Sep 1 & 3 (Crazy Pills, Backhandsprings, and Pillow Fights)

Sept 1 9:00 PM

So the malaria medication, Larium, that I am on here sucks. I'm going to switch to a different kind next week. Evidently one of it's side effects is that it can cause anxiety and depression. Ha, well I haven't really been depressed but this past week, since I took my last dose on Saturday, I have not felt like myself. I am usually a pretty easy going person but it seemed like the littlest and stupidest stuff would just really irritate me. It weirded me out. Anne, who's also on my servant team, as well as every person here that I have talked to that has taken the same medication said that they had to switch too because it made them depressed, irritable, and/or have anxiety attacks. Oh, it also gives you really crazy, vivid dreams so I haven't been sleeping well. LOL it's some crazy stuff evidently. The third week you are on it is supposed to be the worst and of course this is my third week. :) My symptoms haven't been too extreme, but I am definitely going to switch medications. Anyways, enough about that. :) Now I know I'm not crazy. I was just taking crazy pills!

Sept 3 9:00 AM

Ok I finally want to write about one of the best Saturday nights I've had in a long time. Last Saturday, we went over to our field director, Cami's, house. Once a week, she invites three boys, Mohamed, Remie, and Saidu, who live in Kroo Bay with one of the WMF staff members anmed Noah, to spend the night at her house to give him a break. Each has their own story but Noah has taken them in sort of as his own kids. Remie is my ADHD buddy that I tutor during the week and he and Saidu are both around 11 years old. Saidu is a small guy and loves to play the djembe (African drum) and he is really good at it! Mohamed is probably around 18 and is an extremely gifted student.

Saturday night me, Ben, Krysta, and Anne were at Cami's hanging out with the three boys. Two older boys, David and Alimomie were also there. We ate and talked and laughed. Saidu was trying to teach us how to play the djembe and laughing when the four whities couldn't stay in rythym. Then Cami pulls out this old, twin size spring mattress and asks if I want to teach them some gymnastics! We started with some basics, backbends walking their hands down the wall, backbends onto the mattress, and kickovers off the wall. They were having a blast! Even the older guys joined in. Cami just told me to keep in mind that we don't have any good medical care here. :) But by the end of the night almost everybody was doing backhandsprings on the mattress with a spot and Remie and Alimomie can practically do it by themselves!

Half way through "gymnastics class" Cami grabbed Saidu and interrupted with an impromptu tickle fight which manifested into a pillow fight which turned into an all out pillow battle royale. It was hilarious! Then half way through I had to step outside because I had this sort of epiphany that made me almost start to cry. This was one of the most genuine and beautiful pictures of ministry I had ever seen. I wonder how many times before WMF had taken them in that someone had taken the time to love on them through an impromptu tickle fight, pillow war, or even a sort of gym class. I won't give you a background on the boys specifically to respect their privacy but suffice it to say that each has their own story of hardship and extreme physical need. There are so many people out there in need of food, medical care, and a myriad of other needs and of course we can show the love of Christ through meeting those physical needs, but I wonder to what power that love is intensified when we make a conscious decision to not merely provide for them but to share life with them as part of a community. To eat together, laugh together, play together, and also to cry together, to mourn and suffer together. "Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep." Romans 12:15

I think I am beginning to understand what Jesus said when he was questioned as to why he was eating and hanging out with the "sinners." "But go and learn what this means, 'I desire compassion and not sacrifice'." One of the concrete ways Jesus lived out this compassion was to eat with them, to hang out with them, to share life with them as part of their community. How much easier it is sometimes to give "sacrifices," money or charity or any number of good things, than it is to BE a living sacrifice in love, friendship, and community whether through a conversation, sharing a meal, celebrating together, grieving together, or maybe even a pillow fight. This is where the true nature of compassion seems to be made manifest.