spring breakin' & easter

What happens when you are in a country for 6 months and your housemate has a week off from teaching? You celebrate by going on a spring break, of course.

I feel like the longer I live here, the more the "unexpected" seems normal. The newness of everything wears off, and life becomes a routine-although it may be different than any routine I've ever experienced. This is why I am so thankful for weeks such as last week. Weeks to remember that I'm living in a really different place. Weeks to go away, and have time to miss the town I'm living in and the friends that I've made. A week to go and be a tourist in the country that I'm calling home for a while.

We didn't take a huge trip, but we did enjoy a huge spectrum of activities.  

 

riding camels by the ocean

 putting my feet into a pink lake

 experienced many kinds of animals. so, now when i hear that there are mbooki (hyenas) that live in my town, i can visualize how big and mean they look on my walks home at night.

  

Spring Break ended with us coming back to our town for Easter. We had a great time together as a team that morning, then had lunch with some sweet friends. Easter lunch consisted of grilled chicken, french fries, and the amazing onion sauce that I think should be a side to everything. That afternoon we had an Easter egg hunt, and the night ended with me being able to share with some friends why we celebrate Easter. 

This holiday was such a good time of reflecting on the fact that I am here with a hope to share. The hope that separates me from so many. Our Father is alive. He is moving, and we have a relationship with him. Sometimes it takes being around people who think so differently than you to realize how radical this truth really is. 

  "If you've received the rewards of the resurrection, you must be willing to bear the responsibility of the resurrection." 

I heard this quote this past week, and haven't been able to quit thinking about it. I pray that while Easter was a sweet time of celebration with you, it was a time of realization that we have a responsibility, y'all. An urgent one. We say that day 2,000 years ago changed everything, and while this is true, our actions need to back that up. I need to be reminded of this as much as y'all. Like I said, it's easy to get caught up in routine, no matter where in the world you are. It's easy for me to fall in the trap of being joyful when I have a surface conversation with someone, for the simple fact that I'm able to talk to them! However, I am equipped to do so much more than just surface conversations, no matter what level of language I think I'm at. I was able to share Sunday night for the simple fact that I stopped at friends house on the way home. He provides opportunities, it's our responsibility to step out in faith when those times are presented to us. Just as you are lifting me up, I am lifting you up..that you would bear this responsibility with urgency and with a joyful heart.