Here’s my first (of hopefully at least a few) blog posts updating you all about my time in Africa this summer…
I left on June 10th and headed to Germany to spend a long weekend with two good friends of mine. I spent Friday, Saturday and the first half of Sunday with Christian in the city of Nuremberg. Christian and I met at Flood Church in San Diego last fall while he was studying abroad at SDSU. Nuremberg is an amazing city, over twice as old as the whole United States, and is built around an old castle. The whole downtown is car free and you almost feel like you’re walking around 15th century Europe, minus the modern shops and restaurants. I got to attend Christian’s church and young adults group, I really enjoyed the fellowship with believers in another western culture.
On Sunday I took a train over to Munich to hang out with Florian, one of my roommates from Uganda. We watched the Germany vs. Australia World Cup match on a projector in the backyard with a bunch of his friends. It was a total blast and Germany won 4-0 so we got to see lots of goals and enjoy some excellent Germany BBQ. I love Germany, it’s a country built around people. I loved everyone I met there and I hope to be able to go back one day.
On Tuesday I flew to Uganda. I was so excited to be returning to the country that I love so much! God totally hooked me up and I randomly booked a ticket on the same flight as all the Uganda interns from Flood Church and was assigned a seat right between two of my friends.
It was an amazing week of gigantic bear hugs with my Ugandan friends, meeting new people, and seeing how much Empower-A-Child has grown since I left there two years ago. Being around all the amazing people in that house was such a blessing and encouragement as I embarked on my journey to Sudan.
Saturday night I flew from Uganda to Kenya to spend a few days there meeting up with my team to fly in Sudan. On Sunday, I was blessed with the opportunity to speak at a friend’s church in the morning and his young adults group in the afternoon. I was completely blessed by the great amount of passion in the hearts and worship of this small, but growing congregation. I absolutely loved sharing the Word of God with them. I talked about the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel and how God can truly work in us when we let go of our desire to try to earn our acceptance – like Leah did when she simply praised the Lord for the birth of Judah, whose descendants the Messiah would come from generations later. The message that there is nothing you can do or obtain to make God love you more really sank home with them.
Sunday night, my buddies from San Diego, Daniel Crawford and Missy Nickerson, arrived in Nairobi. It was so great to see them in Africa! Monday we spent the day hanging out, running all over Nairobi on errands, and stripping down the weight of our luggage for the flight to Sudan.
Yesterday, I flew out to Sudan with Missy, Daniel, one Kenyan, two Germans, and four other Americans to work with In Deed And Truth Ministries. It was an easy day of flying and we arrived early in the afternoon. It was so great to see Suzy and Sabet again! Sabet and I had not seen each other since he left for Africa 1½ years ago. We took a tour of the compound, met all of the staff and had a meeting which was followed by our first African rain downpour. At night we had a wonderful dinner and celebrated the birthday of one of the staff members.
Today, we all got our feet wet in the medical clinic. I got trained in registering patients, working in the pharmacy, and the art of reading a doctor’s prescription. I had a great time helping out and getting to know the Kenyan and Sudanese workers in the clinic.
Thank you so much for your prayers. Tomorrow we’ll be heading out for our first village outreach which we’re all looking forward to. Hopefully I’ll be able to write soon.
When the music history books are written, this is one of the albums that this decade will be remembered by. The range Muse covers in 11 cuts here is unbelievable, with many of the best progressions in music from the last 10 years weaved into one album. The album opens with the alternative rock anthems “Uprising” and “Resistance”, goes to strings and electronic drums beats in “Undisclosed Desires”, to punk in “Unnatural Selection,” and closes with a three part symphony. Bellamy departs from his usual ambiguous lyrics writing. Many songs have an obvious node to themes from Orwell’s 1984 mixed with songs written intimately about love and relationships.
In Genesis 32, Jacob spends a night wrestling with God; and he emerges with an entirely new perspective of Him. This album is that story told through the words, hearts and experiences of Chamberlain and Gillespie. Beautiful raw honesty abounds and the band brings a sound that is powerful, more raw than 2006’s Define The Great Line. It draws you in from the first note and keeps you to the final scream and ring of the guitar. The album is arranged perfectly; mellow interludes with Gillespie’s singing contrast Chamberlain screams and heavy instrumentation at all the right moments.
MuteMath wrote a follow up to their 2006 self-titled album, recorded it, and then threw it away. Then they wrote Armistice. Meany said their goal was to “embarrass” their last album (which was pretty good in its own right), and well, they did a pretty good job. Every member of MuteMath is ridiculously talented on their own, and they come together to make an album that is eclectic, yet cohesive. Meany’s lyrics are as always intelligent, raw, inspiring, and introspective. If you buy one album from this list, get this one.
As Cities Burn’s final release comes out as strong as their previous two. A studio version of “Gates,” a song usually reserved for the encore of their live performances, ends the record. Gates weaves together an instrumental version of a hymn, Bonette’s thoughts on grace and worship, and a modified version of the chorus of “Love Jealous One, Love.” The previous nine tracks are just as strong, bringing the widest range of sounds of any ACB record. Former lead vocalist T.J. starts off the album screaming, and Bonnette delivers a fresh dose of his spiritually challenging lyrics, words that make me continue to listen to all of ACB’s records over and over again.
Webb departs from his folksy past and delivers an album defined by its progressive use of traditional and electronic instrumentation. It doesn’t quite sound like anything I’ve heard before. Lyrically, Webb brings his usual, often controversial self; sharing with listeners spiritual insights and refusing to fit into the CCM box, calling things as he sees them. I’ll refrain from discussing the “What Matters More” controversy in this short summary, though make sure you hear the album with that song included.
On this record, Jars Of Clay makes a much needed departs from the comfortable sound that they have established over the years; mixing a warm range of layered guitars, electronic beats, and synths, all rooted by many of the tried and true Jars of Clay elements. Haseltine’s lyrics are personal, straying away from big ideas, but instead sharing individual experiences from his relationships.
Hillsong United is far from your typical worship band. Their newest album has no obvious hits, and I love that, just 70 minutes of the anthems of God’s people, written by a group who understands and is leading a new generation of worshippers. The freedom Christ brings our life is a theme threaded through the entire album, recorded live all over the world. Hillsong United isn’t okay with their shows only impacting the people in the arena; this year they started a new project called