Leaving.

  It is difficult to live in two worlds.  But wonderful too.  I have been thinking about how to articulate the experience of leaving and arriving.  I recently read this blog post that I think does a pretty good job at saying it.

http://www.djiboutijones.com/2014/08/on-leaving/

Rachel Pieh Jones ends her post with the following:

A tug-of-war reigns and it is both exhausting and life-affirming. It intensifies color and taste and laughter and sadness.
This is what leaving feels like.
This is what arriving feels like.

Wow.  I can resonate with that.  Here are few moments I captured on camera from the last few months where colour, taste, and beauty stirred somewhere deep inside of me.  I am so grateful for the amazingly creative God I serve!

Special Visits Part 1

As I go around to churches, I have the opportunity to share about what is happening with Christian Education in West Africa.  I get to do this by speaking in churches during a Sunday service, but I also have opportunities to engage on more personal levels.  Two highlights of the last few months include:

 I had the privilege of joining this prayer group which prays regularly for their church - and that includes their missionaries.  It was a delight and encouragement to know I am supported in this way.








I also had the privilege to join this youth group.  We engaged in dialogue about different challenges encountered in daily life in Nigeria, but also had a fun "village life" relay - complete with carrying water and backing babies!

Story, Story!

In the Nigerian context, storytelling is an ancient tradition passed on from generation to generation.  In the past, communities would gather around campfires and tell stories.  It would be a great form of entertainment, but also a beautiful to pass on wisdom, culture, tradition, and life lessons.





My Nigerian friends today continue to be great storytellers.  I love to sit and listen to them recalling an event that happened in their day, or stories of their secondary school days.

When telling stories to children, the storyteller will often start with,

 "Story, story."

Children's response:  "STORY!"

The storyteller continues by chanting, "Once upon a time..."

Children's response:  "Time, Time!"

After this the storyteller goes on to tell his/her story.

This summer I thought a lot about stories.  Why is story so important to me?  In the journey of walking with teachers, we often speak about worldview.  What is a worldview?  It's how we view the world.  It is the "comprehensive framework of one's basic beliefs about things." (Wolters, Creation Regained). If functions as a guide to our life. But where does one's worldview come from?  How is it shaped?

By the stories we are told.

The stories each of us are told are unique.  Take the owl for example.  As an African child, it is likely that there have been told stories of the presence of an owl being a sign of death and curses on a family or community.  These stories have shaped the African worldview.  As a North American child, it is likely that there have been stories told of owls being wise.  These stories have shaped the Western worldview.

But what happens when an African or a North American comes to know Christ?  We are told other stories based on scripture and our relationship with Christ that shape our worldview.  Sometimes these stories are in line with our cultural worldviews.  Sometimes they challenge them.  Some stories are disregarded.  Other stories are redeemed.


It's an exciting adventure to be part of God's story!  It gives me joy to be part of walking with teachers as we explore what it means for each of us to be part of God's story.  But it is also exciting to think about what stories we are telling as we live and teach.

Each of us also has a story.  What is your story?  What do you want your story to be?  What are our children's stories?  What stories are we telling?  How are our stories shaping the stories of those around us?