April 2013 Sarah Masson Update
Lately I’ve been thinking about what it is that ‘I do’? So far I have concluded what not doing. I’m not building and padding my resume for my future or pursuing a job in my University Degree.
In our current world of over working and building a future for ourselves, I often feel like I’m failing in the eyes of the world. However, the eyes of the world are not what’s important to me - although I’m human, so that comment isn’t always an absolute! However, I do not care about building my resume because I have faith in God to do this for me. I believe that He is training me for the future and He will provide everything that I will need, as He has shown me time and time again.
I have the rare opportunity of helping some young people who may change the very nature of their country in the future. My wish is for them to know that they are loved and cared for. I hope that they will dream big and achieve their goals in life.
Truth of the matter is, as a missionary, sometimes there’s a lack of things ‘to do’ (complete tasks A and B) and sometimes there’s an overwhelming amount of things to do. At the moment it seems like there isn’t much ‘to do‘, as in a job that starts at 8 am and finishes at 5pm; but there’s life to live with others. My daily routine is different than an 8-5 job. When I wake up in the morning (aside from a few responsibilities and commitments) the day can go any which way. This happens when you work with people. Real life doesn’t have a time clock. You never know when someone will get sick, when someone’s roof will blow off, when a single mother will need a ride to a hospital three hours away, or when a house parent needs an afternoon off from their 15 kids. You don’t know when you’ll get asked for help, when you will be given a gift, when someone will need a sweater from the container, when some kids will need tutoring, when some staff need help with their English or when a band aid is needed. It could be that a child wants to go on a bike ride, a meal needs to be cooked for someone, or some receipts need to be sorted. The ministry website may need updating or I may get asked to preach, or have some girls show up at the door to chat about boys, or have some boys show up to ask to go hunting for mice.... The possibilities are endless.
How to write a job description for daily life? I’m not sure. It’s a day at a time at the moment and while I’m not working at building my job portfolio to build my future, I am living life here and now. It gets hard to write interesting updates when you’ve been living somewhere long enough that it starts to feel like home. Usually people in the west don’t update me on the ‘daily routine‘ of life just because it’s just home and what’s so interesting about that? Isn’t that the way? Once you settle into a place you stop seeing what outsiders would see and daily life can seem monotonous to yourself, even though what you are doing could be completely fascinating to others.
Recently, I watched our Standard 8 students graduate from the Iris Primary School. Next year they will be moving away to Secondary School. I am dreading the day they leave! I am very excited for them and extremely proud, as the girls were ranked at the top in their exam district and one of the boys was ranked number one over all in the whole district. I am going to miss them so much, after 3 years of getting to know them as my students and as my honorary younger sisters and brothers; it will be hard to see them go. I’m not a parent yet, but in the future I might have to keep my children at home forever (I’m sure actual parents out there are inserting their eye roll here).
Our visitor season is coming up and I will be helping out with the Hospitality duties on base. This means that I will be assisting and hosting our International visitors, screening applicants, communicating about their upcoming trip to Iris Malawi, and checking in with the visitors as they stay with us. We are anticipating a full base this August 1-4 when we celebrate our 10th year Anniversary of Iris Ministries Malawi. Rolland and Heidi Baker (the founders of Iris Ministries) will bring a large group to teach at the yearly conference.
I will also be spending four weeks this June and July as a house mother of two different girl’s homes when the mothers go away for their two week holidays.
I hope all is well on the other side of the world. I do miss my friends and family in Canada!