Africa Post: Lost Luggage, Missionary Story and Comfort Zones

Hello!

I'm in Malowi, Africa. It's been already been a most interesting trip.

We left Friday morning and had a two hour flight, we got to the airport and went to get our luggage but it wasn't there. I had the job of luggage guard and sat with our carry ons and backpacks (with 6 people that's 12 bags) anyway, it was the better of the two jobs in my opinion. Well while I was sitting there I couldn't help but notice these three little kids, who were also waiting for their bags, bouncing of the walls. (we had been waiting for over 1 and a half hours) A stray thought came to me, "Why don't you offer to tell them the missionary story? The CYIA visual is in your carry on. You know the story well enough to tell them". Ha, I thought, that is not a good idea, no way!, that would just be weird! I had a thousand reasons why not. But then a thought occurred to me. If it is something God wants me to do He will give me the strength. If it is something God wants me to do then I have nothing but the opportunity to loose.

Then I was thinking, how do I know this is a God thought and not a Rachel thought? Is an opportunity really a bad thing to loose?

It is.

God gives us opportunities, he promises to strengthen us, he promises to use our weaknesses as they are his strength.

God tells us to do as he asks.

Missing such an opportunity is doing what we feel like, and not what God asks us to.

That isn't serving God, that is serving ourselves.

So I sat there watching these kids playing on the seats and climbing under things. They were bored and I wasn't doing much of anything. I closed my book and walked over to my mom.

"what do you think about me asking those kid's grandmother about telling them a missionary story?"

My mom glanced over at them and nodded her head. "You could."

"Should I?"

"It's up to you."

I sighed, the parental version of "I want you to make your own decisions".
"I feel like its something God wants me to do." I paused. "How should I ask?"

My mom shook her head. "I don't know... Let's pray about it."

So we stood there prayed out loud then tossed ideas back in forth for the next two minuets.

Finally after deciding on a short two sentence request, I dug my carry on out and pulled out my visual. It sat at the top, as though It knew I would need it.

Takings deep breath I said a short prayer and walked up to the grandmother. "Hi," I smiled, "I went to a Bible camp a couple weeks ago and learned how to tell a missionary story, I was wondering if you would mind if I told your kids?"

She looked surprised, "oh no, that's fine." she turned and called the three children over. "Hey come here, this young lady is going to tell you all a story."

The kids came running over and sat down in a row. "Hi." I smiled, "Do any of you like stories? That's great I do to I'd like to tell you a really cool story about a man named John Payton. He was a missionary, can anyone tell me what a missionary is?" from there I launched into the Missionary story on John Payton. The kids seemed to really get into it. I even noticed some people sitting near us paying atteantion to the story as well. Thankfully they didn't seemed bothered by it.

I got through nearly half of the story when (about two and half days) when the bags finally came. I finished the story up. (something like. "John had many more adventures after the Witch doctors tried to kill him, but you know what? God always looked out for him and John knew he could always trust God.") I waved goodbye to the kids, who thanked me for the story (at their fathers reminder) and left with their bags.

I smiled and went to help grab the bags, feeing a deep satisfaction for stepping out of my comfort zone at Gods calling.

My challenge for you, (and me as well) is to follow when God's calls. Step out of your compfort zone, share with others.

Be used by God.




PS won't have Internet till next Wen at the earliest.

PSS Our luggage got lost for about 3 hours or so, they got left on the tarmack according to one staff, another said it got left in the airport. The main thing is we got out luggage! :)