Yesterday was our Amercian Thanksgiving and I was invited to spend the day with some friends who are Peace Corps volunteers. These are American women I met while working at the Teen Club.
The day started very hot and stayed that way. The drive to the farm in Sebina was pretty uneventful except for the usual rash drivers and livestock. Sebina is about 40 klicks from Francistown. I turned unto a dirt road marked "Dikgomo Farm" andheaded into the most interesting part of the trip. The roads were rough with mudpits from the recent rains. The bush that surrounded the path seemed like it spread out forever. When I finally arrived at the guesthouse on the farm, I was once again startled by the beauty that is Africa. The landscape was huge and spacious, and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue. It was desperatelyhot, and we did not sit outside for long.
The conversation was delightful and we laughed until we hurt. There were three of us at first-LeeAnn, Laura and myself. LeeAnn is the same age as myself so we strolled, or raced down memory lane. Realizing lol, that it was Jimi Hendrix' birthday, lol, we went in and threw some old stuff into the CD player and laughed.
We were joined by Nurit, a doctor at one of the local hospitals, at around 630. We stood out on the veranda and watched the sunset. Wow! The sky went through many phases of color and the scenery changed color with the light. almost immediately the stars popped out.
We went inside and ate a collaborative feast. Chicken, mashed potato, veggies, bread and devilled eggs. Oh and dessert was homemade apple pie-not usually my favorite but I have become a convert.
The other women are not Christians, and we had the most amazing conversations. They listened intently while I talked about why I am a believer and why I am so passionate about it. I talked about how salvation was important but it was not the reason I serve. When I explained that love is the reason I serve, I think it shook them up a bit. Many times our non yet believers only get to hear that they must be saved or die. As humans this does not always sit well. It is easy to question. But if we Serve Our Lord from our hearts, and souls we serve with much more relevance and well, joy! Of course salvation is important! Vital really! But I prefer to talk about my beliefs as part of my day to day minute to minute living, not as a lawbook I carry, tucked under an arm. I do not love not yet believers less, rather it is equally important to me to share the love God has for them as well as be grateful for the love He has for us. I do not know if this is a form of evangelism. I only know that iving thanks is a daily event--and it is good to have a special day to share that.
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