Monday, April 22, 2013

It's the little things that count...

This weekend as the YAGM volunteers for 2013-2014 gathered to discern and find out where they would be placed for the next year, I found myself reflecting on where I've been in the past year.   I remember being a ball of nerves anxiously waiting to find out which country I would be going to (unfortunately, our names were called in alphabetical order so I had to sweat it out).  I remember that weekend as we learned more about the theme of accompaniment and attempting to wrap my head around a concept that has become the theme of my life for the past few months.

The difference between where I was and where I am now feels enormous, but if I look back at my YAGM year so far, there's no singular point where all this took place.  Change and learning has taken place in small increments in each passing day.   In terms of language, I used to only be able to catch a couple of words in a conversation.  Now I find that I can follow most of what's being said and participate.  I've had some pretty crazy food adventures and would have never imagined myself eating, let alone enjoying, half of the foods that have become my favorite dishes.  The people in my community have become more than just hosts, they've become a family.  I miss them when I leave Tenom and rejoice when I'm back in town.  I look back at when I first arrived here and remember feeling extremely anxious because I had no idea what my role would be.  But now I find myself as a part of the work of the church as a teacher, friend, musician, and fellow worker in the body of Christ.

What I now realize has been a dramatic change took place at the hands of a very patient God.  It's the everyday kindness and guidance that has shaped me here.  From the smiles to the invitations, to the meals, each interaction has helped me become part of the family here.  It's also been in the everyday opportunities that I've had for small acts of service that I've realized where my gifts and talents can be used.  There have been walks with friends, afternoon visits, extra patience, and a willingness to be open that have let me share a bit of myself here.  Alone, these acts are small, but they add up and build relationships as well as shape the walks we take with people.  In these small acts, God brings out the very best. 

As I look back at where I've been so far, I realize just how many chances the day holds for these small acts.  My time here has been filled with these small acts.  I realize that time will race by and my time will be winding down all too soon.  But if each and every day is filled with these moments of love, these sacred moments that gradually transform, I realize there is still a whole lot to look forward to.  There is still a whole lot to experience and be a part of and I look forward to every minute of it. 

Monday, April 8, 2013

Sabahan Easter



Yes, I know that Easter was over a week ago, but there was a great deal that I felt I needed to process and think about before I posted about celebrating in Sabah.  You see, celebrations were so different than anything I’d experienced that all I could do was really observe before coming to any conclusions.  This year made me realize the things that I really value about the way I’ve celebrated Easter in the past, but I gave me a great deal of insight into the faith and beliefs of those in my community. 

Most noticeable was the absence of the observance of Lent.  I do know many people who do not observe Lent in the US, but growing up Lutheran, this is something that has been a part of my life as long as I can remember.  There’s always been that emphasis to reflect on the need for forgiveness and follow Jesus’ journey to the cross.  In Sabah, many people didn’t know what Lent was and those who had heard of it said it was ‘a Catholic thing.’  Ok, so I didn’t give it too much thought early on and decided to see what would happen.

As Holy Week rolled around we didn’t observe Palm Sunday or Maundy Thursday.  And though we had a prayer service on Good Friday, but there was still no recognition or emphasis on Jesus’ journey to the cross and his death.  This seemed to bother me more than I thought it would.  If Jesus didn’t die on the cross, there would be no Easter miracle to celebrate. All my life observing this meant being able to appreciate Easter more deeply.  I was still perplexed, but decided to just keep watching and try to keep an open mind.  More importantly, I tried to remind myself that just because I was really missing the observances back home, I really didn’t need to let that influence what I thought about Sabahan Easter.

So Easter came and aside from having communion and a baptism, it was really like every other church service.  There really wasn’t much extra celebration.  Again, very different from what I was used to.  For about a week the questions still swirled in my head, why wasn’t there more.  But as I continued to go about the week, I started realizing why.  Here in Sabah, it seems that how people share what they have, help one another, and live out their Christian faith is more important than how they celebrate it.  Living every day is a response to Jesus’ death and resurrection and therefore is an Easter Celebrations.  There have been moments, little Easters you could say, throughout all my days.  There have been those times when things look doubtful and I don’t know how I’m going to get through, but someone comes along to help make the seemingly impossible possible and in the end, it’s a miracle.   So if Easter seems a little everyday-ish here, maybe that’s ok.  Why not celebrate every day?