. AND OH THE CHILDREN, SO ADORABLE. WE'RE DOING A LOT OF TEACHING ABOUT MOTHER AND CHILD HEALTH CARE AND THE GOSPEL. WE'LL BE IN VILLAGES, MOST LIKELY SLEEPING IN TENTS, FOR THE REST OF OUR TIME HERE. YIPEE...HAHA. OK WELL I'LL UPDATE WHEN I CAN!!! this is all i can afford to write. and hey, the key unstuck, haha. bye for now
blessings

warning to anyone who actually reads my blog, hehe

sooo...on january 8th around 4am we're flying out! leaving india. goodbye. we're headed for sudan for 3 months, yippee. the thing is that i might not have alot of access to the internet there. i will update as much as i possibly can, but it might not be much. certainly not as regularly as i have here. please pray for us, we will be visiting 3 different cities in southern sudan helping out in hospitals and communities with mother and child health care. pray for us. email me anyways, i love to hear from people....i'll talk to you when i talk to you.

Oh come let us adore Him...

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7

Thursday we went to a Christmas party at the hospital. Sister Elizabeth, our lovely nurse friend, planned it all out. She said, "We will lure them with the food, and then we will preach them the Gospel!" She is one of the most passionate people I've met, there is a fire that burns in her heart for the message of Jesus Christ. She got all the christians at the hospital (very small minority of staff and students) to come together to make this program really great.

Everyone showed up from the "chief madam" to the "dimas" that do the cleaning. There were songs, prayers, and scripture readings. The "chief madam" even called us forward one at a time to thank us for our help. She awarded us with a small statue of the Hindu dancing god. (We're all still trying to figure out what to do with those.) My favorite part was when some of the christian student nurses acted out the nativity. It was all in Telegu, so I couldn't understand the words spoken, but I know the story by heart. Their costumes were brilliant. Gabriel had tin foil wings. Joseph had a marker drawn beard and mustache, as did most of the shepherds and wise men (you have to be creative with an all female cast.) Baby Jesus was played by a precious baby that was abandoned in the nursery, we call her Daniella. I was lost in the story, smiling and watching along with everyone else. As the wise men bowed themselves, bearing their gifts, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. What, what?? "Where is this coming from?" i asked myself. From somewhere deep within came the simple words, "This is the story of MY JESUS." My precious, Jesus. My Friend. My Love. My Provider. My Comforter and Counselor. My Guide. My King. My Prince. My Everything. They were telling the story of my Jesus, and it touched my heart so deeply.

Isaiah prophesied that there would be "no end to the increase" over his kingdom, His government. I see with my own eyes that the zeal of the Lord is accomplishing His purposes all over the world! In some places the gospel spreads like wildfire, and in other places it's more like roots growing underground slowly but deeply. He is active, not slow to fulfill His promises, but patient with His creation. Praise Him.

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. Isaiah 61:11