This concludes another amazing week here at Hopeland. I’m not sure exactly what week we’re on, I’ve lost count, maybe something around seven? Whatever it is, there are not nearly enough weeks left for me in this place. I think we leave for outreach in exactly a month, maybe even a little bit less.

Fortunately for me, however, that won’t mark the end of my stay here – I’ve made the official decision to stay on for a bit, I’m saying at least until March, but who am I to even guess? I’m here until God tells me, no, forces me to go home, and I’m praying hard that won’t happen any time in the foreseeable future. I’ve gotten Africa in my blood; bugs, mud, and all, and I’m not sure I will ever be rid of it, I’m not sure I could ever be happy anywhere else. Of course, I’ll be happy wherever God sends me, and as long as I’m doing His work, I will need nothing else, but a large part of me is already starting to think of Africa as home.

This week was incredibly eventful, although the lessons were nowhere near as life-altering as the ones last week, this week we learned about missions work and evangelism, but Musaki taught, so really we just heard loads of stories and said “Ameena” over and over. But, all the same, I have come out of it much better than I was going into it, and the way the Lord has been working in my life this week is intense enough to make up for any lack of learning anywhere else. This week, I’ve been completely “pwned by God” as Kelli likes to say – He’s had to smack some major sense into me, but fortunately for me, after smacking it into me, He lovingly fed me the rest of it, and now, after it’s all over, I finally understand what it truly means to submit entirely to the Lord. I’m going to have to really resist getting preachy right now, I’ve just preached a mini-sermon about this to my DTS this morning, and am apparently getting up in front of an entire African church to preach the real thing in a couple of weeks, but, in short, my life is the Lord’s. He has a perfect plan, tailored exactly to fit me, with my needs and desires and talents, so why on earth would I ever seek anything else? He has given me the chance to live out every second of my time on this earth doing His will, and therefore walking fully with Him, so it’s simply ceased to make any sense to me how I could ever want anything else.

With that knowledge, however, God brought me loads of work. Surrendering everything to Him is a lovely idea, in theory, but when you realize just exactly how everything-like “everything” really is, it gets a bit more difficult. It involved making a few decisions that I didn’t really want to make, and even giving up a few things that I didn’t really want to give up, but that is all simply my lack of trust, my lack of faith.  So, that’s where I am right now – absolutely immersing myself in prayer and the Bible, trying to direct all of my thoughts, hopes, and dreams towards God, and committing to Africa for longer than I ever would have thought was possible.