blessings

I know I just posted, but I want to share with you some really awesome news I just got along with some major things that have gone wrong this trip for me.

The first thing stressing me out right now is that all of the bras I brought on this trip are currently m.i.a. and probably never to return.  Backstory: you know I had bed bugs and when you get those, you have to wash all your clothes that touched the bedding.  And if, like me, you put said items back in your closet before realizing you have bed bugs, all of your bras have to go to the wash.  I gave them to my RA and he clipped the plastic bag to his pack.  Unfortunately, somewhere between campus and the grocery store they got lost.  So I only had the bra I was wearing.  But blessings do come, and they come down like rain.  My friend Aubrie had a sports bra that was too big for her that she graciously let me have.  And on our way back from Nairobi today, our leaders spontaneously suggested we go to the local mall.  A mall with clothing stores that carry bras in my size.  I know this is kind of personal, but for a guy it'd be like having one pair of underwear for an entire trip.  And here, we do laundry by hand and hang it to dry.  So I would never be able to wash my bra for an entire semester if not for God's providence. 

Second, last night my laptop died.  Well, at least I thought it did.  It wasn't charging, and it is honestly a piece of crap that my school's tech support never fixes fully.  So I called them last night and well, yelled at them.  I am in Africa and I asked them to fix all of these problems before I left, but they wouldn't listen to me.  So I am stuck halfway across the world with a broken laptop.  Really helpful when I came here for media studies courses (that commonly involve using your laptop).   I had a conversation with somebody in tech support last night that was long and frustrating and received several emails with solutions to the problem that probably wouldn't work in the long run.  But I just received an email from tech that reads similar to this: 

So we know that mailing might be difficult for you in Africa, so we came up with a better option.  We can send you an entirely new laptop with a new harddrive incase yours does not work.  And we will give you instructions on how to install your harddrive.  And we will install the programs you already have onto it.  And we will fully insure the laptop so if something does happen to it, you don't have to worry.  

I honestly cried when I read that.  I had so little faith in God's providence.  I am continually learning here what an individualistic culture we live in.  Our campus doesn't have maps, and I didn't understand why at first. But then we were taught, just ask.  Just ask.  Depend on someone other than yourself.  Don't be afraid to admit defeat.  I was talking with my friend Joy about this earlier this afternoon and she said her father always taught her, just ask and don't be scared.  Ask your father for a new pair of shoes, or be bold enough to ask for God's assistance.  I've been having a hard time lately asking, so I think God decided to hit me in the face with a truck to try and understand that He has my back, He has had my back, and He is going to continue to have my back.  It reminds me of part of Rob's farewell letter to my church, "the God who got you this far is fully capable of taking  you the rest of the way." 

So I guess I'll leave you with love and encouragement to stop thinking you have it all together and will be just fine fending for yourself.  Start asking.  Ask God, ask your friends, ask a stranger for directions instead of your iphone. 

grace and peace, koly