this unfathomable adventure

Communication

2005-10-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

In one of my classes we read a play essentially about communication. I had to write an essay about this theme, and how faulty communication destroys relationships. I feel like it is a constant struggle to communicate what i mean to communicate. Even to you, who speaks the same language as me. The name of this play "El Velero en la Botella", this means The Ship in a Bottle. When i am unable to communicate it feels like i am stuck in a bottle. I can hear the outside noise, you can hear my noises, but my words are like sounds escaping out of the small opening of the bottle. I am misunderstood. We read a poem about a lover who is frustrated because there are not enough words in his language to express how he feels. I know two lanugaes and in neither language can i tell you how i feel. i want you to be dentro mi mente. I love words, i love idomas, me encanta...las palabras...pensamientos y sentamientos. I could better tell you how i feel if i was speaking in words jumbled up. I live with a chinese man who understood me maybe for an instant because of an expression on my face. He used his broken english to console me, i responded with my broken spanish.

Desde Chile

2005-09-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

so yeah...it has been awhile. i have been here a month. there is so much happening it is hard to know what to tell. mamie, irene...our new friend and i ate with a random chilean family on saturday. we had been climbing on the rocks in Coquimbo for hours and we were hungry. we saw two men standing on the street, they invited us in for dinner with the family. we were hungry...so we ate. there was a drunk uncle, a nice son, a mom and a dad. they wanted to know about america. it seems surreal that we are here...actually traveling the world. i still get scared to ask for things...as i try to remember how to say such and such. we all practically flip a coin to go ask the store keeper to open the freezer so we can get some icecream. Mamie said "how can we expect to be world travelers if we are afraid to talk to people?" homsickness creeps in some days so slowly...almost like cold honey. but then it comes and i am stuck in it. just like those rocks in Coquimbo we look for sturdy ground...could it be english...actually no our refuge can not even be found in our language. my heavenly father says...I WILL NOT FORGET YOU. indeed he has not forgotten me as he shows his love so specifically to my heart. so even if i perfect this language my refuge still can only be found in Him? As we see the most beautiful sights we have ever seen in our lifetime...we still turn back to worship the Creator himself. i think this is a "mezcla" of thoughts...but take what you can. enjoy Him today.

time to leave

2005-08-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I leave for Chile. I have to be at the airport at 5:00 pm and i arrive in Atlanta a little after 8pm and then we depart for Chile after 10pm and I arrive in Santiago at 7:36am the 26th. All my bags are packed. Two bags for my life for three months. I have that icky butterfly feeling in my stomach. August is a strange month because it is the end and beginning of something. I have to remind myself today that I want to go and do this. The Lord has prepared the way in more ways than one. I think the unknown is what is wigging me out. This summer was amazing...it is time to leave.

hmmm....

2005-08-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

so i have almost started a blog serveral times in the last couple days...but there is so much going on in my brain that i dont know where to put it all. in fact i couldnt even think of a title...it is this ringing in my ears. then when i read my dear friend mamie's blog i remembered that hey...i am not alone. it is like this age. this age of "what am i doing? where am i going? what do i love? who do i love? where is my home? what is NEXT?! so it is like in my brain i am in exile because sometimes i feel like if people knew what was spinning through my brain then they would put me in a mental institution. maybe that is where i should be...but no...because the idea of being in a cage is the most frightening thing in the world to me. i could go into detail about what all has "gone down" this summer but...it would take too long. However to make it short i am leaving to go to Chile and I am scared about it...but i am scared because i am scared...if that makes sense.

in a story...i have driven from charleston to Bluffton, SC (about 15mins N. of Hilton Head) at least 10 times in the last 4 weeks. It is a beautiful...i would go so far to say breath taking. I think a lot as i make the drive. oh!..the reason i drive this is because i am currently "living" at my mom's house...which means that most of my stuff is at her house, but my dad still lives in charleston. so anyways...back to the story. the other day i was driving and i looked to my right out the window and the sun was shining just perfectly on the water. I was reminded of one of my favorite stories about Jesus. This story comes from Mark 6:45-52. One evening Jesus sends his dicisples ahead of him in a boat. Jesus notices that the men are struggling at the oars. He waits until later in the night to walk out to them and the disciples think he is a ghost. The disciples are terrified, probably frustrated by the wind and struggling, but when Jesus reveals himself He tells them to not be afraid and to TAKE COURAGE.

so mamie...i am not that different from addison, because you see...the unknown is so UNKNOWN...lets just go and see if Jesus will show up even if we cry out in total unbelief.

waiting...

2005-07-21T06:08:00.000-07:00

so i am in hilton head, sc with my mom for the next 3 weeks with a couple breaks to go various places to visit people. it is nice here at her house. i feel very cozy...i have a nice room, big bathtub...it is close to the beach which is always a plus for me. Really my time here has been very nice. I have all day to read and study and think. I have been working on my tan. i love the hot weather cuz it makes me sweat and i like that. I feel like i am waiting though....there are all these huge things coming up after this time at mom's. Well first of all i am going to Orlando to see the beach project or rather the Orlando project, then my mom is getting remarried, I am going to see Sam when he gets back from Korea in Deleware, then packing up to go to Chile. I feel like I am in the calm before the storm. You know during the calm there is always a high level of anticipation. So i feel like i am in a state of waiting. The question is...how can i make the very most out of this time. So far i feel like i am...hanging out with people with rest inbetween. Rest for me means mentally refueling. Oh and i need desperately to study some spanish considering i feel like i cant remember one word. Living in a Spanish speaking country might be difficult if i cant speak the language. so for now...i am waiting.

A Living Prayer

2005-07-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

In this world I walk alone
with no place to call my home
but there is one who holds my hand
the rugged road through barren lands

the way is dark, the road is steep
but he has become my eyes to see
the strength to climb, my griefs to bear
the Savior lives inside me there

In your love I find release
a haven from my unbelief

take my life and let me be a living prayer my God to thee

In these trials of life I find another voice inside my mind
he comforts me and bids me live
inside the love the love the Father gives

in your love I find release
a haven from my unbelief

take my life and let me be a living prayer my God to thee
take my life and let me be a living prayer my God to thee

Alison Krauss

Requested pictures from Africa

2005-07-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

Erin helping a young man at the school for disabled children in Shayandima.
A waterfall in the countryside
looking off the Red Rocks onto the land
We jumped off these rocks!
The African sky...this was taken very close to Kruger National Park

East Tennessee

2005-07-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

I am unsure when I fell in love with the smell of it. I don't remember the first time that i appreciated the beauty. i wonder if a person could live their entire life and never know what it feels like to be free? I walked out onto my grandfather's back porch and stood at the steps to find him standing there in the garden studying a flower with deep affection. I said loud enough for him to hear, "Who is that old man out there?" He looked up and smiled with great expectancy and walked over to me to embrace me and tell me just "How thankful he is to see me!" This is my grandfather. He was the one who told me that the beauty of those mountains...the mountains of East Tennessee is the glory of the Lord. Indeed just to see them would make a man free. The smell of the air fills my lungs. To see the glory of the Lord would make a man free. He isn't a big man. He told me that dynamite comes in small packages. He said, "Megyn, lets go on a ride!" Normally we would go on a ride in his old jeep (i can not remember the make or year) but he recently had a hip replacement and it is difficult for him to operate the clutch. So we went on a ride in the mustang convertible...as long as it is a convertible! He took me up a familiar road, windy up to the Roan. This is a beautiful place to be...as he says it is away from all the people...he can hear the Lord more clearly. He pointed out occasionally the deer on the side of the road, never missing a beat as he shared of the goodness of Jesus. He pulled off to the side of the road and prayed while we were misted by the clouds. He prayed for the Lord's hand to be upon me in whatever path I may choose. He prayed for me to be a servant for the Lord, but most importantly for me to find pleasure in His presence. I am free.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works--he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Psalm 104:31-33

A man to stand in the gap

2005-07-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it but I found none."
Ezekiel 22:30

I received a letter from Sam and I was overwhelmed with gratitude at the Lord's faithfulness and commitment. This is not a blog about Sam...or ushy gushy feelings...though they are present. This is more about a man who heard and listened to the call to stand in "the gap". Since returning from Africa I feel a heavy burden...where are the men? Where are the men who are not apathetic and passive? I have had the pleasure of ministering beside a few...I have been blessed to know many...but the general pattern of our culture...and by the way the culture of Africa also is full of men that refuse to be leaders. My prayer for my brothers is that they would hear and listen to the call to stand in this gap. Those that stand in the gap are addicted to joy. Those that stand in the gap want real, genuine satisfaction. Those that stand in the gap will not settle for temporary satisfaction...but those that stand in the gap want the real deal of knowing Jesus Christ our Lord. Now is my time to brag on my dear friend Sam. This quote comes directly from a letter dated July 1, 2005. He is currently in Fort Lewis, Washington which is very close to
Mt. Rainer.

"The fellowship here has been great. The officer corps is very small and I have ran into people that I have been training with for the last 3 summers. This is the most awesome time for servant leadership. I have had some opportunities to share the gospel on a wide spread conversational basis. But please pray for John (he is my battle buddy) that we will be still and alone long enough to actually have a relational gospel conversation. We have not been able to have any one on one time where we can talk. ie pulling security duty. There are 2 guys here that I have been able to get in the word with almost daily. And another guy that we share verses we are meditating on. Shaw, Scallion, and Faust. please pray for them also. Many people are searching...but they are looking in the right place. They get in the word during 10 min or so of downtime searching through the pages for words and verses of God's power, guidance and love. They are like sheep that just need a stick to keep poking them along, back to their sheperd. The bible ministry in the military is awesome...Every one is given a bible if they wish to receive one. and it is the only book that we can have here. So yeah, they're gonna read it."

I hope this serves as some encouragement to somebody...or maybe a challenge.
Oh P.S. Isn't he a stud!

Sisters

2005-07-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

Two days before I left to go to Africa, my sister got married. This was a big deal because I think it sealed the deal that we are all getting older. My sister's name is Emmi Lauren McBroom. Growing up we were never what you would call "close". One of my most vivid memories of us when we were little was when I was about two I wanted to come and play with her paper dolls...aka destroy her paper dolls...and she wouldn't let me in...I fought to get in the bedroom and she accidentaly slammed my finger in the door...my fingernail eventually fell off...but there is no remaining damage. We fought so much that in my oppinion it took two years to even heal from all the wounds. We are complete and total opposites...but after we both finished highschool there was a need we both saw to love one another. I am very proud that Emmi is my sister...she is sharp, beautiful, and kind. The relationship sisters have is unique and can not be replicated. This picture was taken after I gave the toast at her wedding reception. Some days I wish that we had been closer but reconciliation is so very sweet. Mine and Emmi's lives will always be very different...I am sure of that...but my prayer for her is that she would experience the Lord in whatever she does to the fullest capacity. Sisters are a gift of God and one more way that we can see and experience his precious love.

God's Face

2005-07-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

Since I have been home there has been this reoccuring theme...i see God in everything. I know it sounds super spirtitual and cliche...but this picture reminds me of so many of the things I learned while I was in Africa. I see God's face. I want to live like I see His face. I don't know exactly what this means for me...but I know that in Hebrews 11 it says that Moses persevered because he saw Him who was invisible. My dearest friend Erin and I discussed this several times during our trip. I also know that it says numerous times in the Word to seek His face always. This elephant is God's face. By the way...this elephant was actually that close!

Home?

2005-07-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

It has been a long, long time since I updated this and I apologize for all of you bloggers. I am "home" from S. Africa. It was a wonderful time as I kept you all posted by emails. Being here with my family already has been a blessing...but more and more I realize that home is relative. When I was in S. Africa in our little guest house (picture) with 20 other people...that was home. It became my home as we made friends and labored in prayer for a country that is ravaged by bitterness. Then once I stepped off the plane in Atlanta there was supposed to be a flood of gratitude to be back in my country...but I have realized that just like my mom always said "home is where your stuff is". Of course as a follower of Christ I believe that truly I will never experience freedom from homesickness until I meet my heavenly Father...and touch the lines on His face. Not to hate on the wonderfulness of being embraced by the loves and comforts of America.

Samuel Paynter Jefferson

2005-04-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

emumail
Originally uploaded by mvbmegyn24.

this is Sam...the reason i put this guy on my page is because he is so much a part of my adventures. The time that we spend together is always an adventure. He is my very special friend that I have a hard time calling my "boyfriend". We like to read this magazine made by National Geographic...it is a travel magazine. They do wonderful photographs of wonderful places to visit all over the world. The Lord loves that I am driven by adventure and risk. Sam compels me to bury in my heart the most wonderful characteristics of God. In my opinion every person needs to know a man like Sam.

The beginnings of an Adventure

2005-04-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

As all of you may know the Lord has provided all of the money (and more) that I need in order to go to Africa this summer. I am leaving in 11 days and I have not packed a single stitch of clothing...in fact I have not even moved out of my dorm yet...my sister is getting married next sunday and i still have two more exams to complete. It seems impossible that I could actually be on a plane on my way to another continent in 11 days! One of the greatest things that the Lord is teaching me now is what it really means to be part of an authentic community. This has been a reoccuring concept in the last few weeks, but now as a team (South Africa team aka CCP team) we are learning about being a revolutionary and how being a revolutionary requires being in community. One of my biggest fears is loving these people I will be spending a summer with. I know that sounds crazy and cold hearted...but really...it is hard for me to love sacrificially. So here I am about to leave...forced to live with 19 people that are all running towards the goal of eternity...Christ will empower me to love without conditions...and I am loved as His beloved daughter.

2005-04-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

Okay...so computer/ technology is very difficult for me...however my very good friend Nick showed me how to do this thing...so here I am to keep you all informed on how I am doing in this crazy world during this crazy adventure I am on and you are on with me. I never feel as creative as I wish I could be...but we will see what we can get out of this thing that the world has subjected us too...my prayer is that we will never be so estranged that we resort to only computer mediated communication.

2005-04-26T19:27:00.000-07:00