Indy. can. change. lives.

Last week I went to a five day conference in the heart of Indianapolis.
Here are some of the happenings of the event which were worth taking note of:

• Cru friends becoming Cru family
• A wonderful roommate from Eureka College
• Thousands of college students on fire for God
• Mike Erre -- speaker from Heaven
• "God gave His only son to save the world. Is that not enough? When did that become not enough?
• "There's something about following Him where you have to become convinced that the reward of following Jesus is Jesus."
• "The danger that you run is that sinning forms your character to become the type of person that continues sinning, who may never want to go back to God in the first place."
• "The church in America is so stoppable. We are a nation of consumers -- and churches are just dispensers of religious skits and services."
• "God doesn't delight in what takes us there, but he does some of His best work at the end of our rope -- in the desperate place.
• God is greater than....ALL THINGS.
• The largest Marriot in the WORLD.
• Door-to-door evangelism in the city
• 147 lives given to Christ!
• Late night pillow talk with my Cru sisters
• Not vomitting
• Greg -- an awesome evangelism partner
• Getting to know the body of Christ from different campuses
• Worship like you've never worshiped before
• God's covenant with Abraham -- blowing minds. God walked through twice.
• "You can't quiet time enough. You can't share your faith enough. It has already been paid. When the scripture says there is no condemnation -- there is no condemnation!"
• Twelve people in a seven passenger van. Three in the trunk.
• Flash mob freeze in the mall. For Jesus and for fun.
• God is greater than your present circumstances.
• "There is a gap between how we think our life should be and how it is."
• What do you do when you're in this gap? "Stay alive and thirsty."
• "If life was not difficult, we would never run to God."
• "God will use anything to drive you back to Him."
• "He is not interested in being nice or making us better people. He's interested in rescuing you.
• "Last I checked, the only requirement for entrance into the body of Christ is admission of brokenness, not being put together."
• "If you let it, you will meet God in ways you never have."
• Bekele -- incredible speaker from Ethiopia!
• Learning about the Cru movement in Ethiopia
• Stories of spiritual warfare and the Holy Spirit moving in that country
• A new desire stirred within me to go back
• "Don't ever let money determine God's will in your life."
•  "Jesus Christ can change lives!"
• We say, "This is a crazy plan." -- but God loves crazy plans!
• "Ask God to do something big in your life."

• "There will be difficulties. But, God who called you will stand with you."

• Worshiping and praying in the New Year...best way I can think of. 
• Falling on our knees
• Holding hands in prayer
• Loving the people I was with. So much.
• "Not for a moment will you forsake me."
• A worship band that's all about God and not about themselves
• "The question is how do you help someone who is not a believer? ...I would say there is no hope outside of Jesus."
• Seminars on relevant topics. Things that we care about and want to learn about.
• Open your eyes to yourself and where God is in your life.
• Josh Coooyyyyyy!
• Completing the inflatable obstacle course. Like a boss.
• Best dance party I've ever been to
• Kasey loves us. 
• The anticipation of spring break conference!
• And we'll never be the same.

The mountains shake before Him
The demons run and flee
At the mention of the name
King of Majesty.
There is no power in hell
Or any who can stand
Before the power and the presence of the Great I am!

All Our Hope is in You, Lord.

Please read this short study on hope, and be filled.

http://docs.com/GRU5

And here is some scripture for you.

 

God is good!

I Don't Need

• 10 cardigans
• wireless internet
• extra money
• a husband
• a 4.0
• a perfect roommate
• a warm shower
• a perfectly organized schedule
• scholarships
• a bigger church congregation than you have
• a hot breakfast
• heated buildings
• a friend for every day of the week
• snacks
• naps
• a college degree
• a vehicle
• facebook
• music
• a nice camera
• a boyfriend
• a cell phone
• organic things
• hair dye
• winter boots
• three churches and a small group
• Christmas decorations
• piercings 
• scarves

All I need is You, Lord.

  The Lord is my shepherd;
      I have all that I need.
      --Psalm 23:1

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. --Matthew 6:33

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.  But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. --1 Timothy 6:6-10

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. --John 6:35

Decorate a Dorm For $4.00 or Less!

That's right, my friends.
I took a lovely trip to the thrift store today
and returned with a bag of magnificent
Christmas decorations
for my dorm decorating needs.















 Totaling $4.00, I'd say the trip
was well worth my time.
If you are in need of some
Christmas decorations,
I would highly recommend
a thrift store.
They have the exact same decorations
that the other stores have
for a fraction of the price.















And they also have nifty
hand painted signs















And things that someone's
grandma once crocheted.

 

Oh! I almost forgot!

I also got a couple of Christmas records 

for 50 cents

to listen to while I decorated

and for the next

26 days!

 

Merry Christmas!

Things to be Thankful for

• red leaves
• scarves, hats, mittens
• nine days at home
• LovetheLou
• Emily -- discipler, friend, sister
• the opportunity to go to school
• Jesus Christ
• the impending Christmas season
• my plant is still alive
• a Cru family
• my mommy who rocks
• homemade Christmas gifts
• Blessing the Children International
• Natnael -- my Ethiopian blessing
• cheesecake
• my car still runs
• clean water
• good medical care
• thrift stores
• a big, loving family
• the word of God, which is living and active
• finding my coat
• Christmas music on Friday, November 25th
• leftovers
• a warm bed 
• lunch with Hannah
• thoughts of summer plans
• hot apple cider

Thanksgiving is Not a Competition

...against anyone but yourself.

So, this year for Turkey Day, I have decided to write up a game plan to help you reach your maximum feasting potential. Now, don't be alarmed or overwhelmed, for this is probably the same order of events you follow every year. You just haven't recognized them. So, in order to help you better organize your giving of thanks, you are welcome to follow the process which I like to call...

Thanksgiving in Seven Rounds

Round One: The Pre-Meal. During this round one snacks on olives, carrots, and cheese slices from the relish tray, and may also grab a bite of dessert such as the corner brownie piece, just to help the time pass and ease the anticipation of the meal to come.

Round Two: Classic Feast. During this round, a prayer is said and one fills his plate with all of the traditional Thanksgiving foods. Turkey, mashed potatoes, a vegetable, and a roll are typically consumed during this round.

Round Three: The Return Trip. During this round, the feaster returns to the kitchen and samples a variety of unfamiliar dishes and casseroles that didn't make the cut for round two due to their first-year presence or lack of association with typical Thanksgiving food.

Round Four: One Pile of One Food. As one ventures into the latter half of this event, the likes and dislikes have been well established. Usually, the fourth round consists of one plate being filled with one single dish -- the favorite of the day (usually discovered in round three).

Round Five: First Dessert. After a short break from the fork-to-mouth motion -- usually filled with food-related discussion and a drink refill -- one of the favorite rounds begins. During this round, the eater excitedly serves himself a portion of the delightful dessert he's been eyeing all day. Classics such as pumpkin pie, apple cobbler, and turtle brownies are common in this round, often topped with whipped cream.

Round Six: Second Dessert. First dessert is shortly followed by round six, the loading of the sample plate. During this round, the now sluggish meal-attendee returns to the dessert table to gather a sample of many of the other sweet treats. Less classic desserts, such as cheesecake, other pies, and fluffs are enjoyed during this round. (Note: A cup of coffee is typically offered between rounds five and six, for the full dessert experience.)

Round Seven: Pickins'. At last, the final round. Everyone is full and at least an hour has passed since the culmination of round six. During this round, clean-up begins as feasters roam in and out of the kitchen, grabbing a piece of turkey or a handful of olives before they get put away and the whole experience comes to an end. Once the Saran Wrap goes on, the finish line has been met, and one can only now rest and anticipate next year's glorious Thanksgiving Feast.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving,
and you're welcome.

Things I Learned While Barefoot

They say college changes people.
Naturally, I have to agree.
It's changing me.
And I think that's okay.
Afterall, what's the point of all this
if you're not going to let it change you?
My only hope is that in the end
I find myself having been changed for the better,
The way better.

Last week, I didn't wear shoes. I just...didn't wear them. Not outside. Not inside. Not on the bus or in the bathroom or in class or through the parking lot. Six days; bare feet. What an experience!

Oh, you want to know why I did that? It's quite simple really. But also, it's a little complex. So I will give you the simple answer first. I didn't wear shoes because I wanted to see if I could do it.

Now, the long answer. There was an organization that came to my school a few weeks ago called Soles4Souls. They were collecting shoes to distribute to people in need around the world. I thought it was a really cool concept, and I would have given them some money, had I had my wallet on me. But, alas, I did not. And what they really wanted were my shoes. So, I thought about giving them some of my shoes for about....three seconds. Then I decided that I love my shoes. I've spent my whole life collecting shoes. I don't wear brand name clothing or buy new clothes that aren't a bargain, but I invest in my shoes. I save up for them and get the good ones. I don't wear super cool ones, like Nikes or Adidas or anything. I wear those "almost cool enough to be cool, but not quite" hipster sort of styles -- like Converse and Toms. And man, I love my shoes. I ask for shoes every Christmas. I ask for them when it's not Christmas. I spend my extra dollars on a new color of the same shoes that I already have. I've got quite a collection going, really. "But they're mine", I told myself when asked to donate a pair. "I already give to charities in plenty of different ways. Plus, the Toms that I'm wearing right now gave a pair to a child in need, so there!" And I walked away from the Soles4Souls stand.

That, of course, is not the end of my story. That was only the beginning. For the next few weeks, I could not stop feeling guilty about not giving them a pair of my shoes. I tried to justify it..."The shoes I have here at school are the ones I wear a lot. If I could have ran home and got some of my less-worn ones, I totally would have. But they would have been gone by the time I got back." And so on and so forth.
But really, it kind of hit me pretty hard over the next few weeks that I am super materialistic about my shoes. And I try to justify it by not being as materialistic about other things in life. But, unfortunately, that's not actually what God calls us to do. He doesn't say, "Give some things to me, and keep some things for yourself." No, my friend. He wants it all. Thus begins the process of true sacrifice.

God does not want our leftovers. He doesn't want the old shoes thrown in the back of our closet that have an inch of dust on them. Is that really all we're willing to offer the King of Kings? -- Dusty old crud-shoes? God wants the good stuff. The stuff that means something to us. God deserves the good stuff.

So I kind of just decided one Monday that I was going to stop wearing shoes. I didn't give myself a time goal or strict rules or anything. I just...took my shoes off, and didn't put them back on. And then I did it the next day. And then it became what I was doing. And I realized that it was totally God. He wanted to show me how much I really didn't need shoes. Like, not only did I not need 40 pairs of shoes...I didn't need any shoes. I just need Him. That's all. He's all I need.

Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away. 1 Corinthians 7:31

Also, I have this: I went to Ethiopia over the summer, where most people did not have shoes. And, guess what? They were okay. Yeah, they were alright. Of course, they were very grateful if they did receive a pair of shoes. But, they weren't just sitting there in their barefootedness, being poor and not living, as we might picture them here in America. They were totally alive. More alive then a lot of us here are, I think. They were fine, friend. They were fine without shoes. They weren't tiptoeing over paths or watching each step for something that might be icky. They were okay without them. So why couldn't I be? That was the challenge. That was the idea. One week; bare feet.

It started as a simple personal challenge. It transformed into a social experiment, a spiritual awakening, a life lesson, and so forth. Here are some of the things I learned while barefoot:

• The ground is not as scary as we're made to think it is. I mean, really, I was fine. I didn't step on any glass. A nail didn't go through my foot. I have yet to develop any deadly foot diseases. Yeah, it wasn't completely pain-free. There was some gravel here and there that I wasn't too fond of. But really, it was all quite trivial compared to greatness of the experience itself.
• We live in a machine. Let me explain what I mean by that. You see, people in this society expect everything to always be the same forever. Change is foreign to us. Abnormality is difficult to grasp. Perhaps this is especially true of the college generation. We've all been on this earth between 18 and 25 years. We eat, sleep, and go to class. We wear jeans and a hoodie and eat two and a half meals a day with a cup of coffee in between. We carry a backpack, listen to our iPods, and check our email on our phones. Over. and over. and over. and over. and nothing. ever. changes. Until I took my shoes off, apparently. One person on a campus of 13,000 students takes her shoes off...and people flip out. It really surprised me how much of a reaction I got. It usually went something like this, "Girl, where's your shoes!" ...I'm not wearing any. "Oh my, you're crazy! Why you ain't wearing no shoes?" ....Because I'm really attached to my shoes and I want to show myself that I don't need them. "No way, girl. You gotta put some shoes on. You're gonna get some sort of foot disease! Aren't you cold? What are you gonna do in the winter? You can't just not wear shoes! You don't wear shoes on the bus? That's nasty! You're crazy." It was pretty interesting, actually, how many people straight up told me I COULD NOT just not wear shoes. As if they were the shoe police and had some sort of authority over me and my barefootedness. One guy stood in the elavator staring at me as he said, "You're not about to get on this elevator with no shoes on." Actually...I was. And I did. And I was fine. I didn't even die or anything. One of my friends told me in a most serious manner, "You can't just not wear shoes. You have to put some shoes on." Actually, I can. And I don't have to. I can actually do whatever I want to do. There are no rules on this campus about wearing shoes. Nobody has to wear shoes. My favorite comment was this: "Girl, you ain't wearing shoes at all? Don't you know this is MACOMB?!" And the thing is, it wasn't just a handful of people who freaked out on me like that. It was most people. The people who didn't freak out either just stared at me, not saying anything, or heard my purpose and contemplated it, saying, "Oh, that's really cool."  I watched people scan me all day everyday. I never noticed before how much we do this to people. We walk past someone and visually scan them, checking to see if they are normal. It goes something like this: "Female. Normal face. Normal hair. Glasses. Hoodie. Green bag. Jeans. ...Whoa. Wait. What? No shoes? Barefoot? (glances back at face to make sure face is actually normal, since barefeet often implies insanity) (stares at feet -- considers saying something) Hey, why don't you have shoes on? ....And then the conversation. It happened over and over and over and over. It was crazy. I probably answered that question over a hundred times over the past week. It was exciting.
• It's really liberating to break free from the machine. Oh man, I loved it. I felt like I was living or something wild like that. I felt like I was making a point. Proving something. Expressing myself. Being different. Being myself. Not conforming. Being independent. Being influential. Being radical. Those are nice feelings. It makes me look at the machine and become disgusted by it. I don't want to be a part of the machine, guys. I want to be alive. I want to be radical. I would encourage you to do something radical sometime. It feels really nice. It just might change your life.

• My feet are cleaner than your shoes. At first I felt bad about walking inside with my almost black feet. I felt bad about walking in classroom and on peoples' carpet, etc. And then I realized that my feet are cleaner than your shoes. Think about it. My feet accumate dust and dirt throughout the day. Then they get washed every night, and they are clean for the next day. They never have more than one day's worth of dirt on them. Your shoes, on the other hand, I'd be willing to bet don't get washed every night. In fact, have you ever washed the bottoms of your shoes? How many days/months/years worth of crap do they have on them? Yeah, see my point? My feet = way cleaner.
• Foot washing in Bible-times was pretty legit stuff. I guess I've never really put much thought into it. People washed other peoples' feet as a form of humility. Kay, cool, check. But it never really meant much to me. In Bible school and such when we would do a Bible-lesson foot washing example, it always felt kind of weird to me. Like...take off your shoes and socks so that I can put this wet washcloth on your already clean feet. Now I'm humble. Huh? Well, I think I found the missing piece to that puzzle of suday school foot washing. In the Bible, their feet were dirty. I mean, I guess I knew that. But when I was barefoot, I felt it. My feet turned black. They were grimy. And I was mostly walking on concrete and tile. Imagine Jesus. I bet he walked mainly on dirt and dirt. I bet his feet were waaaay dirtier that mine. And I bet he didn't get to shower every night either. If someone would have come to me in the middle of the day when my feet were feeling particularly nasty and knelt down and washed my them, I would have been in awe. What an act of love and care. It's like saying, "I'm getting down in the dirt and grime for you, because you are worth it." That's sweet, my friend. That's humility.
• I don't need shoes. Because I went a week and I didn't even miss them. In fact, I liked not having them. It was great. Think about all of that money and time and thought I've put into shoes in my life. Think about how much I could spend on them over the rest of my life. But, I don't need shoes. They are not a necessity of life. Now, I'm not gonna go all barefoot for life on you. I understand the practicality of wearing shoes, and I will probably wear them most of the time. But sometimes, I will not. And those will be lovely days.

So that was that. I did it. I went a week without shoes. I didn't die. I didn't even bleed. I didn't get in trouble. I was just fine. I didn't need them. What a lovely week. What a great life lesson, right?

But wouldn't it all be kind of silly if I just ended it right there? Because, afterall, what's the point of all this if you're not going to let it change you?

So I got rid of my shoes.

Not all of them, but most of them. Twenty-four pairs of them to be exact.

 

They went to a thrift store owned by a local church.

 Not that any of this is my own righteousness.
 Anything good you see in me is because of Jesus Christ.

So, dear reader, if you would, do something radical soon. Take your shoes off. Let yourself be moved. Be the difference. Because the way I see it is...What's the point of all this if you're not going to let it change you?

"Don't collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don't break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-20

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' " "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Mark 10:17-25

New Life

I got this sweet little guy about a month ago. I felt that my dorm just needed a little more life. And, despite the curse my family has of killing plants, he is still alive and thriving! It's been really lovely, actually -- watering it everyday, opening the shade to give it sun, watching it grow. It's growing like crazy! This guy was a lot smaller just a month ago. There are new leaves forming everyday. They start out in this really tight little spiral sort of thing, then they slowly grow bigger and open up. It's pretty awesome. I feel like I'm contributing to something important -- some sort of living thing is depending on me for the neccesities of life. I love life. And growth. My beautiful little plant is becoming new again everyday. New leaves grow. Old leaves grow taller. It is visibly changing.
Yes. Everyday, we shall be renewed.

Childlike Faith

I witnessed the following happenstance this week:

A line of preschool children numbering twenty or so.
Three adults: one in front, one in the middle, one in back.
One rope.

Each child held onto the rope with one hand as their leader navigated them through the busy
college campus and across the street.
The rope kept them all together.
The adult at the front kept them on track.

So I stared at this cute situation for a moment, smiling.
It was quite adorable.
I considered simply appreciating its cuteness and going about my day.
But, I could not.
For there was more to what I was looking at than a cute line of children holding onto a rope.

You see, those children represent you and me.
And that leader...is God, our perfect leader.

The thing about the children is that they had no idea where they were going.
A lot of them probably couldn't even see the leader in the front or which direction she was turning.
But they held onto that rope.
And where the leader went, they followed.
It was as simple as that.

If only we made it that simple in our own lives.
Follow where God leads.
That simple.

I didn't see any of the three year olds step out of line saying,
"Now wait a minute, are you sure this is the way we are supposed to be going? I really think that way would be a better choice for all of us."

None of them shouted up to leader,
"Turn left up here! I know what I'm doing! In fact, I probably have a better grasp of this route than you do."

And still, none of the children let go of the rope and went off on their own path, seeing what they could accomplish on their own.

You see, those chidren knew where they needed to be. They needed to stay as close to their leader as possible. They needed to hold onto that rope and go where the leader went. They knew her way was the safest way. They knew that if they wandered from their leader, they could be hurt or lost or killed. They were very aware of the crazy, dangerous things in the world around them that they simply did not have the ability to handle on their own. They trusted that she wasn't going to lead them into anything they wouldn't be able to cross. They had faith that their leader knew exactly where she was going and precisely the path they were going to take.

Now, I doubt they asked her for the road map ahead of time. I don't think they sat at leader's feet and begged her to tell them exactly which roads they were going to cross. It's quite possible they weren't even aware of their destination.
All that mattered was that they were holding onto that rope.
And they knew that at the front of that rope was a leader who was going to take them where they needed to be.
They didn't question it. They didn't take thier own paths. They didn't beg for the directions the entire time.
In fact, they were all quite content hopping along on a beautiful autumn day, enjoying each other's company and loving to see all of the birds and falling leaves and passing students. They were just enjoying life, following the one who knew the way.

And the craziest part was, when one child tripped and fell down, being left behind, the entire line stopped and helped her up to her feet again. They then began skipping along in their line together. I think that's what the Body of Christ is all about. We don't leave anyone behind.
None of those children said, "Oh, you tripped and fell. Good luck getting up and finding us again. You're probably too far gone now for us to help you up anyway."
That would be absurd!

I could go through and explain all of these analogies. But, my guess is that you get it. My guess is that you've gotten it all along.

 "Some people were bringing little children to Him so He might touch them, but His disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me. Don't stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." After taking them in His arms, He laid His hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10:13-16

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." Hebrews 11:1

Not a blogger's best friend

College, that is.
College is not a blogger's best friend.

Because, you know, I'm already writing papers about play analysis and Freud and cleft lips. And then I'm reading plays and textbooks and textbooks and textbooks. And taking notes and attending lectures and having group discussions and studying. And memorizing lines and researching French playwrights and taking surveys and doing my own laundry.

And when I'm not doing that, I'm making friends and going to church and getting coffee and figuring out what the heck evangelism means. And using a swiffer duster and going to the grocery store and checking my mail and taking a nap and washing my hair and practicing yoga and attending weekend retreats and contemplating going to the gym and walking everywhere and making copies and checking out books and buying soap and folding the clothes I just washed and avoiding learning how to play yugioh.

Ergo...
Blogging is like...
Number 39 on the priorities list.

But, Alas! Be of good cheer, for I just finished number 38 (take Geography exam).
Stay tuned for some yummy blogging goodness this weekend.
We've got a lot of catching up to do, dear faithful reader!

Sometimes, I just want Africa.

because africa was just so straightforward

i knew what i was there for. God sent me. He used me.

i went. i helped feed hungry kids. i held orphaned babies. i passed out candy and stickers and taught bible stories.

 i was making an impact. i was loving. and praying.

it was just straight up

Christ.

it's all so confusing and complicated here.

with me and God and school and people and friends and wanting a husband
and moving out and finding church and sifting through psychology lectures

and searching for discernment and tolerating vulgarity and questioning what tolerance really is and how much of it i'm really supposed to have

and trying to love

and give

and be the change

and show people Christ

and stay close to Christ

and find my mission field and my purpose

sometimes....like right now........i just. want. africa.

where it rains everyday. and the children chase you down each street.

it might not make any sense since you've not been there.

but i left a piece of my heart in africa.

After spending fifteen days in the poverty-stricken country of Ethiopia, something feels incredibly appropriate about the thought of living in one small room for the next four years of my life.
God is clever like that.

Culture Shock

They told me to prepare to deal with some culture shock when I entered Africa. And naturally, the culture was rather overwhelming at first. Streets lined with hungry children and devastated mothers cried out to my heart. Unsanitary water, no plumbing, no front doors, dirt floors and tin roofs. Slaughtered goat heads scattered the street corners: "what do your dogs eat?" they continually asked us when we cringed at the sight of them. Being the only white people in a city of several hundred thousand caused quite a stir. Wanting so badly to understand what the little boy was trying to tell me, and finally accepting that I didn't recognize any of those Amharic words -- so I smile and I nod, defeated by the language barrier. Finding no salt or pepper at meal time, but only a jar of chili powder -- the Ethiopian staple. One loaf of bread costs one Ethiopian Birr. Conversion -- 5.8 cents.

It was a totally different culture. And it was, indeed, shocking.
But the thing is, I expected it.
I expected the poverty and the language barrier and the different food.
So, after a few days, I was naturally able to accept it and become quite content with my new little world in Africa.

In Ethiopia, I experienced a bit of culture shock.
But there was another country where it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Upon re-entering America on August 9th, 2011, nothing made sense to me.
Why is this airport so cold?
Where are these people in such a hurry to be?
Why are they so rude?
Why is everything so expensive?

With each new place I went, building I entered, or city I drove through, new questions, emotions, and heaviness fell upon my heart.

"Here is $200 for allowing us to park our car here in Chicago for two weeks."
Two-hundred dollars...
That's 3,400 Ethiopian Birr
That could buy someone a horse to make a living,
Pay for two year's worth of rent,
Send 17 kids to school.

"This air is so clean. So fresh. It's incredible."

Stop at rest stop. Wash hands five times. Smell them.
They smell clean.
They haven't smelled clean in two weeks.
Dry them with air that blows right out of the wall.
What kind of insane contraption is this?

"Why are these streets so bare?
Where are all the children?
Why aren't they playing soccer?"

When I actually arrived at home sweet home,
I opened our solid wood door,
entered the cool, air-conditioned space,
walked across the soft, carpeted floor,
and collapsed onto the ever-comforting sofa.

It was then that I looked up,
soaked in my surroundings,
and with tears streaming down my cheeks
uttered to my mom,

"We live in a mansion."

It took me a few days to be able to shower without crying through it.
The clean, warm water fell over me with the perfect amount of pressure to wash off the exfoliating mango body soap with moisturizing beads, and every child's face flashed through my head, as I realized that they would probably never experience what I was doing right then.

A clean shower.
A comfortable home.
Fresh air.
Soap.
Transportation.

May I never take a single thing for granted again.
May this culture shock never quite wear off.
For I -- a middle class American -- am rich.
Filthy rich.
And chances are, you are too.

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”  Matthew 19:24

God help us.