THANK YOU!!!!!

     It would sound painfully cliche if it weren't true:  TIME FLIES!!!  I can hardly believe that I have been on Canadian soil for almost two months now.  It is strange to think that GlobeTREK is now over because I feel like it is still an ongoing dynamic part of me.  Often my mind finds itself on the Nile in Cairo, or at the health center in Cape Town, or walking down the streets of Istanbul with Kara and Sarah.
     I find myself smiling as I remember the Turkish vendor trying to sell us scarves:  "Look at my scarves!  These beautiful scarves will make you look ten years younger!"  When Kara, Sarah, and I heard that, we burst out laughing.  We didn't exactly feel like looking twelve years old again!  How old did he imagine we were?
     I find myself contemplating the difficulties of ministry and people's expectations.  In India, a woman at the Operation Mobilization Center told us about the difficulty they encountered when they began teaching pastors about healthy living and taking good care of their bodies.  You see, it doesn't do for a pastor to be fit!   Pastors need to have a bit of weight on them to show that they are faithfully visiting their church members, receiving their hospitality, and spending time studying and praying!
     And I find myself marvelling at how safe Canada is!  I can walk with my mom down to the  corner store to buy milk at 9 at night.  I can leave my purse by the front door.  I don't have to worry about setting off an alarm system when I leave the house or return.  No car-jacking prevention alarms go off randomly on road trips.

     Is this really all over for the time being?  Though I find it hard to believe that this is so, it technically is.  So before I forget, I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone
who supported me financially,
who helped me in practical ways,
who encouraged me,
who prayed for me,
who read my blog posts,
who befriended me and cared for me,
...
Thank you, Merci beaucoup, Spasibo,  Cảm ơn,  Enkosi,  Danke!  May you be blessed.
...And may the adventures and friendships continue :)

Miss Otten, I presume?

     Trembling, she opened the small blue passport again.  A photo stared back at her:  a young woman, blonde, hair pulled back.  But it wasn't her!  And the pages in the back were not stiff with the visas that she had worked so hard to obtain over the summer!
Placing the passport back in her purse, she reached for her journal and read what she had written a mere while before:

     "Friday, August 22, 2014:  The time of departure draws nigh!  I am sitting in the London International Airport, waiting to board my flight to Calgary.  I have said my 'goodbyes' to Mom, Dad, Sarah, Arlen and Nathan.  It is a strange feeling:  this flight is so mundane and momentous all at the same time.  In one aspect, I am merely flying 4 hours across the country to Alberta.  I will be gone from home for 9 months, but I was last year, too.
     On the other hand, I will be flying from Alberta to 15 different countries around the globe.  This is the beginning of an adventure new and far-away... an adventure that will affect me forever."

     She picked up her pen and continued:  "Yep, life is truly an adventure.  And I just received a new twist in the one I am on.  Sometimes I am not sure where God will lead next or what He will do.  It's definitely not always the way that I plan it!  For one, I would have made sure that I had my passport with me instead of Sarah's."

... And so I began GlobeTREK a little under a year ago.  Through some quick communication and express mailing, I left Canada with the correct passport a week or so later with the rest of the team.  And what ensued did turn out to be a series of interesting adventures, including some that challenged my identity on more levels than one.
     One part of my identity over the course of my travels was 'student.'  This meant that I had to write papers, read books, and hand in reflections, cramming as many as possible into the hours spent in airports.  I couldn't help agreeing with the bishop that we met in India, that our professor should not burden us in exotic lands with books that we could read in Canada! :) Yet I was also grateful for the assignments, books and essays that challenged me to interact meaningfully with the ideologies and cultures that I faced, to think through what I was experiencing.  For one reflection paper, I had to answer the question:  "How do you think a local would describe your appearance, actions, and attitudes?"  This led me to consider how my identity, values, and culture interact.  I'll let you in on some of my cogitations:

     "How would a local perceive me?  It depends on where I am as to whether they would think me rational, strange, or a dangerous foreigner on the loose!  Following are some musings on how Russians would view me in a variety of contexts.

     I fear that my conclusions on a Russian's perception of me are not entirely complimentary!  Hopefully they will temper their judgments with grace because I am a foreigner.  I know that they likely guess that much since I am travelling in a group of six people who don't speak Russian and all carry backpacks.  So far I have seen many purses, but few backpacks.
     Apart from the backpacks, my clothing is likely considered casual.  While other Russians also wear jeans and a t-shirt like me, most women wear dressy tops with skirts and high-heels.  I am reminded of my Russian friend in Canada, who could never 'dress down' either!  I am not quite sure how they would interpret my casualness--maybe they think that I lack respect for myself and for others.  Maybe they consider me poor.  Most likely they just conclude that I am a weird Western tourist!    
     In the hostel, I am likely considered rude as well as a foreigner.  In Guatemala, I grew accustomed to wearing shoes everywhere.  So, being abroad in Russia with a not-too-clean hostel floor, I left my shoes on as I sat on my top bunk journalling with my feet dangling... then I realized that everyone else had left their shoes by the door.  Apparently it is good manners to remove your shoes inside here.  
     Lastly, Russians may question my intelligence.  I smile a lot--something Guatemalans always encouraged, telling me that I was too 'seria' (serious).  Smiling is also a sign of friendliness and cheerfulness that is valued in North America.  And, I am generally a fairly cheerful, smiley person.  However, a Russian friend told me that Russians tend to reserve their smiles for family and friends.  Someone who smiles too much is considered foolish, stupid.
     I find it interesting how positive expressions of goodwill in one culture can be viewed as negative and undesirable in another.  It brings me to consider what values I actually hold to when the way that I am used to manifesting them changes.   In regards to smiling, do I value cheerfulness and friendliness, or do I value people's opinion of me and smile because I know that they value that value?  Do I value it enough to learn acceptable expressions of it in this culture?"


     As I think about this, I see how easy it can be easy to base my identity on the surrounding culture's values and expectations.  However, I want my identity to be rooted deeper than that.  I want to be "ME" no matter where I am, with a foundation that lies deeper than outward actions.  I want to be secure and confident in who I am and what I value so that I can graciously adapt acceptable manifestations of my values without compromising who I am.

     So... How will my values define who I am?  What are my values?  What does that look like in this summer and then final year at Prairie?
     I have the right passport with me now, and the picture inside bears the usual (and often uncomplimentary) resemblance that these mug shots tend to have.  It is me; yet it is not.  And the 'me' of 2013, when that picture was taken, is not the same 'me' of 2015.
     GlobeTREK is over, but the adventure of my developing identity in Christ continues.  I wonder where it will lead me next!

THE NEW WORLD

     I'm back.  I'm in Canada.  You can only imagine how weird this feels!  When Kara, Sarah and I landed in Pearson airport, Toronto, we started to ask each other the usual questions and then laughed because we didn't have to ask them anymore...

How much money should we pull out at the airport?

Are you sure Emma confirmed who would pick us up at the airport?

... and then the horrible moment where we remembered that we did not fill out a visa application for this country yet... followed by the hysterical moment where we realize that we are entering Canada and don't need a visa!

     None of us were quite sure we were ready to be back in our old world, to the extent that we were relieved to fly Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Toronto instead of Canada Air!
   
     But now, here I am.  

     At first I wasn't sure how to approach this new season in my life after my return.  But I am choosing to look at it as a new country and a new adventure.  I felt a moment of fear when I first thought of returning to Canada, to the same places as before, to the same challenges and struggles and temptations.  I thought about how much I had learned and grown in the past 9 months and felt another twinge of fear that I would return back to the same spiritual and emotional levels of before.

     And then I remembered that I serve a God who continually does new things.  I may be in the same physical locations as last year, but I have changed and so have the people here.  Life is not stagnant.  I also remembered some words that a wise woman at Jubilee Health Center told me:  God has given me a backpack over the course of GlobeTREK.  He has been placing in it different tools and equipment that I will be able to pull out and use in the future.  These past 9 months have not been a dream, but have affected and shaped me in many wonderful and real ways which won't disappear when I return to Canada.  And as I move forward in life, I will continue to learn and grow, utilizing and adding to the stash in my backpack.
   
     So I face forward into the future, trusting the God who never leaves me nor forsakes me and who does infinitely beyond all I can think or imagine.  As I look forward to a summer at home, and then my final year at Prairie, I am excited to see what God will do in and through and around me.  I wonder how He will use the skills and truths He has placed in my life or the past while.  Every day the world is new with hope and potential!

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  II Timothy 1:7

Goodbyes and Hellos

     Goodbye Cape Town and Hello to Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Cairo and Istanbul!  I flew out of Cape Town on the night of April 26th and rejoined my fellow GlobeTREKkers, Kara and Sarah, in Kenya.  From there we ventured through Ethiopia, Egypt and now Turkey.   It has been really hard for me to say goodbye to South Africa because it has become such a part of me over the past six months.  God has used this place in a special way to teach me about life, myself, and other people.  I know how vague and sappy it sounds to say that a place has really changed your life, so I want to elaborate a little more and tell you just a couple of the ways that my life has been enriched by my time here.
 1)   Present-future thinker over a past-present thinker.  Too often I am a past-present thinker--where what has happened in the past, or what I did in the past, determines how I respond in the present.  For example, if I messed up yesterday, then I live out of shame and a need to compensate today.  I guess it basically comes down to some form of legalism.  However, as a present-future thinker, my past is covered in Christ.  This shapes my choices in light of my present identity in Him and what His plans and purposes are for the future.  I may have made a bad choice yesterday, but right now I can make the right choice with Him.
2)  The multi-dimensionality of life!  I have tended to define mission and the Christian life too narrowly--it is about Bible reading and having DMCs (deep meaningful conversations) and doing unpaid work for others and cleaning toilets and other similar things... you get the gist :)  But it is very depressing, discouraging, and disillusioning to define Christianity too narrowly and then confine yourself to only that.  Anyways, I have come to appreciate how mission and gospel encompass and elevate all areas of life.  My mentor, Caryn, played a big role in that as I saw her surf with non-Christian friends, diagnose and pray for patients at the health center, take time to talk to people, just laugh and have fun with friends, and be interested in everything from medicine to linguistics to culture to good books to surfing to... you name it!  And in all of this, God was at the center in a foundational, joy-giving way--not in an awkward, tacked-on way.  So now I leave Cape Town with a renewed understanding and a greater excitement for life coram deo.

     These are just a couple of the lessons I've learned in Cape Town.  There are more, but I won't burden you right now with an entire 6 months of soul work :)  It feels so good to be back with Kara and Sarah and to face a couple new adventures together before my feet hit 'home' again.  My runners and my traveling bags are getting rather dilapidated, but now they just need to last for one more flight!  See you tomorrow, Canada :)

Vroom! Vroom!

     When I watch a well-run intersection, I find it fascinating how the cars flow past each other.  It seems like organized chaos with numerous unspoken rules... a little like a game.  In Cape Town, it is a whole different ball park though!  At one intersection on the way to Jubilee Community Church, tow trucks sit under the bridge every day waiting for an accident.
     Many types of drivers fill the streets, and the taxis simply add a new spice to the mix.  These minivans carry anywhere from 1 to over 20 passengers.  A helper hangs out hte window, whistling at passersby and calling out the taxi's destination:  "Mobricap, Cape Town!" or "Wynberg! Wynberg!"  When the taxi pulls over to the side of the road, this fellow also opens the door for the passengers and collects their change.  It usually costs me ten rand (around $1) to take the taxi from Rondebosch to Jubilee Church in Observatory.  I usually catch a ride with some of the staff from Jubilee when I need to get to the church, though.
     Taxis seem to have a road code all their own, and there has been fighting in the Nyanga township between the taxi drivers and the police.  Most taxi drivers don't have a driver's licence, and the police are cracking down on them.  This past week two Golden Arrow buses were set on fire as part of the fray.
     In the end, for myself I just learn to keep my eyes open when I am on the road or crossing it.  I actually really enjoy the thrill of crossing the road here.  Only newbies wait for the traffic light; everyone else simply crosses when the coast is clear--or clear enough.  While in Vietnam one could trust motorbikes to swerve around you when crossing the road, here it is better to trust no one--particularly not taxis!
       I think it will be interesting to start driving again when I return to Canada.  I haven't driven for 8 months, and the places I have been to don't follow the same rules as North America!  I appreciate how traffic flows in an orderly fashion in Canada.  However, I have learned to appreciate the fluidity and spontaneity of life while I am here, attributes which are mirrored in their driving patterns.
     I'm not sure how these past months have affected my driving abilities, but thankfully I have my licence and don't have to worry about passing another driving test until I'm 80!

     While I'm on the topic of traveling, I will be leaving South Africa on Sunday.  My 6-month internship is nearly up, and I am going to reunite with my team-mates in Kenya.  I am looking forward to the next phase of this journey, but also really sad to be leaving a place that has really blessed me and changed me.  I would appreciate prayer for the rest of my travels (which include Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt and Turkey) and also that I would be able to leave well.  Everyone's prayers and support has meant a lot to me in these past six months!  Thank you!  ...And don't forget to stay tuned for the final flourish over the next couple weeks :)  

Challenge: Past/Present/Future

     South Africa is at an exciting new stage in their history.  The 'born-frees,' those born after the fall of apartheid, are coming of age, graduating matric (grade 12), entering varsity, and beginning to shape the future of their country.  What will this new stage look like?
     From my short experience so far, South Africa seems to be a young nation that is finding its identity--what does it stand for?  How will it achieve the things it wants to achieve? WHAT does it want to achieve?  What is its relationship to its past?
     At the beginning of December, I attended the Michaelis Graduate Exhibition put on by the fine arts students.  For me, "Challenge" was the theme of the event.  Many students chose to use their art to face their personal challenges, focusing on addiction or abuse.  One exhibit, "dis"(place)ment, arose out of three stories--a memory of furniture falling on the artist, of her house burning down, and of constant moving from place to place--and rose for three stories up a stairwell.  Furniture hung from the balustrade and ceiling so that it appeared to cascade down on the viewer at the same time as it seemed to swirl up--kitchen chairs, trellises, wicker chairs, small tables, and other wooden what-not.
     Other exhibits challenged the viewers.  Several addressed stereotypes of men, women and fashion, including a bridal-themed exhibit with a title "it's not all a garden of roses."  This last one displayed complimentary and uncomplimentary wedding photos, as well as some pornographic images.
     Some exhibits challenged our perception of the world.  I almost walked out of one entitled "In Plain Sight,"  thinking it was a lounge area, until I all of a sudden noticed lamps curving in strange directions, the chandelier hanging at a rakish, unnatural angle, the rug lying bumpily on the ground, and the champagne table stopped mid-crash to the floor!
     One young artist chose to face the challenge of how we view nature and cities.  We all see them through a certain 'lens,' so she painted some with a 'looking-through-a-glass' effect.  How we interact with and paint nature is shaped by our life and beliefs.  It is interesting how different cultures interact and portray with nature--think of the nature painted by the Japanese, the Native American, Americans during the Industrial Revolution, the Impressionist Era, and then our own!  I think this exhibit was my favorite.
     Another artist challenged the waste and wealth of the society she grew up in, especially in the face of overwhelming poverty.  She used food residue to form designs on paper, which I found thought-provoking but not particularly beautiful!  
     The only part that wasn't a challenge at the event was enjoying the free wine and cheese!  But overall, I felt like I was watching a whole group of people question what they know and try to discover who they are and how they interact with their world and their past.
     The role of the past in the present is an ongoing cause for much noise and excitement.  Students at the University of Cape Town have been agitating for the removal of a large statue of John Rhodes on campus over the past couple weeks.  John Rhodes was a British businessman in South Africa, founder of Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe), and a hardcore racist.  The debate has been going on for a while over his place on campus, in our memories, and in the future.  His future on campus was sealed this past week, as the statue was taken down, beaten by students, and carted away.
     Someone wrote on facebook that no one can tell others how to express their pain.  There is a lot of pain here in South Africa... A lot of it that I will probably never experience or understand...  We need to pray that people will learn how to face it well and to move forward with joy, purpose, self-sacrifice, and vision into the future.  Pray for creativity in developing new jobs and in addressing the massive rich/poor gap.  Pray that people will learn to forgive and break the cycle of vengeance and anger and bitterness.  

Randomness (a.k.a. Melissa's week in review)

     Randomness.  That is the theme of today's blog post.  I am going to give you little snippets of what my past week has been like and maybe it will give you a flavor of the randomness of what constitutes life.

Monday
* Most of the morning I spent at the South African Museum by the Company Gardens.  I learned some fascinating animal facts:  Did you know about the pygmy shark?  It is around 15-20 cm long and lives deep down in temperate and tropical waters.  It camouflages through photophores on its belly which produce light to match the amount of light filtering from above.  That means that this animal manages to live without casting a shadow!  I also learned how sharks have a great sense of direction.  They basically have a built-in GPS, consisting of ampullae of Lorenzi which are filled with electrically conductive jelly.  Small hairs at the bottom of the ampullae detect changes in electrical polarity.  This keeps them in tune with the earth's electromagnetic field, as well as alerting them to the electromagnetic fields of other living creatures.
* I spent the early afternoon at the National Art Gallery.  Because the South African Museum is under construction currently, they gave me a free pass to the Art Gallery.  Then I met with Caryn for a hike in Newlands forest.
* In the evening I played Liar's Dice with Zac and Hope after supper.

Tuesday
* I spent the morning with the Sunshade ladies.  We talked, drank tea, and had an exercise class together.  I had some intense conversations with a couple of the ladies about their lives and God.  I find that can be quite draining!
* In the afternoon I helped out at the Jubilee Health Center.  This included singing and dancing in the staff kitchen with Ma Rosemary, the cleaning lady, and praying with patients.

Wednesday
* I spent the day volunteering at Jubilee Health Center.  The nurse, Rachel, and I had a really good chat with a diabetic man.  We were able to help him understand his condition better, and empower him to take good care of himself since he is already starting to experience neuropathy in his feet.  Then I had the opportunity wash his feet, put cream on them, and pray with him.

Thursday
* Schoolwork and reading in the morning
* I walked to Claremont and spent the afternoon with a good friend.  We had lunch and shopped at Cavendish, where I got the comfiest pair of pijama pants, as well as a nice shirt and some new flip-flops (or 'slops', as they call them here)
* In the evening I helped serve at a fundraising/awareness dinner for the Message Trust, South Africa.  Andy Hawthorne, founder of the Message Trust, spoke, as well as Tim Tucker, National Director of the Message Trust in South Africa, and some of the men whose lives have been changed through the Message's prison ministry and Gangstar Enterprises.  The goal of the Message is to raise up a generation of urban heroes, and I am very impressed by the work they do!  Some of my friends at Jubilee are also part of their new Eden initiative in the Salt River area, which is somewhat similar to the MoveIn movement in Canada.

Friday
* Volunteered for the day at Jubilee Health Center
* In the evening I joined Gravity (the young teenager group at Jubilee) on an outing to Supertubes in Muizenberg.  This is a waterslide park by the ocean.  What a blast!!

Saturday
* Morning:  I helped serve at the LifeGroup Leaders Training at Jubilee.  I also managed to sit in most of the sessions, and I learned some practical things that I hope to use as an IMPACT leader next year at Prairie Bible Institute.

Sunday
* Church service at Jubilee in the morning
* I spent the afternoon with Shaun and Wendy's family.  Wendy works at Jubilee, and they are keen to befriend me and introduce me to life in Cape Town's townships and surrounding areas.  We had lunch at their home, and then went hiking in Tokai forest.  I saw a cork tree for the first time!
* After the hike, they dropped me off at Jubilee for the evening service.

...And so one week is past and another starts!  Life can only be boring when one loses sight of God, His work in the world, and the wonder of His creation.  I wonder what randomness and insights this week will bring.