Credit

I have been extremely moved by being here in Africa. I feel completely out of America. As I flip through Facebooks and blogs and websites of my friends tonight I developed a pain as I read the events going on in people's lives around me, yet not around me at all. I have to say I do not know who all reads this blog but I'm impressed by many of my friends right now. I want to be will all my friends tonight. I want to call you guys but I can't. Man it's crazy how disconnected I am from my best friends and family.

Yet, at the same time I feel extremely hopeful for the future. My life is full of people that always encourage me. I had solid friendships all around the world and for that I am motivated to keep embracing the experiences happening right here in Kara.

Being here in Kara, Togo has been amazing as I have grown to see how God is moving among the Kabiye people. I recently came back form a 10 day survey trip to Mali in a land where people need God. Jesus' name is now know in these parts and I it brings me to tears to think about that. Jesus is just a random phase to them. I long for them to hear the gospel and I wonder who will deliver the message to them. It's so sad that some live without God.

Without God I wouldn't be in Togo and I wouldn't know the people I know.

Without God who gets all the credit for all this beautiful creation?

Without God, how to people live and breath and have their being? Yet, God is so hopeful.

I look at this world and I just see that God made me to give this world life. God made me to take care of his beauty. This is displayed by how I treat his earth and how I treat his people. God believes in me and God gives me the power to do his work on earth, yet who do I give the credit to? Is it for me or him?

I'm extremely scatter brained right now because God has been placing so much on my heart.
Basically, everywhere I look I see God and it's so sad that I met people that didn't even know who God was. They are people who I met and talked with and they had no idea who I was and all I told them was I am a Christian. They know me as a Christian, that is my identity.

(Do my friends know this when they see me? Do I proclaim my Christianity to them?)

I know some do. I know some don't.

When they see me do something for them do they give credit to God for how rich I am or do they give credit to me?

This is a scary thought but I feel such a struggle. Man is to be glorying God constantly and I know I do not always do this but I really pray that I am able to honestly look at people and serve them for God not myself. Yet, how do I do this? If I can't speak their language and their culture.

Still I press on knowing that "to God be the glory in all things". I'm fortunate to be able to serve God's people in Africa and I will continue to HOPE in the future for all these nations.