Guest Post // Donna Kamps

Drinking: Tea
Listening: Fellowship of the Ring (audio)

One of my closest friends took a trip to Africa not long ago and I asked her to share her thoughts about the trip here on my blog. Read on!

So I recently took a trip of a lifetime. I went to Africa with 17 other people, some I knew well and a lot I hardly knew at all. There is so much I could divulge but I’ll try to keep it short for your sake. The recurring theme throughout the trip was to Trust the Lord. That lesson started before our plane even took off. We were originally supposed to leave on November 7, but there was an ice storm that day in New York that delayed our trip for almost a month. Not to mention, I was very anxious about going in the first place, I told my pastor after I made the commitment to count me out and to take someone else because I was so anxious. Having to wait on His timing is pretty hard, especially when you can’t see the outcome or see it working out at all. But the Lord is so so good and I ended up loving Africa and loving all the people I went with. I am so glad I got that opportunity and I am so incredibly grateful for the sweet friendships formed on that trip.

2 Timothy 2:11-13 says it well.
If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him;
If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He will also deny us;
If we are faithless, He remains faithful- for He cannot deny Himself.

I also learned that there are some very interesting characters on the other side of the world. I had a man approach me and my friend Matt and ask me (not Matt though...) if I would be his friend and remember him. Then he proceeded to pressure me to get a local phone so he can call me, he even offered to buy me one, imagine someone who hardly can afford to eat, offer to buy you a phone! I finally got away from him and went by the group of people that were dancing (what everyone does during down time) and the man came up to another girl I was standing by from the group and introduced himself then promptly started holding my hand... ummm... I could not get away fast enough...
Other than a few awkward situations we ran into, the people there were absolutely wonderful. I loved that when there was down time, the Africans would take out their sassas-which is essentially a dried gourd with beads strung around it- and dance and sing. There was so much joy in the faces of the people there that you just don’t see here. I think that is what I would bring back, if I could bring one thing from Africa to America, it would be the simple joy they have in the Lord alone. I think it gets lost with all the stuff we have around us here in America. We forget that the Lord is the one who gives us everything, whereas the people in Africa rely on Him for their daily bread.

So what you need to know about Africa? I’ll sum it up for you:   Laughter, Heat, Dancing to the Sassa, Red Dirt, Beautiful People, Bottled soda,. Lots of sweet children, Outpouring of love, Gorgeous scenery, Immense poverty, Palm trees, Chicken and Rice, Falling into bed at night from a day well done, Wonderfully chaotic,  Did I mention it was hot?

Thanks for sharing, Donna! I'm really excited that you shared this moment with me and my readers.

Shalom