Its amazing just how quickly this entire experience has flown by. I’ve been home for over a week and still haven’t finished reflecting on this trip. Really there’s no other way to explain it other than a life changing experience. Its not everyday you get the chance to fly across the world to live in a completely different way of life. Its funny how living in a country where we have everything its rare to find people who are truly content and happy. But with these villagers in Zambia, even though they have so little, stretch everything they are given, life is hard but they’re overall happier. Sure there are depressed people everywhere but on a whole they aren’t so distracted with “things” that they forget to cherish family and friends.
I know looking back on this past year God has done a great deal of work in me. Not to say I’m great now or that I don’t need to work on things daily but he sure did open my eyes. I’ve always been a higher strung person and a workaholic, but looking at my life I know I needed a change. Life was getting to stressed out, to on all the time and to focused on the unimportant areas of life. What was I working for? A car? A house I could never afford? New technology and clothing? This seemed pointless and fruitless to me now when all it did was make me sad in the end. Cars break, clothing fades, houses need fixing and to much work makes a person burn out. This isn’t life and it shouldn’t be the normal but sadly it is. All it took was a friend of mine pushing me to experience a life changing trip with his church for me, and I thank God I took the plunge.
(Village of Samson)
Looking back a bit further to what brought me to this trip its amazing how it all worked out. Through my job in the Trade show event industry i had met a WCB (Worker Compensation Board) rep who helped me put together a Health and Safety manual for my work after an accident had occurred. We ended up becoming friends and he has since become a mentor to me. This trip had come up with his church for the summer of 2014 but I was unable to make the timing work and so I continued with my work. I had become unhappy in my job and kept feeling a pull to quit my position and trust that God had a plan for me. I had no idea what was in store but made the decision that after the busy trade show season was done in may i would leave my job and help them train a replacement. After i left that job I thought I was going to have a nice quiet summer spending my days kayaking and hiking and then just cleaning at night for my brothers business just to pay the bills. I thought I just needed some refocus time, but guess i was wrong. Soon the trip to Zambia was rescheduled to happen around November now, not only did this give me time but the cost of the trip on a whole dropped dramatically! All of a sudden what was once unattainable was now a possibility. I prayed and talked to a few people, I questioned everything and how would i survive being Celiac and eating in Africa. Traveling across the country was annoying enough to find food let alone across the world to a developing country. Sure I made due with eating rice cakes and GF bars i brought from home but it worked! I didn’t know how I would afford it and i didn’t have a main job lined up but I felt the Lord push me to go, and this was truly a test of faith building for me. I agreed to go and made the most incredible friends leading up to the trip. With our bi-weekly meetings we got to know each other and create bonds before we flew across the country together. The great part was after i decided to go God sent a temporary position to me working with a trade show promoter for the entire summer up to the end of September. For a few months I worked a full time day job and still cleaned at night but this paid for my trip, God truly provided me the ability and strength to go! Once the trade show position was done I was provided with a Christmas Mall decoration job that I do every year and not only did this position cover all my bills for two months it also finished 1 day prior to me flying out. The timing of this entire trip has been perfect, nothing by chance but i know its Gods timing. Its interesting how God has been working on my faith, how much do i trust Him with my life. I don’t have a full time job, didn’t know how I’d survive when i got back, had issues with my cards in the Netherlands…..Through all uncertainties he’s teaching me to step back and trust Him to take control.
Now I’m home, back to routine! Or as much as i can be. A piece of my heart remains in Zambia with my family out there. Funny thing is the lessons don’t end, now I have to trust God to lead me in a direction and work at not falling just back into the North American way of life. I don’t want to and I refuse to get stuck in the rat race again. God is teaching me peace and contentment, trust and faith! I don’t want to ruin that with selfish greed or feeling sorry for myself when i see all that others go through daily. Oh if you only experienced it all first hand you would truly understand just how good we all have it. Blessings are coming to those who wait, and even though the next year isn’t planned, I know He has already blessed me with work through January. Not even two days after i get home I receive a call from a show promoter I’ve worked with in the past and he wants me to work with him for his show at the end of January. It came as a surprise but shows God has his timing. You may not always have the plan in advance but trust God will bring you where He wants you.
(Celebrations in Samson after seeing a water well get drilled)
There’s so much to take away from an experience like this, all I can say is I highly recommend going on a short term trip like this, working with a developing country. As much as you help them they truly help find a calmer and more content, thankful side of yourself! Learn to not be so on, not everything is urgent or needed. Your cloths from a few years ago are still ok. That scratch on your car isn’t something to rage about. That 1000sgft condo is plenty of room to live. Your slightly broken or slower technology does not need to be replaced. The amount of wasteful spending we do to keep up with society is disturbing, and keeps us selfish. Our society says “we deserve it” but I know that’s the wrong statement to live by. Who deserves high end items? Who deserves to have clean water? Who deserves healthcare? Who deserves the latest and greatest instead of fighting to survive? Our life has become confused with necessity vs wants. Look around your room, your home, if you lost all of this stuff would it truly be the end of the world? Time for our new daily perspectives to change I think. Its one thing to hear it but its another to live it!
(Our team resting after a long day working with over 400 kids!)
To the people of Zambia, my new family whom I love dearly and have affected my life eternally! I’ve never seen so many happy, yet curious faces. Your angelic singing, the rhythm that makes even us white people clap and sway! You’re uninhibited joyful songs and prayers, as loud as your voice will go! You have taught me how to take a step back, engage with each other and understand its OK to not be busy all the time. You’ve open up my bottle i put God in, and though this is a work in process, I know God is way bigger than I let him be through me. Your love and true generosity towards the villagers have affected me forever. Giving everything you have and withholding nothing, a lesson I still need to learn. Thank you for being you, for welcoming us with open arms and just loving us like Family! From our Canadian team (Simeon, Angie, Gerry, Rylan and myself), i know I can speak for all of us when I say Thank you! We love you and Miss you all!
Gods plan can take us beyond our wildest imaginations, just need to let your own plans go and trust in His plan!
God Bless!!
Sarah