Don't Get Comfortable!

This last week in Ethiopia has been anything but normal. Last Saturday I finally arrived in Awassa where I was planning on being the rest of the internship. I was in Awassa getting used to the city and the work I would be involved with down there. Awassa is a beautiful town. Kind of like a tourist town in Ethiopia. It is located right by a large beautiful lake. It almost has the feeling of a tropical island town. I was living at the office compound, so there was not even a commute to work. Work was literally the room next to my bedroom. And the compound was just a minute walk from the lake. It was a great set up. Of course, as we all know, good things don’t always last.

On Wednesday evening last week I received a text from the country director saying that I needed to be back in Addis. There were few details, but I knew I needed to pack all my things and be ready for anything. So early the next I packed all that I owned (which I had just unpacked) and headed back to Addis with one of the other interns. We found out that the two other interns were being called back to Addis as well. Luckily our car ride was only four hours compared to the fifteen hour car ride the other two interns had. As we rode back we pieced more of the puzzle together.

There had been an incident previously of an individual who had an agenda against SP-Ethiopia. It started months earlier, but no one figured it would escalate to the scale it did. Unfortunately this man has many connections within the Ethiopian government. Last week we found out that all the international SP staff was in danger of being kicked out of the country. I don’t think any of us were really expecting to come to Ethiopia only to be deported. We interns spent most all of Friday at the immigration office debating with the government why we should be allowed to stay. Not to mention all the long term international staff had been there for the previous three days pleading their cases as well. It seemed straight forward that we were in the right and should be allowed to stay in Ethiopia. But it felt like they had an agenda against us and convincing them otherwise seemed just about impossible. No matter what we said, they had some case or complaint against us. It was more than frustrating.

In Ethiopia the government is already distrustful of NGO’s and foreigners. It does not help when a national intentionally sets out to bring down a specific NGO, like SP. In the midst of all the drama and headaches and stress, we are all learning very important lessons on how the world works. In America we are a democracy founded on due process, trials, and the right to be treated fairly (be very grateful of this). Well that is not the case in most of the world. Most of the world is run through relationships. Is not about what you do, it’s who you know. If you happen to know important people with power, or are someone with power, you have the ability to get what you want. If you don’t have power or influence, the chances that you can get what you want is very slim. I am not saying that America is perfect, but it is sure nice to know that most of the time we are given a much more fair trial. Still, I am realizing more and more than the world is not as fair, friendly, and forgiving as I thought it was growing up.

Of course, one of the biggest lessons in all this is trusting God. It’s hard to trust God when nothing seems to be going your way. I mean SP is here to save lives. We are trying to give food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. Why would God allow this to happen? It seems silly that one man could single handedly stop an organization from helping thousands of people. It does not seem fair. But then again, we/I don’t see the big picture. And the fight is not over. There is still hope in God. Trusting God does not mean that we always understand why something is happening. It is a decision in our heart to accept that He knows what is best even when we have no idea what is going on. Even when great situations turn terrible. It’s hard to trust. I loved the situation I had in Awassa before all this. Now I don’t even know if I am going to get to finish my internship.

Real life changes fast. I think that in American we search for comfort and security. To an extent we worship them. How many of us find security in a job, comfortable house, family? We want the most comfortable bed and the best home security system. As Switchfoot (a great band) said, “nothing is sound”. Nothing in this world lasts, nothing. Anything can change at any time. Have you really thought of that? At any time we can lose people we love or things we love, or even our own lives. That is a sobering truth. But we are so quick to settle and think our world is safe and ok. As I write this, one of the interns just found out his close friend from back home passed away. Life is not a guarantee. Where is your hope? If it’s in this world, you will be sadly disappointed when bad things happen. Isn’t that how life works? When everything is going best, something bad happens. Yet we continue to put our hope in our lives and circumstances. When in reality nothing in this world can be counted on. I don’t say this so that we live scared lives. I say this so that our hope and trust is in its proper place, in God. In John 14:1 Jesus says to his disciples before he is crucified, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.”

I think it’s dangerous when become too comfortable. We set up a false security that the world is a safe and perfect place. Well it’s not. The Bible says that the world is full of evil. It is full of people who neither know God nor seek Him. In fact they choose to persecute those who do know God. It’s in the midst of changing circumstances we must learn that nothing is safe and nothing is consistent, except for God. I have learned how precious and valuable it is to know a God that is always the same; a God that promises to never change and to always have the best interest of those who know Him. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. I think one of the greatest promises in the Bible is when God says He will be with those who trust in Him. Those are encouraging words if I ever heard them.

While this situation still persists here with SP in Ethiopia. There is still hope. Not in our circumstances or the in the world, but in God. Why? Because I trust that He is in control. He has a reason for this. He will be shown through this situation. He asks us to be faithful to Him even when we don’t understand, even when the situations don’t look hopeful from a worldly perspective. Look at Jesus. He was not an ignorant optimist. He knew the world was filled with evil. Yet at the same time he was full of hope; not in the world, but in the Creator of heaven and earth.

With a looming court date this week and possibly being kicked out of the country, I am learning not to become complacent. Don’t get comfortable! This world is not a safe place. Anything can happen at any time. Nothing is a given in this life expect for God. Fortunately, He is a God of love and faithfulness. I am so glad that I know Him!

Posted:
This last week in Ethiopia has been anything but normal. Last Saturday I finally arrived in Awassa where I was planning on being the rest of the internship. I was in Awassa getting used to the city and the work I would be involved with down there. Awassa is a beautiful town. Kind of like a tourist town in Ethiopia. It is located right by a large beautiful lake. It almost has the feeling of a tropical island town. I was living at the office compound, so there was not even a commute to work. Work was literally the room next to my bedroom. And the compound was just a minute walk from the lake. It was a great set up. Of course, as we all know, good things don’t always last.

On Wednesday evening last week I received a text from the country director saying that I needed to be back in Addis. There were few details, but I knew I needed to pack all my things and be ready for anything. So early the next I packed all that I owned (which I had just unpacked) and headed back to Addis with one of the other interns. We found out that the two other interns were being called back to Addis as well. Luckily our car ride was only four hours compared to the fifteen hour car ride the other two interns had. As we rode back we pieced more of the puzzle together.

There had been an incident previously of an individual who had an agenda against SP-Ethiopia. It started months earlier, but no one figured it would escalate to the scale it did. Unfortunately this man has many connections within the Ethiopian government. Last week we found out that all the international SP staff was in danger of being kicked out of the country. I don’t think any of us were really expecting to come to Ethiopia only to be deported. We interns spent most all of Friday at the immigration office debating with the government why we should be allowed to stay. Not to mention all the long term international staff had been there for the previous three days pleading their cases as well. It seemed straight forward that we were in the right and should be allowed to stay in Ethiopia. But it felt like they had an agenda against us and convincing them otherwise seemed just about impossible. No matter what we said, they had some case or complaint against us. It was more than frustrating.

In Ethiopia the government is already distrustful of NGO’s and foreigners. It does not help when a national intentionally sets out to bring down a specific NGO, like SP. In the midst of all the drama and headaches and stress, we are all learning very important lessons on how the world works. In America we are a democracy founded on due process, trials, and the right to be treated fairly (be very grateful of this). Well that is not the case in most of the world. Most of the world is run through relationships. Is not about what you do, it’s who you know. If you happen to know important people with power, or are someone with power, you have the ability to get what you want. If you don’t have power or influence, the chances that you can get what you want is very slim. I am not saying that America is perfect, but it is sure nice to know that most of the time we are given a much more fair trial. Still, I am realizing more and more than the world is not as fair, friendly, and forgiving as I thought it was growing up.

Of course, one of the biggest lessons in all this is trusting God. It’s hard to trust God when nothing seems to be going your way. I mean SP is here to save lives. We are trying to give food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. Why would God allow this to happen? It seems silly that one man could single handedly stop an organization from helping thousands of people. It does not seem fair. But then again, we/I don’t see the big picture. And the fight is not over. There is still hope in God. Trusting God does not mean that we always understand why something is happening. It is a decision in our heart to accept that He knows what is best even when we have no idea what is going on. Even when great situations turn terrible. It’s hard to trust. I loved the situation I had in Awassa before all this. Now I don’t even know if I am going to get to finish my internship.

Real life changes fast. I think that in American we search for comfort and security. To an extent we worship them. How many of us find security in a job, comfortable house, family? We want the most comfortable bed and the best home security system. As Switchfoot (a great band) said, “nothing is sound”. Nothing in this world lasts, nothing. Anything can change at any time. Have you really thought of that? At any time we can lose people we love or things we love, or even our own lives. That is a sobering truth. But we are so quick to settle and think our world is safe and ok. As I write this, one of the interns just found out his close friend from back home passed away. Life is not a guarantee. Where is your hope? If it’s in this world, you will be sadly disappointed when bad things happen. Isn’t that how life works? When everything is going best, something bad happens. Yet we continue to put our hope in our lives and circumstances. When in reality nothing in this world can be counted on. I don’t say this so that we live scared lives. I say this so that our hope and trust is in its proper place, in God. In John 14:1 Jesus says to his disciples before he is crucified, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.”

I think it’s dangerous when become too comfortable. We set up a false security that the world is a safe and perfect place. Well it’s not. The Bible says that the world is full of evil. It is full of people who neither know God nor seek Him. In fact they choose to persecute those who do know God. It’s in the midst of changing circumstances we must learn that nothing is safe and nothing is consistent, except for God. I have learned how precious and valuable it is to know a God that is always the same; a God that promises to never change and to always have the best interest of those who know Him. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. I think one of the greatest promises in the Bible is when God says He will be with those who trust in Him. Those are encouraging words if I ever heard them.

While this situation still persists here with SP in Ethiopia. There is still hope. Not in our circumstances or the in the world, but in God. Why? Because I trust that He is in control. He has a reason for this. He will be shown through this situation. He asks us to be faithful to Him even when we don’t understand, even when the situations don’t look hopeful from a worldly perspective. Look at Jesus. He was not an ignorant optimist. He knew the world was filled with evil. Yet at the same time he was full of hope; not in the world, but in the Creator of heaven and earth.

With a looming court date this week and possibly having to leave the country, I am learning not to become complacent. Don’t get comfortable! This world is not a safe place. Anything can happen at any time. Nothing is a given in this life expect for God. Fortunately, He is a God of love and faithfulness. I am so glad that I know Him!