I often ponder how much of my true feelings I share on this blog, how much I want to be putting out for all to read. Tonight I am taking a risk, I hope you understand my thought and my heart.
This week I received an email from my Dad that a close family friend and sister in Christ, Ineke, had passed away. I was shell shocked, Ineke had been battling cancer for many years, but her death hurt. It drove home the feeling of separation from those I love. Ineke was an amazing person.
Later that evening while I was sitting with friends someone asked me what was wrong, I with shared them that Ineke had lost her battle with cancer.
But that.. that is a lie.
Ineke did not lose any battle and cancer did beat her.
Christ won.
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour won.
As much as we hurt I know without a doubt in my mind that there is rejoicing, celebrating in the heavenly realms as God gathers one of his daughters to spend eternity with Him.
Ineke, I miss you. You truly are an inspiration and example to me.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God bless,
Ben
Tuesday 10 May 2011
Friday 6 May 2011
I need Africa more than Africa needs me.
I need Africa more than Africa needs me.. A sentence that has come back to haunt me recently.
The slogan comes form a group called the MochaClub, they are making the statement that although circumstance are dire in a lot of nations on this continent, their seem to be an ingrained happiness in the people (I blogged on this a long time ago) and I was introduced to the slogan when I read it on a T-shirt of a friend who returned to the ship this year (good old repeat offenders).
Ever since reading it it has stayed stuck in the back on my mind. Standing on the aft (back) of deck 8 (our top and outside deck) it struck me the other day how true a statement it was.
As I watched the sun set into the ocean, watched the smoke hang over the fishermans village, watch the busyness of Freetown carry on into the night; those words rang true.
I love this place, I love west-Africa. Yes it frustrates me to see some of the organizational lackings and it will literally bring me to tears to see the pain and poverty in this country. As I have lived in west Africa for the last 2 years it has become part of my existence, my life, my faith, it has snuck its way into me. It has slowly become home, it feels safe, it feels familiar; lets be honest it is almost an addiction..
My time with Mercy Ships is slowly drawing to an end, in less than 2 months I will board a plane to Europe with no immediate plans to return. As excited I am about the future, as excited I am to marry Hannah and start our life together, it will hurt to leave. It will hurt more than I care to admit to myself.
It is true that their is still help needed here, I am unimaginably thankful to God that the work continues and others step in as some step out.
But in my heart of heart, that little voice keeps telling me what I know to be true.
I need Africa, more than Africa needs me.
God bless,
Ben
The slogan comes form a group called the MochaClub, they are making the statement that although circumstance are dire in a lot of nations on this continent, their seem to be an ingrained happiness in the people (I blogged on this a long time ago) and I was introduced to the slogan when I read it on a T-shirt of a friend who returned to the ship this year (good old repeat offenders).
Ever since reading it it has stayed stuck in the back on my mind. Standing on the aft (back) of deck 8 (our top and outside deck) it struck me the other day how true a statement it was.
As I watched the sun set into the ocean, watched the smoke hang over the fishermans village, watch the busyness of Freetown carry on into the night; those words rang true.
I love this place, I love west-Africa. Yes it frustrates me to see some of the organizational lackings and it will literally bring me to tears to see the pain and poverty in this country. As I have lived in west Africa for the last 2 years it has become part of my existence, my life, my faith, it has snuck its way into me. It has slowly become home, it feels safe, it feels familiar; lets be honest it is almost an addiction..
My time with Mercy Ships is slowly drawing to an end, in less than 2 months I will board a plane to Europe with no immediate plans to return. As excited I am about the future, as excited I am to marry Hannah and start our life together, it will hurt to leave. It will hurt more than I care to admit to myself.
It is true that their is still help needed here, I am unimaginably thankful to God that the work continues and others step in as some step out.
But in my heart of heart, that little voice keeps telling me what I know to be true.
I need Africa, more than Africa needs me.
God bless,
Ben
To find out more about the MochaClub see: https://www.themochaclub.org/i-need-africa
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