Jars of clay

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor. 4:7)

I’m weak, easily broken, not very capable… but God can redeem my weak human efforts, and turn them to His glory. That’s what He’s been teaching me. I’ve got a lot to learn about trusting Him, recognising my own weakness, and letting Him be glorified through me.
Here’s a recent example… You may remember that I’ve been working on designing calendars with Bible verses on them in the different languages. We even went down to the printers to check on their progress (see blog below). Everything was looking good, but when the final calendars were sent to us from the printing press, the results were disappointing – font and colour issues. I’m a jar of clay, the works of my hands and those of others are going to be imperfect; things can go wrong.

But, that’s when God’s power is shown…
…There was nothing for it but to carry on with our plans to distribute the calendars, despite their quality. So off we set on a four day trip to start distribution. People loved them! No-one seemed to notice the mistakes! God can redeem our weak human efforts. I’m a jar of clay, but God can use even my broken, cracked jar to His glory.

Here’s some pictures from those travels (reading the calendar, holding a captive audience at a market, travelling around through beautiful countryside on dusty roads)…

Travels

Imagine being on the London underground for 8 hours straight, in rush hour. That’s about as close as I can get to describing the bus journey to Songea – an 8 hour trip from where I live in Mbeya. I travelled this journey with three work friends, all having the fortunate privilege of seats because we booked our tickets in advance. However, there were bums in our faces and an old lady being sick on the floor as the aisle was crowded with over twenty standing passengers, for the whole trip.

Travelling in Tanzania is a whole new experience compared to any kind of travelling at home. Can you imagine having a loo stop on a coach trip where your toilet is the side of the road – women round the back of the bus, men round the front? Or what about having a live chicken under your seat? Or maybe you have the luxury of your own car… don’t forget that if someone indicates left, this doesn’t mean they’re necessarily turning left but are just letting you know it is safe for you to pass them, and if they indicate right, it means there’s another vehicle coming.

And that’s just on the tarmac roads. The fun really begins when you get onto dirt roads (which constitutes most travelling that doesn’t connect main towns). This time of year is terrible for dust – clouds of it billowing up around your vehicle (and inside if your ventilation consists of windows that don’t shut and doors that don’t seal)! When the rains begin, you won’t even want to be travelling those roads, the risk of getting stuck are too great in some areas.

But think of it like this… Here you get to have the adventures for free (how much would you pay for an off-road experience at Land Rover in the UK?), you get to travel through some beautiful countryside, you get to experience the richness of another culture from your seat and you can do shopping through the window as people rush to sell you things at bus stops!

And travels always have a destination – the anticipation of the destination makes you willing to bear the discomforts time and time again. This time our destination was near the border of Mozambique, where we were heading to a printing press! Out there, in the middle of nowhere, is an incredible German built settlement, replete with monastery, convent, hospital, nurses’ school, girls’ secondary school, farm (with sausage and cheese making), bakery, printing press and a beautiful church. Now there are only a few Germans there, volunteering in the hospital; the place is entirely run by Tanzanians. We spent a couple of days there, seeing around and checking on the progress of the calendars we are having printed there.

The printing press Eating out

Then it was back on the bus…
Nearly 8 hours later, we were back in Mbeya, where we climbed into the car (Toyota Land Cruiser, to be precise) of more work friends, and headed to the shores of Lake Nyasa (Malawi) for a couple of days break. This was another 3-4 hour trip, but entirely worth it as it was a beautiful spot to relax in. Swimming in the lake beats a swimming pool or the sea anytime… warm, free of salt or chlorine or seaweed and surrounded by mountains. What more could one ask for than to take a rest in a place like that, in the company of good friends?!

“The Lord is my Shepherd...

...I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters.”

The words of Psalm 23 have been playing through my mind a lot of late, since the death of my nan. I’m not sure why this Psalm is so often sung at funerals, but whatever the reason, it is full of wonderful truths. And as I took a trip out on Saturday to a beautiful riverside spot, those first few verses played over and over in my mind like a record that’s got stuck (that makes me sound old – who listens to records these days?!). Not that I was really beside still waters…

We (the Wisbeys, Karin, three other colleagues and I) headed out into the middle of nowhere, along a bumpy dirt road, surrounded by dry grass and leafless trees until suddenly, over two hours later, you’re there… ahead of you in the near distance is a beautiful waterfall, and coming from it a lovely river, winding it’s way round into places just perfect for swimming (except for its temperature which was positively chilly).

We also enjoyed walking to another waterfall, snoozing on great slabs of rock heated by the sun, reading good books (I’m into John Grisham’s ‘The Testament’ at the moment) and having good food. And we never saw another soul the whole time we were there. Perfect!

Such days are wonderful escapes from the usual run of things. Work has been rather dry for me lately, I need some of those refreshing waters to flow through my attitudes, my days at the office and my relationship with God, to bring them new life and purpose and to make them fruitful.