Back in Spain / Journal from Day 1

Hello everyone! I am back in Spain and back on my blog!!!! =]
Outreach was AMAZING!!!!
I am going to begin posting highlights from my trip over the course of the next few days. God set up some awesome encounters on our trip. =]
 So without further ado, here is the account of the first day in North Africa.

Day 1 – Tunis, Tunisia - April 8^th, 2012

     This morning we attended Easter service at a local Evangelical church. It was interesting to see the difference in culture. I learned a couple of new songs, one in an African language that had a dance along with it that I really liked.

     During different parts of the service, which was outside, people kept coming out on the balcony of the apartment across the way. First it was a man listening to the reading of the Bible in Arabic. Next it was 2 women out listening to a worship song. Then a little grl came out during the African worship song and was dancing right along with us on the balcony! It blessed my heart to see their interest in what we were doing. =]

After church there was a potluck, and of all things, I met another lady from Oregon!!! It was such a blessing. It was like God was telling me “you aren’t so far from home after all”. It was especially nice because I had just been lamenting the fact that this has been my first Easter ever away from my family.

     Later we explored the city a little bit. We roamed the streets and looked in a few shops, though for some reason most shops were closed this afternoon. I was finally able to get some sunglasses though, and had my first experience with real haggling. The guy wanted 12 dinar for the sunglasses, but I talked him down to 9. (2 dinar = 1 euro)It was so much fun for me, coming from a country where the price is the price and there is no negotiations.

     It was heartbreaking to see so many people on the streets of this city who are broken and begging just to get by. My heart cried out to God today, asking him what I can do. I know I can’t help them all, but I don’t even know what to do so I can even help a few. Giving money to a beggar might feed them for a day, but it doesn’t give them a living, and it doesn’t give them life in Christ. I also feel so helpless with the language barrier. I cannot even communicate the simplest things with many of these people, though I long to share with them the love and life that comes through Christ.

     These things I ponder as I am asking the Lord to give me direction and to break my heart for the people of Tunisia, and the people of all North Africa. I ask the Lord to give me a burden for the specific people he wants me to reach out to, and to give me divine appointments as he would will it.