Our beloved Temba

Today has been such a good day! One of my best friends is in town and it was beautifully hot out. Overall, life is good! I just feel as though something is missing. A part of me is not at rest and is halfway around the world. I've been listening to a lot of music since being back to bring me back to Bulembu. Songs like "The More I Seek You" by Kari Jobe and "Forever Reign" by Hillsong. Listening to them today it brought me back one of my most treasured memory from Bulembu. We painted with a man named Temba. He was the sweetest man and we all fell in love with him. He was our Swazi overseer. He made sure we were doing the right things and the things right. Needless to say, over the 3 1/2 weeks we were painting, we came to adore this wonderful man and his sweet attempt to speak broken English. We were lucky to get a full sentence out of him and that was fine with us. Lots of hand gestures and pointing to brushes and paint colors. He would get so excited when we would greet him in SiSwati. He was excited that we wanted to learn his language. For about 7 or 8 of the days we painted, we brought my little ipod speakers and an ipod and listened to music loud so we could hear it all over the house. One of the most hilarious moments was the first day I brought it. I kept it pretty quiet because I wasn't sure if Temba and Sandile (a wonderful Christian worker that worked with us a few times) would approve of us listening to music while we worked. I put it on the window and got to work. A few minutes later I looked down and they are both standing a few feet away staring at it in utter confusion and fascination. If I could have taken a picture then, it probably would have been one of my favorites of the entire trip. I almost lost it right then. Instead, I kept myself together and came down the ladder and started talking to them. I showed them what it was and how it worked and told them they could touch it or change the song whenever they wanted. (I should probably mention that I only had Christian music on my ipod for the trip. I really felt God was calling me to give Him my full attention and that was one way to accomplish it.) Sandile played with the volume a few times, but otherwise they just walked by and would cast a glance to make sure it wasn't dancing or something. Sandile realized really quickly that the music coming out of it was all about God. His face lit up with a huge smile. He asked if I was a Christian which I answered excitedly! I asked him if he was and his grin got even bigger as he said yes and that he liked my music because it was about God. We were told before that not all of the workers in the town were Christian and to not expect it. It was excited to know that the first person we worked with was a Christian and that we shared Christ in common. Temba was more timid and through a conversation with our advisor said that he wasn't a Christian and wasn't sure about it all. He said he liked our music though and that we should bring it back. With both Sandile and Temba's approval, we brought back the music as often as the batteries would allow.
About 2 weeks in, we were starting to get repeats of some songs. We would obviously sing along if a familiar song came on and Temba would kind of watch us as he hummed his own tune. But by the latter end of the trip, he was humming along to our songs and even singing some of the words. It was amazing to hear him singing along to praise songs. When it happened, at least one of the girls painting would make it their high or God moment of the day.
Temba kept asking James, the head of construction/upkeep in town, if the "God people" were coming back and if he could work with us. Needless to say, we quickly had a reputation with the workers. It was amazing to see that someone who didn't share our beliefs wanted to be with us based on our beliefs. (He also said we worked really hard and that it was slightly unusual for people to do such a good job in such a short time.)
I don't know how Temba is feeling about God at this present moment, but I know what God is feeling for Temba. He longs for him and is pursuing him with a love that can't quenched and a fire that cannot be contained. We saw a progressive change in Temba over our weeks there and he is one of the most memorable parts of the trip for me and not simply because we saw him every day, but because I saw God actively pursuing him. There was a reason he was assigned to us and that we were given that particular job to do. God had a plan and we were at His disposal to used as He pleased. In my own mind and my own heart, He used us alright!

These two amazing men are in my prayers every day. But now I have a new prayer. That God would use me and my team in our respective lives at home to shine His light to the world around us. That people would see Christ in us even when we don't speak...sometimes all we need to do is sing. <3

"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the Gentilesnations. He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp, With the harp and the sound of a psalm, With trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King. Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell in it; Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with uprightnessequity."
Psalm 98