In 2009-2010 I was part of an internship through Teen Mania Ministries. While I was there I was part of a team of callers who spent their days on the phone disciplining teams and preparing them for ministry out in the field that summer. Our team name was “Nomads” because we are nomads on this earth as members of the heavenly kingdom….
Anyway, we would start our day with our awesome cheer that I think really fits my currently life well:
“N-O-M-A-D
We rep the Gospel can’t you see.
Nomads what we’re called to be
It’s Jesus Christ who sets us free..
Preach it!”
Why does that fit my life currently you ask? Despite the obvious, I am in China; perhaps the best way to illustrate my nomadicness is the ever classic you can know someone by the contents of their bag. I have been living mainly form a book bag for the last two weeks (and probably will for the rest of the summer). So the contents of that bag are:
- · Shampoo, conditioner, body wash
- · Letters from home
- · Devotional book
- · Bible, journal, and a pen
- · A book to read
- · Chinese dictionary
- · Passport
- · Wallet
- · Gum
- · Chapstick
- · sunglasses
- · Ipod
- · Laptop
- · Tennis shoes
- · 2 outfits
- · Shorts to sleep in
- · Make up
- · Hair ties
- · Tooth brush, tooth paste, and hairbrush
- · Chargers for various electronics
- · And a camel
This is my most recent nomadic journey:
I spent 8-9 hours sweating on a bus all around the mountains. Turns out we got the one that goes all over the place so it took us 8 hours instead of 5. We knew we were in trouble when the bus stopped for lunch... lol. We stopped in this little village where they have probably never seen a foreigner, much less had two Americans come buy bananas from their fruit stand.
I was sitting with a little 4 year old named Ma Ping and his mom. Throughout the day I taught him a song, listened to worship music on my iPod with him (he is from a Muslim family), taught him some English, he shared his snacks with me, he slept on me, and I got nice and sweaty lol. But by like half way through the ride I earned the title of "big sister" which is jei jei in Chinese.
Oh and there were whole feathered chickens in the back of our bus... really, there was blood in the bag when we picked it up and handed it to her. Not to mention you could see the chicken’s feet sticking up over the back seat of the bus.
As for the thoughts of a nomad… well many bus rides make for plenty of time to contemplate. Here is what has been going on inside me, not just around me.
Here's what God has been doing in me…
He was stretching, and now I am starting to submit and relinquish some control
At the beginning of this summer, I always wanted to know what was going to happen next, was worried about having internet, and having a phone. What it boiled down to was that I was just not serving. Basically, I was being selfish… nothing new there. I am selfish human; praise the Lord, Jesus saved me.
But God in His grace and faithfulness has coaxed me back and I am starting to want to worship Him more, seek His heart, and pray.
It's ok if I don't have internet… I can roll with that.
If I don't have a phone... eh I will make do.
If I don’t know where I am going to be or what I am going to be doing… I live out of a backpack so I’m basically a boy scout, always prepared.
Also, I am starting to catch the really American things I do now. Thinking to myself “oh why are you doing that... you are in china.” So with a month and half left, I will basically be Chinese when I get home.
It is strange to put my bag on the floor I notice it now. Putting my feet on things, I am starting to catch that too. Crossing the road.... frogger ain't got nothing on me.
Not to mention I won't have the faintest clue what to do with all my heaps of clothes when I get home after this summer of nomadicness, living out of my backpack.
This summer is a good picture to me of just how much I am a nomad on this earth. I am a citizen of a heavenly kingdom and am here to lead a life that glorifies my King and proclaims His message.
See ya next time… same bat time same bat channel.
Devra
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