Brother’s and sisters: Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

- 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

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Every night I look around this place and all I can do is smile. God is so good. He’s given me my daily bread and He is filling me up.

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Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.

- Colossians 3:12-14

So for the past couple of days I haven’t exactly been in tip-top physical condition. I have been a little under the weather, and I will not go into details that will gross you out but let’s just say I’ve had to be within sprinting distance of a toilet. Haha. The problem is double sided. Ok you already know what I’m talking about…anyway I’ve been sick…

So I stayed in my room all day on Monday and most of yesterday. I was away from the things that had been distracting me from my friends, my comforts, my home. So I got a little homesick. I got a little tired of always sweating. An ice cold Gatorade would have been a lot nicer then the luke-warm coke. Chillin on the couch watching some tv would have been pretty sweet I have to admit. And it would have been awesome to have been babied by Elizabeth or my mommy dearest...but that wasn’t happening. So I just thought…ALL DAY.

I started thinking of all the things I didn’t have, all the things I was used to having but was lacking at this given moment. You know, things like running water… so I didn’t have to go refill my bucket from the well every time I used the toilet… or Gatorade...fast food…milk that is dairy (only powder milk here)… or a couch and that little box that turns our brains to mush…hanging out with my friends every night...seeing my girlfriend… being with my family – yea I missed them all.

But throughout the day, I didn’t miss them any less, but they seemed to fade a little – God was covering up the things I was lacking and showing me the blessings he had been bestowing. He was showing me care in the kids offering to go to the well for me. He was showing me compassion when I walked in the prayer room and they all decided to say a prayer so I got better. He was showing me the good in the things I was lacking. He showed me how not having those things was giving me so much more. Its nice not being able to text all the time or be able to get on facebook every other hour (plus its so much cooler when you don’t check it for a while and have twice as many notifications). Those things are comforts…

And lately…The biggest thing God has been showing me is the beauty of being uncomfortable, because that is where we find Him

Jesus dwelled in the mangers, on the streets - He was homeless. When any other king would ride into town on a valiant steed, our God came strolling in over those palm branches on a donkey.

Jesus is in the face of the poor, of the hungry, of the homeless – because that is what He was. And that is what He calls us to Love him – His people is who we are to Love.

Our God lived with nothing because He knew He would leave with nothing. He knew that all He would be and represent are the characteristics and actions He represented.

When we die we can’t take our credit/debit cards. We can’t take our tv’s. We can’t take our computers or our cars. All we have is our soul. So what do our souls represent? Who-we-are is not our occupation or what family we come from. It is not what team we play for, or political party we represent. WE are our actions. We are the characteristics and the values we represent. And more time I’m without all the things, the comforts…the more I am fulfilled. The happier I am. The more i think about the THINGS of this world... the things that I once thought were so valuable, the things of convenience and comfort, the things that will soon be gone... the more I find that I want to represent what is real and everlasting.

I’m finding that when you don’t have anything, its easier to see what’s important. Jesus, In the faces of these children, is showing me that daily.

He’s showing me the joy of eating “Buckebugs” since they’re a great source of protein when most everyone’s diet here is cassava, cassava, more cassava - and maybe some fish…plus catching them is have the fun of eating them

He’s showing me the gift of getting someone’s water…Or just the gift of having water…The fun of doing chores with your friends...How good it feels to sweat...How joyful singing can be...How praise can be in playing or dancing or singing…the beauty of being real to one another…away from the numbness of convenience and material

He’s shown me His face every time I see one of His beautiful Children smile…

Hope all of you are doing well! Please pray for patience, for love, for understanding and compassion - for all of us.

Life, Love, and Peace

Uncle Matthew