Lots of unknowns = a great day! (Journal Entry)

(back in Kahan, after training in Thailand)

I am planning to meet Anne today at NTD and then go with her to Mamta’s village. I don’t think it is as far away as Anita’s, but I’m not sure…I do not know if I will eat there, or sleep there tonight, or meet others, or just hang out with Anita and Mamta, or if I will be able to record some stories, or tell some stories, or learn more language, or not be able to communicate at all, or if I will be able to take pictures, or not, or if that village will be similar or different from the other village I’ve been to.

Lots of unknowns- that’s what makes today a great day already! Perhaps the best thing for me about this project is how uniquely crazy it is! I mean, you can’t predict what will happen on any given day, except that the electricity will probably go off for a portion of the day. Other than that, our lives are so much “up in the air” or rather “up in our Father’s hands.” What a comfort!

In the midst of unknowns and “have no ideas” and “who knows” and “no ways” and “impossible” and “yeah right,” our Father knows, he not only has an idea, but a plan, and knows the way and that indeed it is possible and yes…it is right...and good…and He will lead us in that- as we seek Him.

Lord, help me to seek you more over the next three months. Help me to not see these people as objects or a task, but as people you want to worship you. Help me to take action, but not get caught up in the project itself that I miss the beauty of this culture and people all around me.

Help me find a balance with work, and time with you, as well as others- including Vivian and Robin. Help me to keep focused, and not lose heart or dedication for the project- help me to not give in when I should stand firm. Give me the strength I need to to make decisions that need to be made in the midst of who knows what the outcome may be. Please give both Robin and I an increased desire to see these people reached with your story, and give us amazing motivation to get this work accomplished. Please unite us in heart and help us to really work well together, complementing each other, encouraging one another, not dragging down each other, or hindering the work by our selfish or uncomfortable feelings. Give us wisdom to see that when it happens, and to take action against it. Please keep the enemy away from us- far, far away…may he be distracted by something else, so that we can press on. Thank you for your grace and mercy to us thus far.

Thank you for the time in Thailand too; for the fun times with friends, and also the amount of information we were able to take in- please help us apply it to our project.

Lord, we have less than two months before Judy comes for our consultant check- and so much work to do in that time. Lord, how can I not see it as work and a task to be completed? Is that all wrong? It does need to be done- at times it’s okay to be totally all about the relationships and the people, but at times, the stories do need to be crafted, right? :) Father, I pray that the work we do, will be good work, not just something to say we’ve done, but stories that will really have an impact and make a difference.

You know, another thing I forgot to do in Thailand was get a tape recorder…how did I end up back here, without that? Ahh!!!! I’m kicking myself for that now- hmm, is there a better quality one we can get here in Kahan? I don’t know. Man- Sam just called to asking when we should meet. Should we meet on Monday? What work do I have for him? Not much…And how to train him? And what stories to do? So much to think about and figure out…and then I don’t even have a good tape recorder to give him. Could he learn the stories himself? Maybe we should try that…Hmm…Father, please give wisdom and direction to what I should do…