Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Life as I know it...

What I really need is my sister here to show me how to post pictures properly, but since she has five kids and a husband at home, I don't think she'll be flying to Asia anytime soon. That said, please bear with me as I try to give you a glimpse into everyday life as I currently know it...

Life in South Asia might very well begin with traffic. Thankfully, I live within walking distance to pretty much everything I need- work, market, gym. But, when I do venture out of my neighborhood, I typically find myself in some form of traffic. As you might guess from the picture, the road is pretty much fair game for whatever you've got. Rickshaws, big trucks, little tempos, cabs, buses, motorcycles, bicycles and various livestock are all expected to share the road, but not necessarily abide by any traffic rules. Fender benders are pretty much a given, and no one seems to mind all that much if you bump whatever is in front of you a little.

Work is only a ten-fifteen minute walk from my apartment, depending on if you want to go the long way or the short way. However, leaving late means you will be walking by a pretty pungent dumpster and a public toilet, so, in my book, it pays to leave a few minutes early. Our office is opposite a mutton shop; Friday afternoons are particularly traumatizing. In five months, I have managed not to ever look directly into the shop in fear of seeing a goat being butchered- hearing them is sad enough.

Each morning at work our entire office meets for 30 minutes of fellowship and prayer, and then we have another 30 minutes of stillness... reminders that we do nothing out of our own strength. In Aftercare, we have a brief daily team meeting and off we go to our various tasks... Above is me at my desk, super busy, of course, and getting some help from Ashley, the admin intern, as I am hopeless at computers. Casual Fridays are a hit everywhere in the world, I would say. I will write more about work projects soon.

After work, it's anyone's guess... I'm blessed to have some great roommates, Steph and Katie, who I can debrief with and have ice cream delivered in the case of a particularly rough day (seriously, you can get nearly anything delivered here, it's fantastic). Auntie comes in around 7:30 and cooks us dinner. She has become like family, and she spoils us. Lately, I have been spending many nights with some friends perfecting my game of carrom, which is a mix of pool and table shuffleboard. My goal is to get really good, bring home a couple boards, and impress everyone with my amazing flicking techniques...or at least be able to beat my brothers. We'll see.

Weekends are a toss up between laying low and enjoying rest and exploring the city. Every other Saturday or so some of us from the office meet at a coffee shop on the beach... a time to get to know each other and someone usually brings a crossword, so it's a good time all around. Below is a picture of some exploring we did one weekend... the day involved a ferry ride, old caves with magnificent carvings, and incredibly pushy monkeys. It was so nice to get out of the city.

So, this is just a glimpse into my day-to-day life here. I have a bit of trouble summing it all up... Amazingly, many things that maybe shocked me initially feel pretty normal by now. Yet, the poverty and need of the city still go noticed. I want to thank you for your prayers and the words of encouragement I received after my last post… learning to walk by faith continues to be a challenge, yet I have been inspired by your insights and encouraged to see God show up in the midst of my doubt.

Shortly after my last post, our office had a half-day prayer retreat where our director spoke about joy. He quoted IJM's president, Gary Haugen, who has likened joy to the oxygen of the candle of justice… that it’s simply necessary for the work. He alleged that though our work will be hard, there will be joy. In all honesty, I got a little lost in my own thoughts at this point, wondering how to have joy in the face of what often feels like a losing battle. Then he read Psalm 126.

“When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping carrying seed to sow will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

Whenever we rescue one girl, I feel a little like someone who dreams big dreams- the kind of dreams that are impossible without the hand of God intervening. Essentially, it was someone’s dream to rescue that girl; to go out and find her in a brothel, to rescue her from bondage, and to bring her perpetrators to justice. It was first Gary Haugen’s dream, and today, in our field office alone, 134 girls’ lives are forever changed because he (and then many others who came alongside) took hold of a vision God gave. That's joy.

It occurred to me that I have been hesitant to be joyful because it somehow felt disloyal to the plight of those who have not yet been rescued- those who are still experiencing cruelty and injustice and those who will forever live with the scars of others' sin. But what I read in this passage is that the joy experienced from acknowledging the great things God has done does not take away from the brokenness I feel for those who are still waiting, rather it gives hope to continue the work…

These days I am trying to be more mindful of the moments where we reap with songs of joy- not only after successful rescues, but in smaller instances such as when a rescued girl indicates that she wants to pursue her education or when bail is denied for a perpetrator- the small things that spark the courage to continue in pursuit of justice, even in the face of a losing battle.

With that, I want to say thank you, once again- first, for hanging in there if you made it to the end of this post! Secondly, for your continued prayers both for me and for the work being done here. I feel so privileged to be here, and I am so grateful for your partnership with me in this work and your support in my personal journey of learning to walk by faith.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Ann, I love your example from Psalm 126. It's an interesting paradigm: We have the God-given gift of being able to feel joy at the same time that we have an acute awareness of pain. I felt that when my husband died last year. I KNEW he was with Jesus, which was Dan's ultimate desire, and that allowed me to feel joy in the midst of my grief. So I can understand your situation...clinging to the small victories while you are still aware of the presence of the enemy...remembering, all the while, that God has already won the ultimate battle.
We continue to pray for the strength of your faith in the hope you will be encouraged.

Meg said...

Ann, always so encouraging and insightful to read your thoughts. Thanks for sharing and for allowing God to use you in such might ways for His kingdom. I pray for you continually and am appreciative to have a glimpse into your daily life. Keep striving and He will continue to pour out His joy on you with each victory. I love you - meg

Michelle Musso said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
get an eyefull of this... said...

Ann, I am glad that Patty gave me your blogspot, so I can follow your progress and know what to pray for you.