nothing changes

2nd blog post in under a week...be happy...really im just compensating for my huge lack of blogging prior to this.

Tim Story #4: This one is short. On one occasion, Tim was called a "trekkie", what we thought was an appropriate title...if you know Tim at all. However, Tim took offence to the name and quickly responded, "Actually...its Trekker." No one will make that mistake again.

About 6 months ago, I was given the job to paint the trim on the buildings on my Uncle's farm. It was may, and that means that Manitoba can receive a wide range of different weather. I remember one day in particular where it was about 5 degrees outside, and I was high up on a ladder. I was miserable, and just counting down the days until I would leave for Africa...it was the only thing that kept me going at the time. I knew I had to work hard to make money so I could feel good about leaving...knowing that the funds would be there. So, with Africa constantly in the back of my mind...I climbed up the ladder in the freezing cold and painted for hours upon hours, weeks upon weeks, until it was done.

Fast forward 6 months from that moment, and I am in South Africa, climbing up a ladder, in the rain, so I can clean leaves out of the eaves troughs of some of buildings on the Church property. It seems i'm back where I started...except this time, I'm in Africa. Its in times like these, where the irony of the situation is so staggering, that I cant help but wonder what I could be doing if I were back home. Because, right in that moment, 20 feet in the air, in the rain, scooping goop out of the gutters, in a town where i know almost no one, in a country completely foreign to me....sitting in my room studying almost sounded tempting.

However, as I looked back at my life at home, and especially the months leading up to my departure, I realized just how comfortable my life was. I had my family and friends around me, I had a purpose for my life, I was in university and doing well...etc etc. The point is, I had a good life. Now I'm realizing that comfort is not what Christianity is about at all. Jesus said that we are to give up everything, and take up our cross and follow Him....that doesnt sound comfortable at all. So maybe thats why South Africa doesnt feel quite like a vacation. I'm really excited to be here...but its not like im just hangin out on the beach during the day and living the life of a tourist and calling it missions.

This month has required sacrifice, commitment, flexibility (insert angry face)... but above everything else, I have had to "die to the flesh" daily in order to get through the day. I have had to lose whatever earthly desires or feeling that have been present, and simply (or not so simply) become a living example of God's love to the people here in SA. Whether that means going to a boarding house to lead a bible study with 30 kids, or cleaning gutters in the rain...I have chosen to take up my cross...whatever that means.

Kyle