"Mom, are you excited about teaching in Africa?"

On a hot, summer Texas evening, Kelly and I find ourselves having a "frozen pizza dinner date".  Kyle and the other girls are off at various activities.  After discussing the upcoming arrival of her best friend from Tampa, she asked me a question in a serious and thoughtful way, "Mom, are you excited about teaching in Africa."  For some reason this question hits me very hard right now and I hear it a lot.  Even a few hours before, my niece asked the same question as we unexpectedly met her at the DFW airport for a short visit.  Excitement is not a good word for how I feel in anticipation of our time in Zambia.  As I look at my curly headed, sweet daughter, I want to respond, "Honey, I'm not excited.  I'm nervous about traveling so far away, anxious about teaching in a different culture, worried that I won't be able to help the Zambian teachers or students, and just plain sad to leave you, Daddy and your sisters."  I figure she is not ready for this answer, so I say, "I'm getting sad about leaving."  With just 6 days until our departure, the bags are packed and the girls' schedule is all set for nearly 3 weeks without Mom.  For a Mom who left a 10 page packet of instructions while leaving the girls with the grandparents for a weekend in 2004, I am oddly relaxed about their schedule in my absence.  Having never been away from them for more than 5 days (in nearly 15 years), I'm not stressed about the details, just anxious about leaving them.  Will the dogs be fed?  Will anyone remember the laundry?  Will the kitchen counters become a home for all neighborhood ants?  Who will remember to water the pots?  And most importantly, who is going to answer the "girl questions" that make Kyle cringe?  After dinner Kelly and I enjoyed some ice cream on the new patio (in 100++++ temperatures).  We listened to Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" and kept the conversation going.  She added ANOTHER comment about the upcoming trip.  "You know why you have to go to Africa?  You may never have this opportunity again."  At this point, the Mommy-daughter date is getting tearful!  Honestly, opportunity is a big part of the reason for going.  I've been given the training and opportunity to teach in the US and it is one of the greatest privileges in my life.   Kyle and the girls send me off with full support and confidence.  Friends and family have showered me with support.  The song "You Raise Me Up" hits pretty close to home as the Lord surrounds me with blessings, support and the opportunity to do something completely new and challenging.  If you are reading this blog, I am grateful for your interest in this work and especially thankful for your prayers!

The joy of the Lord is your strength. Is it really?

As I read Nehemiah 8:10, I'm struck by a realization that "the joy of the Lord" does not characterize my life.  The goodness, mercy, faithfulness and majesty of the Lord fills my thoughts and brings me to tears, but my heart and mind remain sober, serious, even downcast much of the time.  As a young mother, I kept my nose to the ground trying to raise obedient girls, but I did not savor the baby/toddler years.  At the time, I considered them mundane and mindless duties (a sad confession).  As a teacher, I can be a workhorse that will do anything to enable my students to read and write, but I don't enJOY the miracle of development in the classroom as I should.  If 21 students are reading fluently for the first time in their lives and one student lacks confidence in using reading strategies, I will obsess over the one struggling student, neglecting to rejoice and consider the many successes.   As the Oliphints enjoy a new outdoor living area, you will find Kyle contentedly listening to music while drinking a beer, but you will find me on my hands and knees digging rock salt from a twice stained and sealed surface.  You've got your glass is half empty people and your glass is half full people.  I'm more of a "Who broke this glass and made this mess?".... kind of a person.  You might wonder: Why in the world is Lizzie rambling on in this way?  Well, after reading the blog of my teacher friend who is going to Zambia with me, it hit me that joy should be considered and a reality in the life of a Christian.  You should follow her blog during our travels.  She will lift your spirits and inspire you by her love for the Lord and the children in Zambia. 
http://myhopeisingodalone.blogspot.com/
The irony for me is that I have been showered with every blessing you can enjoy in this world by God's grace.  I don't long for anything except the hope of heaven.  I'm not implying that believers should stick their heads in the clouds and ignore the dark and devastating realities of life in a fallen world, BUT I am becoming more and more convicted by a lifestyle characterized by a desire for control and affected more by circumstances than by joy as I share in the sufferings of Christ.   As we use our training as teachers in a community of orphans where the circumstances of this world give no reason for joy, I'm praying that the Lord does a transforming work in my heart.   As Allison remembers the joy of the orphans she will be reunited with, I'm humbled to have the opportunity to take this journey with her. "Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."  James 1:2

My first blog

While preparing for a trip to Zambia, I'm considering ways to stay connected to people at home.  A blog seems like a good solution for communicating about this "adventure" across the globe.  Why in the world is a wife and mother of 3 young ladies traveling to Africa for a large part of the summer?  Sometimes it seems like a crazy decision to me!  A teacher friend suggested the possibility of traveling with her to Zambia with a team of teachers to support several new Christian schools serving the orphans of the community.  Kyle and the girls quickly gave full support to this idea, but my gut response was that I would have to be negligent of my family to take such a journey.  I considered the opportunity for weeks and prayed for wisdom about the decision.  Shortly after New Years, I went with my friend to an informational meeting where I listened intently and became convinced that I should go on this trip simply because I love the Lord and want to give of myself for His glory!  Several family members and friends have stunned me with abundant support... both prayers and finances.  In the weeks ahead, I will continue preparing for this journey by collecting/purchasing supplies for classrooms in Lusaka and by coordinating things for the girls while I am away.  I am profoundly grateful for kind offers from friends to help with the girls in many ways.  I am humbled by this entire experience as friends and family have overwhelmingly surrounded me with support!!