EQUATORIAL GUINEA (BATA, MALABO) – October 5^th-12^th, 2009 

REFLECTION

 

Dear friends and family,

 

      Just come back from the medical mission trip in Bata, EG, Africa. Your prayer and financial support is so much more important than you can think of to me. Thank you very much! I have so much to share with you. Overall, it was such an amazing and blessed experience in my life and my walk with the Lord.

 

      As I have shared with my teammates, I came to this trip without knowing why God sent me, when I was holding so many things on my plate at home and work. I was  not ready but He simply pulled me out from my busy life without giving me the reasons. 2 months ago, I stepped back of not going to this beautiful place in the world, but God worked amazingly in my mind and people around me, to encourage me to come and make all the preparation of the trip happened smoothly in only 3 weeks! Time off approval from my supervisor at work, fund-raising, prayer support, medical supplies and special items for the trip…. Everything, God provided and were brought together until the very last day before I started to depart for the trip.

 

      Remembering I once said to myself, “Lord, I want to go anywhere you sent me, but hopefully not Africa & China.” Nothing against these two places, simply because I hate flies, mosquitoes and stinky toilets. But, God always put me where I do not prefer to overcome my fear. Simply this trip, He has been preparing my heart for Africa, helping me to face the things that I never believe I can handle. He is that amazing!

 

  Yes, this trip I saw all the creatures that I am scared of the most in the entire world, and overcome my prejudice over stinky toilets, and of course, mosquitoes and flies are on the list!  However, it turned out that God has lowered me and humbled me. “Who am I that complain about these, when people there are content with what they are given everyday? I am no special, better or less than anyone” God can be very funny! The whole stay in Bata, I was assigned to stay in a room right next to the toilets this time, seeing lizards, spiders…. crawling…. But without the discipline from God, I will never experience the power of His Love, that drives out all the fear that I have been having and winning about.

 

      The first 2 days of the trip seems like 2 months to me, but of course God dealt with me. He said, “I will never give (send) you what (where) you more than you cannot bear!” Since then, His peace led me through slowly throughout the trip. “God is with me, God is with us (our team), God is with the African….. He will never forsake us, wherever He places the ones He created and loves”

 

      Bata, Equatorial Guinea is still in development. People are very content, life is simple there, and for Christians there, all they have is God, and the grace of God in their lives. The most unforgettable scene to me is the worship on Sunday at the local church. It is a small church, but the Holy Spirit filled the whole room and touched each of our hearts. I will never forget the impact of the passion for Christ through the way my dear African sisters and brothers worshipping the Lord. The way they sang, is not to do it for the routine, nor, to perform, but, to sing it to the ONLY ONE AUDIENCE, our Lord! I finally experience what a wholehearted worship is like!

 

      African enjoys community. They stick together as friends and family to worship, to laugh, to serve and to pray. Everything they do, they do it TOGETHER as a community. This is a big contrast with the individualism of Americans. Their hospitality towards visitors like us is extraordinary. In addition to the sincere way of shaking hands, they dress up (also as in the choir) worship and celebrate. They do not mind to lower themselves to serve the only ONE GOD! As long as they can serve Him, praise Him, nothing else matters. Their joy and passion is contagious to our team.

 

      I am shameful to share that I was proud to begin this trip, thinking I am the ‘savior’, to give and to help the poor. But, I was so wrong. They are not poor, because they are rich in the Spirit. I did not give much, but they taught me much about their whole-hearted devotion to Christ. They reserve nothing to magnify God. They use their last drop of energy to praise Him.

 

MORE TESTIMONIES

 

The very 1^st day of my trip, I traveled with  very bad nausea from the flights…… (Satan’s attack, I strongly believe but God made me through J)

 

The 2^nd day of my trip, when the whole team arrived Malabo, EG, I was not able to connect the next flight with the rest of the team to the final destination (Bata, EQ). Thanks to Josh, our team leader, to stay behind for taking care all the luggage of the team with Pastor Huansema and me. But, I also found out one of my luggage was lost, but praise God the one with my personal items was with me the whole trip, so I got to change everyday!!! (Satan tried to attack me and us, again, but God has won the battle!)

 

The 3^rd day of my trip, I was assigned to a room that is apart from most of the teammates, and is next to a restroom that SMELLS!!! I was rejecting to this whole thing in my heart! I spoke to God, I think I can do this for you, but not anyone else…. Seeing spider crawling in my bedroom the first night, then…..sleeping in a foreign place, do not know what will happen around. “Can I trust this place, Lord?” “But, Lord, you bring me here, here I am”

 

The 4^th day, God encouraged me, “I will not give you what you cannot handle, so go through it!” Praise the Lord!!! I know my sisters and brothers at home were praying for me that time,  because to me, it’s such a relief and comfort! The first 2 days were like 2 months long to me!!! But, finally, I had more courage to get through because God affirmed His presence with me.

 

The 5-9^th day: mission work, visited missionaries, attended weddings and Sunday worship. Everyday, our team enjoyed our daily devotions and wonderful meals prepared by Gary and Callie everyday!!! What a blessing!!! Thank you!

 
 

“Lord, my dream came true, and You are the Lord that answers my prayers after years: to reach out orphans with the gifts you have prepared for me . Than k  you, Lord, that it did not happen in my way, but Yours. Your amazing and wonderful and perfect way.”

 

“Nothing is impossible with God! “(Luke 1:37)

Keep praying and pray through it, God will answer yours in His Mighty Way, in His Time ! The wait and trust is surely worth it!

God did amazing things for us and out team in Equatorial Guinea. One of the examples was when we finally arrived to our final destination, we found we were missing one of our suitcases with most of our donation items including some Jesus Film projector equipment, the Proclaimer ect. Another team member was also missing one of her donation suitcases.
 
We worked for about three days trying to locate them making trips back & fourth to the airport in Bata. The airports in E.G. totally runs on their own agenda with there own rules that are subject to change at any moment by any person.
 
We finally had to place it in His hands and focus on the scheduled agenda for us. The Lord simply reminded us that those donations are all His and He has a plan for each item and to trust that we would know the outcome before the trip was over.
 
At the end of the trip when we left the airport in Bata and went to the Airport in Malabo, we did some more checking around for the missing luggage. We were able to see the other team members piece of luggage in one of the offices but had to wait until the next day for someone to open it.
 
The next day we went back and fount the right person at the right time to go out of his way to actually help us to look for our missing suitcase. He took us to a separate garage away from the main airport area and had to argue with one of the guards to let him in. We waited and prayed for about ten minutes when finally, that helpful angel appeared with our long lost luggage and all of it's contents including our lunch which was quite moldy by then! We think that out moldy lunch may have deterred anyone form digging through it!
 
We were able to leave the Proclaimer with the Nazarene pastor in Malabo at the last minute and it will be in the place where the Lord intended it to be. We were able to snap a quick picture of us giving it to him but nothing more.
 
We were told we will have pictures of it in action so we will be following up on that.
 
We can not wait to share more! God is so good!
 
Brian & Erika

 

" I want to start by praising God for being so faithful to us in every situation we encoutered, whether big or small, and for igniting this holy fire in all of us. It's like something was asleep inside of me and once I got to Africa, it woke up for the very first time. I know from talking with other team members that they experienced the same thing, and that the holy fire ignited within all of us, continues to burn.  I feel that the best and only way to describe how I felt and what I experienced on this trip is to provide you with some excerpts from my journal. I feel that they will give you the truest picture of what I experienced while I was in Equatorial Giunea. A few thoughts:Tuesday,Oct. 6th, 2009 - 'Dear Lord, here I am sitting in the airport in Frankfurt,Germany. My eyes are bloodshot, I'm tired, and I have never been happier. I'm finally going to Africa, the place I've dreamed of, the place you called me to and gave me a passion for. I'll only be in Equatorial Guinea for a few days, but who knows what it could lead to, or what doors you will open. I don't know for sure where you're leading me, I just know you're leading me and that's enough. I don't know how you'll end up using the talents and the knowledge you've given me, but I can't wait to find out. Your ways and timing are perfect. So far, life with you has been a great adventure! I will be still and know that you are God.'  Friday, Oct. 9th - 'Dear Lord, tonight I sit on the couch in the common room of our dorm. I am fully blessed and fully broken. The needs of the people here are so great! Beyond the physical needs, the spiritual and emotional needs are overwhelming. When I look into the eyes of the people coming for the clinic, in many of them, there is a deep sadness that I know only you can fill. I know you provide for them in ways we can't see. Blessed be your name.' We started working at what would be a new christian school for the church of the Nazarene outside of Bata. It was an abandoned school building that needed some repair structurally and needed some new desks. Our construction team and the locals made quick of the repairs that needed to be done. Brian Hasenauer with materials provided for him, was able to construct the needed school desks. The most remarkable thing about our time there was that the head of the village approached Pastor Mario about spiritual instruction for the people. As a result, an impromptu showing of the Jesus Film was held in the village that night. I don't know what the results were or what seeds were planted. I do know that God will reap a harvest. It was a strange trip in that our schedule seemed to change from day to day. Even if we weren't exactly sure what the plans were or how they would turn out, God knew, and that's all that mattered. We had three days of rest after our work in this village, and then we worked at a christian school in Bata for two days. The last night we were there, we held an evagelistic service at the church, which happened to be part of the school. One of our team members shared their testimony and another team member shared the message, and as a result, two children came to know the Lord. If we had come to Africa for no other reason than that, it would have been enough.  Thursday,Oct. 15th,2009 'Dear Lord, tonight I sit in awe of the work that you have done in last few days and of the changes I've seen in all of us. I know that you brought us all to this place for a reason and that you are reshaping and transforming things within us. We fly to Malabo in the morning. As hard as it will be to leave Bata and all of the new friends we have made, I know that you hold them in the palm of your hand, just as you did before we arrived. It still hurts to leave, but knowing that you are in control of all things, makes it easier." While I was reading Psalm 103 & 104 this morning, I was reminded of just how powerful God really is and of how much he really is in control of all things. My biggest challenge in coming back to the states has been not forgetting what I've learned from this experience and what God has been teaching me. God has challenged me to find more ways to serve him in my everyday life and to be more open to the opportunities that he provides. My challenge to any Christian would be that whether or not you end up serving God in some foreign country or in your own back yard, be open to his calling and to the opportunities he gives you to reach others for him. You never know when and where he's going to call you, so be ready."

 

 

In His peace,

 

Sherry