Renewed hope, continued song

Booths. Booths everywhere. We're all unpacking our stuff, setting up our displays, and hoping that lots of people stop by over the course of the next few days of the Annual Conference of the Indiana United Methodist Church. This is a general assembly of all the United Methodist Churches in Indiana, and over the course of three days, there are lots of meetings, assemblies, luncheons, dinners, talks, etc. A time where leaders in the church can all come together, worship, fellowship, and be inspired to change the world. Also a place where lots of booths can set up to spread the word of what each of us has felt called to do. We all have high spirits, and we're ready for everyone that walks through those 5 sets of double doors into the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis.

I went down to Conference last week with Creative Women of the World, and set up a booth for Kenya Simba Scholars right next to theirs... so I could tell people about all the children we're working with in Kenya, and also sell the products that were made by the Mwangatu Women all at the same time. That's what I like to call... double dipping! People would stop by the KSS booth, and then I'd get to direct them right over to CWoW to do some shopping for charity...and vice versa. And in between crowd rushes, I'd be able to sneak away to look at what other people were there for.

One thing became clear to me... we were all there for a purpose. We were all there to spread the word about something that we believe in. Several other fair trade shops had come, many other global mission groups had come, commercial businesses were there. We all had something that we were trying to do. A mission for 3 days. Attract people, tell them your story, spread the word. Nobody is better or worse than anyone else.

So for 2.5 days I got to talk to people about the children that we're sponsoring in Kenya. I got to tell their stories, and encourage others to join in the journey of the Kenya Simba Scholars. I got to talk to people about the Mwangatu Women that make the beautiful purses that caught everyone's eyes when they walked past them. I got to show people the pictures of how they're made, and explain how the purchase of that purse will help a woman with HIV not only survive, but help her family survive and put her kids through school. A few people walked by several times and ogled those purses every time. They're gorgeous, and so interesting. And they tell a story in and of themselves.

People have told me how brave I am to be doing what I'm doing, but as I look around at all the other people who have given their own lives to their own causes, I discover that I'm no more brave than any of these other folks. They have devoted themselves fully to their own causes, and I begin to realize that we are all doing what we need to do to find personal fulfillment in our lives, and to help others. From the folks who send "Loaves of Love" to military posts all over the world, to the folks who are raising money to send a school bus filled with school supplies to Africa, to the folks who are working in Bungoma, Kenya trying to make life better for the children who live there. Everyone is there for a different reason. Everyone is working for something. Everyone is excited to share their own story. It was so inspirational to see, and to be a part of.

A lot of times as a missionary I stop and wonder if my own drop in the ocean really means anything. Getting to be surrounded by multitudes of other drops in the same ocean allows me to rest in the knowledge that this work is bigger than I can ever imagine. It reignites my small mustard-seed-like faith, and encourages me to hope even more.

To top off the whole experience, I was asked to play violin with Amy Cox at the Hard Rock Cafe in Indianapolis on Friday evening on a particular song that speaks to me regularly... 10,000 Reasons, by Matt Redman:

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes....

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find...

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

Those aren't all of the words, but some that I especially resonate with. Sometimes I find that my violin speaks better than I can through musical expression when it comes to how certain things make me feel, but I will say that there is so much power and hope in this song. Even more-so when you have a room full of people (at the Hard Rock Cafe nonetheless) singing along with you, reminding you of the promise of God, and how good he is. The hope I have in him keeps going... I will continue to sing even when the darkness comes. I will continue to sing because of all the awesomeness around me.