Everywhere I Go
Two weeks ago I turned 34. On my birthday, I usually reflect on where I have been. I think about what has happened in the past year, and I think about the overall journey of my life.
One of the most challenging times in my life was when I was stationed at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, CA. DLI is where the military sends service members to learn foreign languages. It was like being in graduate school, but worse. The military decided that I was smart enough to learn Arabic. They were wrong, but their error put me in close contact with people who would begin to break down my white, Western prejudices.
One of my Arabic teachers had a small cross tattoo near her wrist. I found out that she was a Coptic Christian from Egypt. She told my class that she wanted to return home, but Egypt was so politically unstable that she was afraid to even visit her family. The tan-skinned woman standing before me, whose native language was Arabic, was my sister in Christ. This woman teaching me the language of the Quran was a lot more like me than I initially realized.
“More importantly, I found people who love Jesus in every place I have ever lived. Some of them wore jeans to church when it was 95 degrees outside. Some of them wore shorts and sandals 365 days a year. But everywhere I went, people were worshipping God.”
During my time in the Army I worked alongside many men and women who came from Middle Eastern countries. For about a year I was assigned to work for the NSA. My unit had numerous native Arabic speakers, and we could not have completed our tasks without their linguistic expertise. I discovered during that time that Islamic dietary laws are similar to Jewish dietary laws. To my surprise, the Muslims in my unit had something to teach me about Jesus. The culture of the Middle East is much closer than our own to the culture of the Bible, so spending time around people from the Middle East helped me understand the culture of the early church.
In addition to spending time with people from other cultures, I have also lived in quite a few different places. I have lived in California (twice), Germany, New York, and Texas. I discovered that the stereotypes of California are wrong. I found out that upstate New York is nothing like NYC. And did you know that there is an amazing Indian restaurant is Wiesbaden? More importantly, I found people who love Jesus in every place I have ever lived. Some of them wore jeans to church when it was 95 degrees outside. Some of them wore shorts and sandals 365 days a year. But everywhere I went, people were worshipping God. In every church I attended, Christ-followers sang praise in adoration of the Almighty. And everywhere I went, I learned something that I could not have imagined.
I have been blessed to experience different cultures serving God in different ways. I have gleaned wisdom from Christ-followers who were born and raised on at least three different continents. I hope I have been able to bless others as much as I have been blessed. I also hope my time at Millbrook can be mutually enriching. May we grow alongside each other as we all bring our various gifts and talents together for the benefit of God’s kingdom.