Unpacking Africa

It's been a busy summer and it's hard to describe everything I have seen and done.  As I begin to unpack Africa, I find myself reflecting on everything that happened. It was in many ways what I expected, but also so incredibly different. I found myself and lost myself in East Africa. Come along with me on this journey as I begin to unpack the month I spent in Tanzania. 

I will be sharing the images I took and short stories. I hope you enjoy.

This was the view outside the house I stayed in. It's hard to believe that I got a chance to live in the Lion King for a whole month. This view never got old for me and I often found myself humming "Circle of Life". I started with a sunset image, because it's funny how there is always a sunset before things get worse. As I blog about this, I start with saying all my expectations about Tanzania were beautiful and innocent. Much like this sunset. However, I had no idea what things lurked in the darkness in the days to come. But it was the sunset and the beauty of life that kept me going.

Team Tanzania Fixes Bikes

Hello friends! 

Next month I leave for Africa. We are at the 34 day mark. I can not believe where the time has gone. It feels like these months have flown by. However, I am getting so excited for the adventures ahead.  

Last week, Team Tanzania had the opportunity to go to ACT labs in Long Beach.  At ACT, my team and I learned how to assemble bikes and fix them. This proved to be a crash course in all bike things. We had a fun time learning about how these bikes will play into our trip. As well as, the opportunities it will provide with the local government and the relationships we will build. 

This will be an amazing outreach and create amazing moments to build lasting friendships. 

Fundraising

With less than 34 days left until we leave, my team is in need of funds. We have around 11,000 dollars to raise. I believe that God will provide for us. However, that doesn't mean I am not getting nervous. Please pray that God will provide for the rest of my team. 

 If you would like to make a donation you can give online:  Click Here. When filling out the form,  Make sure to select Team Tanzania and fill out name: Danielle Ernest.

Thank you all for your continued support. I appreciate all of the love and encouragement I have received.  

Asante, 

Danielle 

Leading Alone

Several of people keep asking how Team Tanzania doing. I would have to say that we have had our ups and downs. Earlier this week, my co-leader left the team. I would not say this was a huge shock to the entire team, but it has left me feeling very alone. Amidst this frustration, God has done some amazing things in my team. Even though we lost a leader, our unity still remains intact.  I find this to be the biggest blessing of all.

 

A few weeks ago, my team and I went down to San Diego to work with homeless. There I saw my team come together in ways that I never dreamed. We washed homeless feet and fed them breakfast. It made my heart joyful to see them work together and serve those in need. There was something incredibly special about watching them bestow worth on those society has forgotten.  This gives me hope for this summer and makes me extremely excited for what God will do. We also had the privilege to help package food for Tanzania. We ended up packing around 4,000 meals! We will be passing out these packages in less than 50 days. I can barely believe it. 

Finances 

We have a few fundraisers planned for the future. But, the team is in desperate need of funds. So if you could pray and donate, that would be appreciated. I believe that we will reach our goal. We currently have 42% percent raised and we need 100% by May 15th. Thankfully, we had enough funds to book our flights. We got an amazing deal that will take us through Dubai and flying into Dar Salam. The only downside about that cheap airfare is the 9 hour bus ride from Dar Salam to our village. However, God blessed us with an incredible price- so I am very thankful. 

If you would like to make a donation you can give online:  Click Here. When filling out the form,  Make sure to select Team Tanzania and fill out name: Danielle Ernest.

Prayer Requests 

• Please continue to pray for team unity and that God will continue to bring us together. 
• Next week we are meeting with the Long Beach bike company. We will be learning more about this bike project that we will be doing. 
• Pray that all of us will finish this semester strong. We are about 4 weeks away from school being done. (Hurray!) 
• Continue to pray for the people of Tanzania and those we will come in contact with this summer. 
• Pray that I will be able to handle the stress of leading alone and that God will provide help along the way. 
• Pray that our fundraisers will be successful and bring in funds for the team.  
• Pray that God will be given glory through all things that Team Tanzania comes into contact with. 

Thank you all for you support.

Blessings,

Danielle 

Confessions of a Leader

We are about 7 weeks away from embarking on this glorious journey. My heart is beyond excited and I can barely contain my joy. I cannot wait to have my feet touch that red African dirt and to see the beautiful smiles of strangers.  Africa won my heart many years ago, and I am going back to visit that part of me. It is truly exuberating and renders me to wake up motivated every day and thinking “one day closer”.

Yet, with this joy there has been struggle- the struggle to digest the undertaking and the leadership..  the impact and the ripple effect. I am a thinker, so I like to analyze and think about all of the outcomes. I love the African people and my team so much that as a Communication major, I am trying to figure out the dynamics between the two. How will they interact? How will the team absorb the information? How can I be the best facilitator, while my team has this cross cultural experience? These are just some of the things that keep me awake at night. Mostly, because I have come to the conclusion that I will not have to the answers to all of these. That is where faith comes into play. I am walking in faith that God will provide those answers when needed. I think being in college for so long has made me loose a bit of that childlike faith and morphed me into an intellectual. (Which isn't a bad thing… but all of life does not have to make sense). I think it is important to recognize that this trip is stretching me mentally, relationally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I think often times leaders never confess how hard of a job it is to lead, but by GOLLY it is tough. I know that God chose me for this, which makes tough days easier. Yet, I still feel like Peter walking out on the water to meet Jesus (Matthew 14:22-33). Some days, I lose sight of Jesus and start to sink into the water. I let the stress, anxiety, and sheer overwhelming task take over. I lose my "faith" and doubt if I can really do this. I do not keep my eyes on the goal- on my savior, my Jesus. Yet every single time, he is there to pick up me. He reaches down from on high and takes hold of me and he draws me out of deep waters.

I know that following Jesus does not mean that I have to be qualified or that it will simple. In fact, following Jesus means dropping everything and reorienting my entire life. He is calling me and I must respond to this journey. It is my goal to be with him and to show others his love. Even if that means, just feeding them and giving them clean water. I may not have all it takes, but He will equip me for all things. This is what I whole heartly believe.  

So I leave you with this. My prayer for me, my team, and Tanzania. 

Please continue to pray for: finances for my team, unity, trip preparation, conflict, stress, and the lives of the people we will encounter in Tanzania. 

This I Believe

For few months or so, people have been asking me, “Isn’t it going to be hard to leave everything behind?” I guess my response has pretty indifferent all along. It isn’t that I don’t think there will be any sacrifice involved. It isn’t that I think that it’s not a big deal—to leave your family, friends, country, and culture. Maybe it’s just too big of a deal, too big to understand, to digest, and to feel all at once. Well, I am about 60 days from leaving and I am beginning to feel it. From the time until we leave, will be how long we will be in Tanzania. My mind is starting to picture the goodbyes- goodbye to familiarity, goodbye to culture, goodbye to instagram, and goodbye to those things I find so crucial.   Yet as I replay all the things I will miss, I come back to this essential thought- it’s only when you miss something and when it hurts that it really becomes a sacrifice. Otherwise, it’s a change or an adjustment or a self-serving choice. It’s not a sacrifice until you feel it. Sacrifice is a sign of love. You give up something for someone else. You put that person ahead of yourself. God could not have sacrificed more than He did by becoming human and going to the cross. I’m only following His lead. I’m telling God that I love Him more than I love anything in the world when my heart hurts. I won’t turn around or give up His call because it hurts a lot. I’ll just give it to Him as a humble gift, as an offering. King David said, “I will not…sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” Over and over, God tells us that He really starts to work when we hurt for Him, when we want what He wants more than anything. And that’s where I am and that’s why I know He’s about to get to work. There is excitement in this pain, therefore, because the Creator of the universe is about to sit down at the piano and make Mozart look like a monkey. My life will be His score. This I believe.

Tanzania Tee

As part of a fundraiser and to spread the word about what we are doing this summer, Team Tanzania are selling these tees. The water can and bike represent what we are doing this summer and the words at the bottom are our team motto. The shirts are only 12 dollars or more if you feel like donating.  

Please click here to connect to my email. Let me know what size you would like and we can discuss shipping and payment. 

Thank you for your support of Team Tanzania! 

Also check out our shirt manufacturers on twitter Fund the Nations. As well as a special thanks to Jordan Walsh for helping us create the design. 

"Don't Bother Going, They Are Going To Die Anyway".

As I sit in my comfortable chair in a small cafe have an overwhelming sense of discouragement.  It seems to me the trend lately is to criticize and condemn mission trips. Everywhere I look there is an article about: “Why I do not go on missions anymore”, “Mission trip < new profile picture”, or “The Problem With Little White Girls and Boys: Why I Stopped Being A Voluntourist”. Before I go further, the authors of those articles are respected by me for their opinions. This post is only to offer a humble rebuttal from someone who has a passion for other people and a small understanding of Interpersonal Intercultural Communication (mouthful I know).

This is my perspective without any Biblical backup, there will eventually be an entire post about why mission are important.I did this because not everyone agrees on the validity of the Bible.This is rebuttal is looking  at the articles above through a Communication lense.

While I have been preparing to leave for Tanzania,  people have told me how I will negatively impact the economy and society (long term). This is due to the fact this is not a yearlong mission trip, only 2 months.  I understand from a communication perspective the impact on the economy, society, and the potential relationship issues.  I understand that if too many people visit a certain area, people will develop attachment issues. I recognize the importance of stability and diversity. I even recognize how the money could be spent elsewhere. However, I know that no one should ever underestimate the power of a good deed. 

One needs to understand the ripple effects created from going on one of these trips.  The ripple effect that can occur because one person chooses to go on the trip can change the world. On my trip, we are feeding children and giving them clean water. Who knows what those children will go on to do with their lives, but by helping we are giving them more opportunities. By no means am I claiming to be these children's Savior or "America Superhero", I do not believe that if I Americanize them that I will save them. I am merely a humble servant. A servant who understands that if I do not go help, who will? 

I understand that I will make relationships with these people, get back on a plane, and return to my life. However, does that mean it was not worth my time? I believe that it is such the "american mindset" to think that if I do not get anything out of this, then why invest or why waste my time? Truth is: I may never see those children again. But was installing a water filter that will last 150 years worth it? You tell me. If I make relationships with them, give them hope, and give them resources that help  them have "normal" life ..... is that time wasted? 

One of my biggest frustrations is the judgment from other people when it comes to short term missions trips. Just because the mission trip is short and the team did not see an outcome, does not mean they did not have an impact. I find that in American society of instant gratification, we want to see results ASAP. We have this mentality that if we do not see an immediate outcome then it does not count. Sometimes the fruit of hard labor does not come until years later. It is foolish and prideful to think one needs to see an immediate action. 

Going on trip like this can open your eyes to those around you and give you a passion for the world. I often find those who are cynical have had their heart broken by the poverty. Poverty is a huge undertaking and is overwhelming. There are many days that I would love to bury my head into social media to forget the pain. The pain is so real because the faces now have names, I hear their laughter, and I see their smiles. As much as I want to, I can no longer turn my eyes away.  Missions will break your heart, because they expose you the harsh realities outside the U.S. and make you question everything. Often times people experience “reverse culture shock”, when they return home and this causes them to shut down. Reverse culture shock is like a slap in the face, because you really realize that you have changed. What used to be normal, now feels unusual. In fact, when entering back into American culture one is almost in shock, because of the excess. Aside from reverse culture shock, many people struggle with guilt. This is due to falling short of their own expectations or over sensitive conscience. Since consciences are learned in culture, one may feel guilty for many thing that have nothing to do with sin. If these things are not dealt with properly, then one will become derisive and pessimistic. Those realities will shape your view on missions and ultimately decide if you take another trip. 

Mission trips are not to be dealt with lightly and that is something we can all agree on. However, I do not believe we should all 
abandon going. Going on a mission trip is more than just a profile picture change and a few vaccinations—it’s more about what will 
you do when you come home. Will that mission trip change you 
forever? Will you become an advocate? Will you think twice before you throw away that extra food?  Will return back to life as if you never went? How will that trip alter your life? If you do not change, then it is all in vain and everything those people wrote is true. Create a ripple effect. 


Everyone Matters. 

"Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end"

-Scott Adams

You and I have an average of about seventy or eighty years on this earth. During these years we are bombarded with the temporary. Make money. Get stuff. Be comfortable. Live well. Have fun. In the middle of it all, we get blinded to the eternal. But it’s there. You and I stand on the porch of eternity. Both of us will soon stand before God to give an account for our stewardship of the time, the resources, the gifts, and ultimately the gospel he has entrusted to us. When that day comes, we are convinced we will not wish we had given more of ourselves to living the American Dream. We will not wish we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortably, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of this world. Instead we will wish we had given more of ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will bow around the throne and sing the praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship.


Are you ready to live for that dream? Let’s not waver any longer…

- David Platt

The Importance of Mush

Team Tanzania 

Jambo Friends, Family, and Sponsors!

I hope that this blog post finds you well. I can not believe that I leave in less than 100 days.

Since the last update, Team Tanzania has had a few ups and downs. We lost a team member due to financial reasons (our other male), had conflict, and felt stress. This was all to be expected, but it is sad that the "honeymoon stage" is over. However, we survived through it and came out a stronger team.

We just returned from a 3 day retreat up in the mountains, where we received culture training. It was a great retreat that united the entire team, but also gave us a break from the "school grind".  At this retreat we did a simulation/ dramatization that left me near tears. It is hard to explain, but the entire group (which was about 150 people all made up of mission teams that are going around the world this summer) split up into separate teams.

We were led one by one into the dining room. Upon arrival, I noticed that the entire dining room had been emptied except for one table. This table had fine china and was the picture of eloquence. I was given a cup full of brown water and a bowl of mush. We then sat on the floor around cardboard tables and ate our mush.  

 As I watched different groups file in,they sat around the different cardboard in the dining room.  When everyone was seated, they brought the last group in. This group sat at the center table, where they served steak and chocolate cake. All of us had to watch as this group enjoyed this luxurious meal. One of the  groups on the floor, tried to grab food of the table but that quickly started a "riot". At that moment, my heart almost broke because I understood what they were trying to convey. WE (as in the 1st world) are the people at the table. We do not purposely deny people food, but world hunger is a thing and it is a happening. I have been to Uganda and seen hunger, but I had never been on the other side and "lived" in the 3rd world. 

I then found out the “mush” is actually from the food packages we are giving out in Tanzania. Those packages contain soy protein and the nutrients needed for survival. Those packages go a long way in Tanzania and one box fed everyone at the retreat.  This is what caused me to have a break down. At that moment, I realized how truly blessed I am and what a privileged individual I am. 

Here is my honest moment: For some reason, I was feeling  slightly jealous of the other mission teams, because they get to play with kids, cook with locals, medical outreach, or surf with natives etc… I felt that perhaps that this trip would not make a relational impact, because I will be installing water filters and handing out food. But during this simulation, the Lord brought this passage to my mind:

• “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40)

After this, I fully understand  the importance of clean water and food. It doesn't matter if no one will ever notices that I am there or I make close friendship with the locals. What matter is if I feed someone and give them something to drink. The water filters that we are installing will last 150 years. That will make a lasting impact on a village and many lives. That is enough for me. 

Finances 

Thanks to many of you I have reached the halfway point of fundraising. That's right, I am halfway to my goal.  I am only $1,972.00 away from being fully funded for Tanzania. I am completely amazed with everyone's generosity. My heart is so overwhelmed. 


At school, I have started Tanzania Tuesdays. This is the day where I carry around an empty can and ask for spare change. In Tanzania, 25 cents can feed 5 people and $2 dollars can feed 40 people. So the image above is from that. I have been asking that people give me 2 dollars on Tuesdays. (pretty simple)

If you would like a support letter please send me an email with your address or download it here.

If you would like to make a donation you can give online:  Click Here. When filling out the form,  Make sure to select Team Tanzania and fill out name: Danielle Ernest.

Fundraising  

One of the things I am doing to raise money for Tanzania is offering my photography skills. In lieu of payment, I would like you to make a donation to my trip. I have done family portraits, senior photos, headshots, and engagement pictures. If you would like to schedule a photo session or get more information please click here. 

Prayer Requests

• For Tanzania and the people we will meet this summer.
• My team- that God will bless them for their obedience and that he will provide for them. 
• Team Unity 
• Pray that God will provide a bike expert somewhere in our path and that we will be able to put all the bikes together. (see previous post if confused about the bikes)
• Continue to pray that our funds will come in and that the floodgates will open up. We have a few "fundraising" ideas planned. Pray that God will provide. 
• Pray that we will be able to bless and minister to all different types of people, especially when sharing about our trip. 
• Continue to pray for strength and that we will be encouraged.

Thank you all for you prayers and support. They have meant the world to me. Your words of encouragement have kept me going on those hard days. 

If any of you would like to grab a cup of coffee and discuss any of these things above or life, my schedule is always open to you! 

Blessings! 

Asante, 

Daniellah (My African Name) 

Moving Mountains

Hujambo Rafiki (Hello Friends), 

What a crazy past few weeks it has been. In fact, to say that my mind has been blown would be putting it lightly. Ever had an experience where you had the lowest expectations possible, but then out of nowhere things start coming together and the impossible started to happen? Well that has been this week.  What a lot of people don’t realize is the Team Tanzania was not supposed to happen-- it was the rookie team. Which what makes what I am about to say even more impactful, as of this week Team Tanzania is completely full! There is only one other team from Azusa Pacific University that is completely full and we got another boy on our team! (huge answer to prayer!) ….Out of the 30 some action teams that are going on different mission trips, we are one of the only teams that are completely full.  So this is great news right? … but wait there is more..  a company in  Long Beach has donated bikes. BIKES. So along with water, filters, and feeding people, we will be assembling bikes. A bike in Africa is a game changer. It can make a huge difference in getting to jobs, water, or other villages. This is a huge development. Words cannot express my overwhelming joy.  In the next month, I will be heading down to that company to learn how to assemble those bikes and then we will put them on a shipping container. I cannot wait to see how this develops and what wonderful people we will meet because of this opportunity! GOD IS GOOD. 

Intercultural Mission Class

Today I started my intercultural mission class and I am in love. I am afraid that this class will feed my heart for missions and I may not return home from Tanzania this summer. (Kidding.. sort of) When I talk about missions, my eyes light up. This is my passion--helping others in the name of Christ. The more I engage in this class, the more that passion grows. I think for my entire life I have ran from the idea of being a missionary, because “the American dream” sounded so lovely. However, as I get older I realize it’s all stuff and you cannot take a U-Haul to the funeral home. As I feed my soul with the idea of missions, I cannot run anymore. When I went to Uganda in 2007, I had my first taste of what it was like to live outside myself. It was almost as if, I had lived in darkness my entire life and then saw the light.  This light is why I am going back and why I am leading others. I want others to see that light and have a passion for things outside the “American Dream”.  Needless to say, this class is making my passion for mission grow stronger and is challenging me to think about things I've never thought about.  

Financial Update: 

I got my update this week and I still need to raise $3,492.50 away from goal. However, I have raised about $687 right now. 

Mailing out letters 

I have been bringing in a lot of funds by doing photos shoots. I have been offering my photography skills. Instead of getting paid, I have people make donations to my trip. I’ve done family portraits, headshots, senior photos, and couple photos. It’s been a fun way to raise money, as well as use one of my talents. So if you have photography need, keep me in mind! 



I also sent out support letters this week. If you didn't receive one and you would like one, please send me an email or download it here.

If you would like to make a donation you can give online:  Click Here. When filling out the form,  Make sure to select Team Tanzania and fill out name: Danielle Ernest.  

Prayer Requests 

• For my Team- that God will continue to prepare them and bless them for making this commitment. 
• Team Unity and Bonding- We had our first team meeting this week and it went amazing. Pray that we will continue to unite and come together. 
• That God will provide a bike expert somewhere on our journey. Whether that person goes on our trip or they are over in Tanzania or wherever. 
• For fundraising. Pray that will be able to minister to people and that God will bless our socks off. 
• Strength- this semester is getting hard and intense. Satan is seeking to distract. Pray for endurance and strength. 

Thank you all for your love and support. The love I have been given over the past few weeks has meant the world to me. 

Blessings, 

Danielle 

"Radical obedience to Christ is not easy... It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.” 

― David Platt

132 days until Tanzania

Well it’s 2014- the year I will go to Tanzania. 132 days until I leave.  

Team Update 
My team is starting to form, which I am very excited about. So far there are 6 members on Team Tanzania. We are hoping that we get a few more, hopefully more males. As of now, we have 5 girls and 1 male.  So please continue to pray that God will provide more men for our trip. We need more men in order to have an impact since Tanzania is a patriarchal society. 

Fundraising

I am $3,780 away from my goal. Being a communication major, I have written my support letter 3 times because I have not been satisfied. Those will eventually go out within the next 2 weeks, I promise. If you would like to receive a support letter, please email me your address and I will get that to you. 

If you would like you give online:  Click Here. When filling out the form,  Make sure to select Team Tanzania and fill out name: Danielle Ernest.  


Health Update

In my last post, I told you I was using Tanzania to get healthy and guess what…  I have. Currently, I have lost 15lbs. My goal is to be 40lbs lighter before I leave for Tanzania. I have been eating healthier and exercising regularly.  I even joined the “Gold’s Gym Challenge”, which I think means torture yourself for 12 weeks, but it is worth it. 


Prayer Request

Please pray for this semester. I am taking 18 units, working 30 hours, and trying to plan/ raise funds for this trip. I cannot wait to see how my team and I will be used to further the Kingdom of God and how God uses this trip to further change the hearts of myself and my teammates.  I ask that you partner with my team through prayer. Prayer is a very powerful resource that I deeply want for our team. Our team’s most pressing prayer needs are: For our focus to be Christ centered, for our team to have unity, for future interactions that will take place with the people of Tanzania and the people along the way, for our partnership with FFCC, for the finances of all the team members, and for all of us to rely solely on God for our strength and guidance. 

Thank you all for you encouragement, donations, love and support. I appreciate it. I can't wait to share this journey with you. 

Kwaheri (Bye), 

Danielle 

"Do justice, embrace love, and walk humbly with God" - Micah 6:8