When the Dash Hurts

 

One afternoon distributing food to children in a Maasai community

    I recently finished a book during one of our camping trips called "The Burden is Light," by Jon Tyson. This book is about living a full life - a life of purpose, connection and impact. A life that you can look back on with pride when your final days are drawing close. Tyson presents an intriguing idea: each gravestone has two dates - the first being the day we enter the world, the second being the day we leave it behind. But the most significant part isn't those particular days engraved into the stone, but the dash that lies between. That small dash represents our entire life. Now the greatest question of all arises: How do we fill this dash in a way that leads to a great life? To be truly satisfied with our one and only chance while our heart still beats? As a pastor, Tyson has witnessed many lives unfold before him. He has seen people striving to achieve great things and others who have done absolutely nothing of significance. Some have lived lazily, while others have pushed themselves to the maximum - yet both can fall short of true fulfillment. The lives he has seen as the most fulfilled, without fail, are those lived with Jesus. The ones who spent their days walking by faith, right in the midst of God's will, were the happiest and most purposeful of them all. 

    Tyson also talks about how comparison is a thief of joy, and from personal experience, I can say this to be 100% true. However, when you truly know Christ and His character - when you understand that your worth is found in Him alone - you suddenly recognize that there is no need for comparison. When your eyes are fixed on eternity and you know that Heaven is the ultimate goal, the opinions of others lose their weight. A line I loved from the book explains it well: "When we take our eyes off eternity, we are swept into a frenzied effort to keep up with others." And another one I loved: "When we waste our precious time worrying about things of this world, life itself can become a heavy burden to bear." I would highly recommend diving into this book - but that's all I'll say before I spoil it too much...

Sharing God's love with over two hundred students

    Today, I was confronted with a deep sense of guilt as my team and I entered the premises of Hai Day Secondary School, ready to share the love of the Lord with high school students. I never expected to feel the intense emotions when I witnessed what I am about to share with you, so brace yourselves, as this is still the heartbreaking reality that some students face everyday. 

    As we wandered around trying to locate the classroom where we would be speaking, I couldn't help but notice a long line of students - some small, some much older - standing outside a classroom. Out of curiosity, my gaze followed the trail of students until I reached the front. There, standing tall with a wooden stick in his hand, was a large male figure who appeared to be a teacher. What came next is something I pray to forget. The man grabbed a young adult from the line and began striking him from behind with the stick - over and over again. In complete shock, unable to comprehend anything I was witnessing I instinctively turned, covering my mouth, unsure of what to do next. Next in line was a young girl. She was ordered to hold out her forearm, and once again, the teacher repeated the same violent act. I watched as the students walked away, wincing in pain and humiliation. This is a scene I will never be able to fully and accurately describe. This continued, and I was left feeling bitter, angry, and helpless. 

    I had always heard stories from my grandpa about getting his palms smacked with a ruler when he misbehaved in class. I knew these kinds of punishments existed - but seeing it happen in live action was an entirely different level of extreme. The way these kids walked away, faces full of shame after being completely degraded and stripped of their dignity was an unbearable sight. But once again, what a privilege to only feel the weight of this burden, and not to have to endure it myself. 

    I immediately needed answers. I pulled aside my translator, Yona, a man in his early forties, and asked how this was still possible. He told me that when he was in middle school, teachers would beat him *sixty times* in one sitting. I stared at him jaw dropped, in total disbelief. When I asked why, he said it was often because he hadn't finished his homework - when he was too busy tending to his family's cattle after school. I could barely process the words I was hearing. Then Yona told me something even more unsettling. The government had passed a law limiting teachers to beating students no more than *four times* a day. To think that that is considered "progress". He never made it to high school - he was so deeply traumatized by the beatings in middle school that he couldn't bring himself to continue his education. Yona said there wasn't a day that went by where he didn't think of running away. Many students did, and still do. And now, as a father, his biggest stress was he couldn't afford to send his daughter to private school - where this kind of punishment was illegal. Instead, he had no choice but to send her to a government school, where it was still practiced. How is this still happening? I have trouble articulating my thoughts and processing the weight of this reality. What a gift it was to have grown up in a school where I never had to fear a beating. Where I could walk the hallways without being petrified of physical punishment by my teacher. What a gift it was to grow up in a Western society, I will no longer fail to count these as blessing upon blessings. 

    My team and I are in the homestretch as we finish up our last week here in Dar Es Salaam. It's been such a whirlwind. There's been lots of mixed emotions as we wrap up our last couple days of ministry, it's hard to believe we have been in Africa for around two and a half months. We are visiting several schools this week, participating in sports ministry, food distribution, and a few other "lasts." Early in the morning of the 5th, we prepare to fly out and head back to Hawaii for a week to debrief - a time to hear about the incredible testimonies each team experienced. This week will be so impactful. It will be such a blessing to reconnect, to hear all of the incredible ways the Lord has moved in each nation, and to just embrace the way He has changed each one of our hearts.

Watching the sunset after an afternoon of ministry with the team

Written with love, Layla <3