Taste and See That the Lord is Good. (#1)

Turning the page of my scrapbooking journal, a newspaper clipping catches my eye; ‘She Dreamed of Africa’, it reads in bold, black and red letters. This clipping was chosen specifically and glued into place on September 2nd, 2005. Who “she” was, I cannot remember…but her dream is also mine.

“Jesus”, I whispered, as I cut out these newsprint words. “Can I please go? This has been my dream for years before now - to go to Africa. I am not quite sure how these people have become so dear to my heart when I have yet to meet them, but can I please go and love them? I want to be your hands and feet, to share your love and hope. Jesus…you are their hope...”

Dear friends,

It is my passion to love and serve others in Jesus’ name, but more specifically to serve those who are from other cultures and nations. It is this passion that led me to enroll in the Intercultural Studies program at Columbia Bible College in the fall of 2006. As I enter my third year of this BA, I will be participating in a cross-cultural internship, in which the full eight month term is lived out in another culture. And here is the exciting part…I am finally off to Africa! On November 7th, I will be flying to Kampala, Uganda to serve under Action International.

Action International’s main focus in Uganda is on serving the urban poor, more specifically the refugee kids and the kids who live on the street in the slums. Although my exact areas of service will be identified through conversing with my mentors in Kampala, it looks as though I will be directly involved in their Street Boy Ministry by teaching, counseling, and coaching…besides just being a friend. I may also help to facilitate children’s camps, prison ministries and/or Christmas outreaches, aid in starting up a lending library of Christian resources, or assist with the Bible/Sports clubs. These opportunities for interaction with the children of Uganda truly excite me.

As I enter this final month of preparation, I come to you with an invitation…well, a few actually. First of all, I would like to invite you to walk alongside me in this season of learning and discovery. Psalm 34:8a says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good”; it will be accounts of his goodness seen that I will be sending home to you. Secondly, I invite you to pray for me. There will be dangers and discouragement along the way, and my body, spirit and heart would appreciate your prayers. Thirdly, I invite you to support me with your finances. Should you wish to do so, the information is below. No matter how you wish to support me, know that simply your words and presence in my life are such an encouragement to me. My sincere thanks.

From my heart to yours,

Erin Spring

To support financially:

~ Cheques can be mailed to: 3015A 21st St. NE, Calgary, AB, T2E 7T1. My name cannot appear anywhere on the cheque. Instead, please enclose a separate note specifying it is for me.
~ Donations can also be given over the phone or debited monthly from your bank account or credit card. Simply call 403.443.2221, and they can assist you.

Honest ramblings after watching "Shooting Dogs"

I know these 8 months will be different than any others I have lived, yet they feel as though they are a taste of the life I will live. Will I even die in Africa one day? I dare say that I will never die in Africa lest I learn what is most valuable...unless I am willing to be selfless and give up all, like my Jesus did. Ah, but why would I be willing to give up all in Africa while being ok with living in "luxury" and complacency here in Canada, surrounded by piles of useless paper and things that bring me "comfort"? Jesus, I want to learn now...to give, to share, to hold everything with an open hand. It is you who has given me all things anyway; who am I to call them mine?

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to thee;
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for thee;

Take my voice and let me sing,

Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from thee;

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise;

Take my intellect and use

Every pow’r as thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it thine,

It shall be no longer mine;

Take my heart, it is thine own,

It shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour

At thy feet its treasure store;

Take myself and I will be

Ever, only, all for thee

Here am I.

All of me.

Take my life.

It's all for thee.

~ Take My Life and Let It Be, Frances R. Havergal (Last stanza: Chris Tomlin's rendition)

This is just my internship...but it feels like my life. And it is.

Say NO to Sugar Daddies

Actual ad from a campaign against HIV in Uganda. Caption reads:

Girls! The gifts, the nights out and the cash can never be worth your lives and future. Older men are taking advantage of you and putting you at risk of HIV infection, in exhange for material things. This practice is called cross generational sex. Respect yourselves and Say NO to Sugar Daddies.

Uganda is once again losing in the battle against the spread of HIV. This weekend's Vancouver Sun had a special article on HIV's newest propelling factor - 'cross-generational sex'. An example of this is that at night, rich older men will drive onto University campuses to pick up their dates. These young women are selling themselves for gifts, a fancy night out, or even to have their school tuitions paid. One girl was lured into such a meeting to find that it was her own father who would be her "sugar daddy".

Did you catch yourself smirking at the term "sugar daddy"? This term makes its way into our conversations with a smile and a joking nudge. Yet, Uganda's young women (and sometimes men in response to a rise in "sugar mommies") are having sex with these older rich men and in turn getting infected with HIV.

It would take me a while to try to convey the struggle, political and otherwise, that Uganda has gone through in their fight against the HIV virus. (If you are interested, this article, "Rolling Back Uganda's Early Gains Against AIDS", gives a consise summary.) In the meantime, please be praying for a change in the thinking of the Ugandan people. Saying "no" to a sugar daddy in her college years will most likely only delay a woman's chance of contracting HIV. The push is for skilled and confident women who don't need to depend on men for money, and also for a decrease in sexual partners. Only a change of thinking can bring a stop to another epidemic.

I can feel the seasons changing

It feels like fall today, but not only outside my window. My heart knows also of change on the horizon. With fall comes school and renuions with friends, but for me this year it also brings a great venture. I will be flying to Uganda on November 7th to serve with Action International for 8 months. That is what I call change.