Young Life!

It was Sunday. After a slightly hectic morning shift in the dining room I was scrambling to prep for church and club. It was one of those many moments I have where I begin talking as soon as I enter the room whether or not someone is listening. It's a way of venting in a rush and driving my roommates crazy at the same time. Frankly it must have been hilarious to watch.

Door opens.

"So this morning one of the coffee machines wasn't working and that same electrician guy talked to me about the dishwashers, but they were both working this morning. You know how one was working and one wasn't and they kept switching so we'd tell him the left one and then by the time he came it would be the right one that wasn't working? Well, yeah, now it's just one of the coffee machines. "

Pause for breath.

"Need to fill water bottle, OK super packed...laptop for the overhead...yeah it's with this outreach to unchurched teens called Young Life. I really don't know what I'm getting myself into...supposed to be a leaders meeting..definitely a God thing...I live on a Young Life camp...randomly met this guy over the buffet line who's trying to get Young Life started in Monrovia. I'm leading worship...OK! See ya!"

Door slams.

30 seconds later: "right, my ID and key...adios"-

Door slams.

A minute later: "So I rush up there and he kind of strolls up. Need a water bottle. Don't rush around like me!"

Door slams.

They definitely think I'm crazy.



He had booked a taxi the day before with one of the leaders involved in Young Life. After about 30 minutes we stop, the smell of sewage permeating the car. It was in Monrovia, the capitol, but apparently not the better off part. We take this dirty path weaving between buildings and shanties...up the stairs and we enter this concrete room filled with about 20 or 30 African college students. Once we got out of the street it didn't smell. We make some quick introductions, I can feel them all watching me...but with curiosity, not the usual quick-way-to-get-rich-white-girl stare. We set up the power point for the songs.

They had a key board there. Some where playing on it and I sat and listened. They would get this beat going and then play chords and at one point they were singing with it. I could tell it was all by ear. It was cool.

And then we all got taxis and went to church. It was the biggest church I have seen yet. Crazy, like a normal church, just with a tin roof ...but with pews and everything. And we sang loud hymns and listened to a sermon on "our changing world." And how it has so easily become perverted. At some points the pastor would start yelling, but it was mainly and the front pews in the right hand corner where the children sat. They showed no inclination whatsoever that this was new. After a while I became used to the occasional bouts of yelling...but I got the gist of the sermon and it was good. The microphone was passed around and we all introduced ourselves. And then suddenly a thousand hands were thrust forward for the shaking and I felt very welcome.
Afterwards, we went back to the concrete room. And had a delicious African lunch made by Jame's wife, Rebecca. It was delicious. Rice, of course, with chicken in a palm oil sauce. I was very impressed, usually it's some gross looking meat-fish heads or something.

After lunch we just hung out. It was so refreshing to not only know that these people didn't want something from me, but also that they were Christians and I felt safe. It was this kind of (for lack of a better word)...chummy atmosphere. Within no time I felt like I had known these people for a long time. People would sit with their backs against the wall or lay sprawled out on the floor chatting and laughing. This time they were all goofing around on the keyboard and were making up this spur of the moment Christian rap. It was fun. Before long all our heads were bobbing to the music.

And then we all sat in this loose circle while Tim Batt (the guy that first invited me) told them the ins and outs of club and leadership and financial things. Yes, it was kind of boring. But I was happy. It felt so much life family. It's normal for everyone to sit close together...and we all were brothers and sisters in Christ. And every once in a while a finger would point with a small smile and someone would be nudged awake. And several asked questions and James and Tim did their best to answer them.
Afterwards there was a small break. I met these two leaders who had come from Sierra Leone to train in Monrovia on their off time. It is so awesome to see how God draws people from everywhere. It was neat because they were super attentive during the training, but also totally willing to dance around and be crazy during the club part. Tim and I did music. We ended up using a CD, while we sang. We were basically demonstrating what an American club was like. We sang songs like, Sweet Home Alabama, Brown Eyed Girl, Amazing Grace, and this one song called Jabulani Africa. The first song we did one of the guys got up and did this crazy dance and we were all following. And then when we did this kind of disco Lean on Me, they were all dancing and cheering and they loved the skit. And Tim's talk was really great. It was about how he had always wanted to jump out of an airplane with a parachute and how when he finally did it he had to put all his trust in this guy strapped to his back to make sure he pulled the parachute at the right time. And that's how it is when we accept Christ into our lives. Even though they were all already Christians, I think it was really good for them to understand the simplicity and set up of a club talk, how it's not really a sermon.

And then with many hugs and goodbyes we went home to the ship. John was working my super shift. It sounded life it had went smoothly. Everything was working. But today he's in the IC. They think it's heat exhaustion. Apparently they had gotten lost, while going to a church yesterday and they kept getting directions to different churches and then they finally called the ship and the person that was supposed to come get them never showed up. Somehow they managed to get back. And then they were working in the hot dining room...He hadn't mentioned it at all...Please pray that he gets better soon. I feel guilty. Thankfully though Ellen is on their team so they're not entirely short staffed.

Well, it's a beautiful day and a day off so I'm going to savor it outside.
Please keep in touch. I'm missing the e-mails.--Love you all!