Jane Etheridge, Team Member on Today's Prayer Calendar

If you are following the 30-day prayer calendar, you know that I am listed as the team member to pray for today.  Since I have been posting all along in this blog, you already know a little about me, including the fact that this is my first trip to Sierra Leone and my first time to go to a third world country.  However, it is not my first trip out of the U.S.  I have always loved traveling and having exposure to different cultures.

My spirit of adventure surfaced many years ago. When I was just twelve, I boarded a plane by myself and flew to Frankfort, Germany to spend a summer with my grandparents.  My grandfather was a civilian but worked closely with the military in several European countries.  We lived with a German family for the first 6 weeks and then moved to Banbury, England.  We stayed with a British woman who served tea and crumpets every afternoon at 3.  I explored seven European countries that summer and loved learning about other cultures, eating different foods, and trying to communicate with others who didn't speak English.

During my adult life, I've traveled to Mexico, Belize, South Korea, and Italy.  Each time I return home, of course, I am happy to be back in familiar territory.  But I also return with an appreciation for the cultures I have experienced--aspects I want to incorporate into my own life.  For example, the French and Italian relish great food and can spend hours enjoy a single meal.  Mexicans feel free to take time for siestas each afternoon and South Koreans have immense respect for older people.  And afternoon teatime is something I still enjoy from my trip to England almost 50 years ago.  In less than two weeks, I will be on the continent of Africa for the first time.  While I know our primary purpose is to help people who have so many needs and limited resources, I expect to return home thinking I gained more than I gave.  I have no idea what all I will learn from the children and adults in Sierra Leone but I am certain that the Christians living and working there will teach me what it means to depend on God and to be content with less.  I promise to do my best to be open to this upcoming experience so I will learn much more that I can share with my family, friends, and other interested folks back home.  I am also praying daily that God will open my eyes, ears, and especially my heart to show compassion, patience, and love to everyone who crosses my path. Although I may be near 60 and the oldest member of the team, I am young at heart and have energy that abounds.  While I have no medical training, please pray that God will provide ways for me to use my energy, enthusiasm, and strong work ethic to make my team members' workload lighter and to strengthen and encourage each person I meet in Sierra Leone.

In closing, I am so thankful for our church that seeks to love, serve, and be connected to our neighbors near and far.  What makes our "body" so special is that there are those who are called to have a positive impact in our county, those who work with others in our region to better the lives of its people, others who are ready to help in our state and beyond when there is a natural disaster or any type of catastrophic event, and still others who feel called to go to third world countries to help God's children who live there.  May we continue to be such a loving people and support one another in all our mission work.
 
Jane