Settling In

If anyone has heard from Zach and Dan please send me an update…I feel like a mom whose kids went to college and the next time you hear from them is when they unexpectedly show up at the door for Christmas.  Don’t worry Mrs. Lindor and Howell, I know they are safe and doing fine; however, because of the lack of communication, this post is simply a Lindsay update.  Sorry to all the Dan and Zach fans out there.

The casual month to get settled into my new life in Vanderbijlpark has afforded me quite a lot of time with my sister, her family and now my mom who arrived last week.  I realize if you’ve spent anytime with my family you know we are slightly obsessive about my niece and nephew, but everyday is a joy with them.  They are both an incredible gift who remind me how blessed I am. 

My garden flat (AKA a backyard apartment) is really nice and is in a great location.  I attached some pictures of it below.  It is a new beginning here.  Making the transition of living in a foreign country and going from living with 30 to just myself is hard, to say the least.  The Lord has really taken care of every need, even to the point of sending a 5 year old to come visit me on my loneliest night.  He is abundantly faithful.  As difficult as it is for me to be alone, I’m grateful for the time to pursue the Lord more.  Saying that seems silly and incorrect, as I am well aware that the Lord pursues me far more than I Him, but I’m learning to use this time for intimate and sweet fellowship with Him.  Honestly, if I accomplish nothing, but am able to have a deep and real relationship with Christ then my life will be what it was intended to be. 

There are lots of opportunities to get involved with different things here.  Lately I have been going into Life Christian Foundation’s (LCF) office on a daily basis to help where I can, get to know the people I’ll be working with and get oriented with how everything works.  I’m blessed to be working with some great people.  Come January, I will be helping organize a three-day event called M.I.A. (moving into action), which is basically a gathering of people from all over the world who want to serve.  The goal is to get people to “move into action” for Christ.  There will be representatives from different non-profit and ministries from 20 different African countries (each country south of the equator).  Everyone who comes will be previously connected with one of these organizations or will get connected with an organization at the 3-day event.  We will worship together, go to workshops together and at the end of the three days everyone will go serve at whatever organization they connected with for however long they want.  If this is something you are interested in or know of someone who might be interested in the website is www.mia2012.co.za.  I will also be involved with investigating the possibility of getting Young Life started here.  There are a couple other things in the works, but I’m waiting to see how things develop. 

Please pray for protection over my time with the Lord.  I happen to be easily distracted and I don’t want to lose the time I have been gifted.  I also am in need of a car (or some mode of transportation) starting in January.  Lastly, pray that we would engage the people and projects the Lord really wants us to.  There is great need, but also great opportunity for the church to be the church; however, if we don’t follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, we as the church do more damage than good.  

The longer I am here, the more I have to depend on the Lord for strength, direction and joy.  I am very happy to be here, but it has been difficult yet the Lord has given me lots of strength thru your encouragement.  Thank you, you have no idea how your words have given me courage to follow what the Lord has put in my heart.  It is truly together that we experience more fully who God is (Eph 4). 

I leave you with this:

            “Everyone is born an original but most die as copies” 

--Abraham Lincoln

I encourage you to be bold enough to let Christ show you who you are and BE that…for the sake of Christ, for the good of this broken world... be the light.  

P.S. Pics are coming...sorry couldn't get them up now

I can't think of a good title so here ya go.......

I would say our first two weeks in South Africa has been a success…We celebrated South Africa’s national Braii day (aka BBQ day) with steaks, sausages and rugby; Dan beat Uli (Lindsay’s brother-in-law) in tennis (don’t tell him we made that public knowledge); Zach and Lindsay both got sick (we are both better now - thank you); Zach and Dan have unintentionally come out dressed in the exact same outfit at least 3 times; we discovered the world’s largest can of mustard (pictured below); and Zach and Dan finally learned how to 2-step from the Africans at church in the township.  So all in all, we are feeling accomplished and ready to come home.  J

I know that sounds like an exhausting schedule, but in our spare time we’ve done some other semi-purposeful things.  Our friend Tertius who is the pastor of Light Church here in Klerksdorp took us along to help with a leadership workshop for 7^th grade middle school kids.  Our time there was really amazing.  We played a few games to break the ice and give some leadership principles, which opened up discussion about what it means to be a leader.  By the end Tertius shared that real leadership is about loving others and the only way we can truly love others is if we know and experience God’s love for us.  How awesome that an hour of talking to 13 year old kids about being leaders at their school could turn into praying with them about knowing Christ’s love for them and giving them the strength to love their classmates and teachers!  It reminds me that we are to take hold of EVERY opportunity we are given to share Christ and His love in this world. 

Zach and Dan had their first experience at a black church.  What an experience!!  My family friend Atwell Mohoto is the pastor of Abundant Life Church in Joberton, which is the township next to Klerksdorp. (side note: a township is the area/city where blacks were forced to live during apartied.  Although technically South Africa is now integrated, the townships are still almost entirely black and where the poorest people live).  Last week Abundant Life had a evangelical crusade in the township that Zach, Dan and I went to.  At the end of the service people where getting prayed for and two guys in wheelchairs stood up!  One of the guys I have met before, I believe he has multiple sclerosis, which he has had since birth.  It was incredible to be there and witness Christ’s power in such a real and tangible way.  May we never doubt how awesome our God is!!! 

Tuesday we spent part of the afternoon at Mother of Mercy, the baby house for abandoned babies and young kids where my sister volunteers.  Currently there are five kids (4 boys and 1 girl) that live there.  The four boys are all 5-6 years old and rambunctious, but sweet boys.  They lack male attention and discipline so for Dan and Zach to be there and spend the afternoon playing was such a joy for them.  There was never a moment where Dan and Zach didn’t have one or two of the boys hanging off them.

The three of us ventured to Vanderbijlpark this weekend.  This is where Life Christian Foundation’s (LCF) headquarters are and where I will be moving in a week  (eventually making it my permanent home in January when I come back from Mozambique).  The guys left from there to Mozambique where they are serving in an orphanage called the Promise Center for the rest of the month.  I don’t get regular contact with them so as I hear from them I’ll try and post updates. 

The plan as of now is to move into my new apartment Monday, spend the rest of the month getting settled with LCF and then off to Mozambique to meet up with the guys and start working with my dad and Techno-Serve.  I’m a little anxious about living by myself after living in house of 30 for the last two years, especially in a new culture where people only speak English when they are talking to you.  It may get a little lonely/I’m going to have to become really good at initiating all kinds of conversation. J   We are having a good time so far.  I’m thankful for the slow start to get more adjusted to life over here. 

Love from the southern hemisphere.  Thanks for the prayers, emails and facebook messages.  J


Blessings,
Lindsay

Giant can of Mustarde...just in case you ever needed to make sandwiches for 5,000

Uncle Dan putting Kiajah to sleep

Playing with kids at Mother of Mercy

Enjoying the beautiful sunset

Lindsay's sister Kjelsi, niece Kaijah (crazy silent 'J's) and nephew Siabonga

Sia and Zach having a laugh during their "business meeting"

Day 1 in Africa...

Dan and Lindsay made their extensive 26 hour journey to South Africa, Zach had it easy, only 25 hours of flying…how pampered.   We spent our first night with Lindsay’s sister Kjelsi and her husband Uli in Klerksdorp. All is well so far! Just trying to get over the jet lag.  Our time so far has been occupied with dancing and playing with Siabonga and Kaijah, Kjelsi and Uli’s two kids. As expected, it’s been tough battling all of the lions and hyenas.  No but in all seriousness I (Dan)  thought a man was trying to fight me when he came out of the restroom and all I was able to understand was the word “fight”.  Turns out he was just having problems dropping the kids off at the pool J and wanted to let me know he had a good fight in the restroom. The weather is fantastico with blue skies all around! Classic Africa. The plan for Zach and Dan is to head up to Maputo, Mozambique on the 30^th to help out at the Promise Center orphanage. Lindsay will leave at the same time to go to Vanderbijlpark, South Africa to start working with Life Christian Foundation (LCF) and getting settled in her new garden flat (A.K.A. backyard apt.).  We all hope you are doing well.  God bless.

                                              Trying to catch a few Zzzzz's on our flight

                                               Loving the matching tourist purse/murse

                        Dan, Zach and Lindsay  

And we're off...

Well my friends, 9 days and counting and Zach Lindor, Dan Howell and myself will be off to South Africa and Mozambique; Zach and Dan for the next 6 months and me for the next 10 months (plus or minus whatever God says).  I can’t write for Dan and Zach (hopefully their story of how they got here will be posted soon), but let me begin with this…this “trip” has been a long time coming and screams God’s faithfulness and goodness in my life.

My story goes something like this….

In 1990 my parents went to South Africa to investigate working with a ministry.  I was 5 at the time and had no concept of South Africa -- it’s location, people, culture, etc.  All I can tell you is, for whatever reason, through my parents’ trip, God put South Africa in my heart.  I have wanted to spend significant time there since then and that desire has only grown the more I learn and grow. 

Naturally I expected to go right to South Africa after graduating college; little did I know HE had other plans and other timelines…weird.  Rather than Africa I ended up back home in Missoula (they’re kind of close…?) working “part time” for Young Life and eventually Servant Leadership Development with Jeff and Deb Greer. 

I can’t begin to express my gratitude for the “delay” in what I thought to be my life plan.  Yes, the experience of working with Young Life and the Alpha Omega House; yes, the time to be home with my family; yes, the time to grow up; but mostly, the people.  The combination of these things has proved to be the grooming process I needed…for what you might ask? Well, that’s what I get to go find out… 

One thing I know for sure that these past three years in Missoula has made exceedingly clear, and is one of the most important things I could take to Africa with me, is that nothing is more important than relationship.  Our purpose for existing is to BE -- to be with God, to be light to the world; to be with each other; to be who God created us to BE.  So even though my calling right now is to Africa, I only go to be who Christ is making me to be.  PLEASE realize something, being in Africa or being in Missoula (or anywhere else for that matter) is different, but it is not unequal in its value.  Whether you are in school, working a 9-5, a stay at home parent or somewhere in between, know that who you are and who Christ is making you to be holds significant and equal value to any other person if you are being led by Christ. 

Last January I was in South Africa visiting my sister, who married a South African and moved there three years ago.  While I was there I felt the Lord working in my heart; I can’t quite explain it, but I knew something was changing.  About a month after I got home our family friend Sakkie Oliver, who started Life Christian Foundation – a ministry focused on building the Kingdom of God by empowering people to live out their callings – asked if I would come work with them in South Africa.  Almost simultaneously, my dad, who had been working in Mozambique at the time, also volunteered me for a short-term project with a non-profit organization called TechnoServe who focuses on economic development in the rural third world.   Dan, Zach and I will all be apart of this project with TechnoServe, which we will travel to a few different provinces in Mozambique interviewing local people to find out how international companies that are working there are effecting their lifestyle.  After this 2-3 month project, I will be heading to South Africa to do youth/sports ministry, leadership development, serve in a couple churches and whatever else God puts in front of me.  I’m sorry I can’t give you much more detail than this, you never really know what life will actually be like in Africa until you start doing it.  This is precisely why the saying goes…This Is Africa (TIA)…because everything always changes and generally doesn’t go as expected.  J

I am totally confident that going to Africa is where I’m being called.  While both organizations will be taking care of most my living expenses, I’m going as a volunteer and am trying to raise about $7,000.00 to support myself.  Please consider helping me out.  I’m convinced the Lord doesn’t need you or I to accomplish this, but He gives us opportunities to share in the experience together and this is one way to do that.  All I can say is the Lord is abundantly faithful, so let me encourage you to be obedient to whatever He tells you.  If you feel led, you can mail checks to:

                        Lindsay Tootell

                        2600 Old Quarry Rd

                        Missoula, MT 59808

Thank you all for joining me on this journey; our journeys aren’t nearly as meaningful without the people to experience and share them with.

God bless.