Category: Other Page 155 of 181

I get this question a lot. It’s usually asked with a degree of uncertainty, as if the person were saying, “Is it possible for an American to like living in Africa?”

Do I like living in Tanzania? Well, I would certainly hope so. My life would be pretty miserable if I didn’t.

There are a million things I love about Tanzania. Purple and pink and white bougainvillea, the sparkling Indian ocean with the temperature of bath water, delicious vegetables and tropical fruit, the friendliness and openness of Tanzanians, the richness of the African and Indian cultures present in the city, the smell of the rain. I feel less pressure here to look a certain way or buy certain things. I like being away from television. I like being away from consumerism. I like that living here makes us appreciate the little things of life more.

More significant is that Gil and I absolutely love working at HOPAC. As I said before, it is a perfect fit for us. For me personally, ministry at HOPAC has been exhilarating. I love kids; I love teaching; I love education as a field. During these last 4 years, I haven’t been teaching full time, and my role at HOPAC has lessened as our family has grown. But HOPAC is a young school (about 15 years old), which means that a lot of things are still “a work in progress” and Gil and I have had the fabulous opportunity to really be instrumental in getting a lot of things going. It is so fulfilling to not just be a part of the school, but to be a part of making it even better. For example, during the last four years, I’ve had a part in getting a staff/parents association going, providing opportunities for parents to support staff, getting an after-school program up and running, tutoring ESL kids, helping with the recruitment program, writing a handbook for new teachers, establishing a counseling policy, teaching elementary chapel once a week, assisting with drama, starting a service emphasis week, helping with a service learning class, starting a schoolwide memory verse program, and chaperoning field trips. Gil’s list would be even longer. Among many other things, Gil has set the Bible curriculum for the entire jr. high and high school. I love this! Not only do I love the vision of HOPAC, but I love that we are able to really be a part of building the school’s foundation.

Of course this doesn’t mean that I love everything here. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that we do face different kinds of challenges that we would in the States. But the hardest part, by far, is being so far away from family and friends. I tell new missionaries all the time, “You’ll get used to the way of life in about 6-9 months, but you never get used to missing the people you love.” But we definitely have it better than missionaries a generation ago, with the advent of the internet and cheaper air travel. And is there really anywhere in the world where life is perfect?

The Christian use of the word “called” is elusive. Christians use it to explain why they don’t do something: “I wasn’t called to do that,” or they use it to justify a choice that they’ve made.

But what does it really mean to be called? I think a lot of people assume it is a feeling, a “peace,” or even more dramatic like a dream or vision. But in Scripture, that happens only very rarely.

Gil and I did not become missionaries because of a dream, vision, sign, or a feeling of peace. In fact, I would venture to say that we have felt a lot of rather “unpeaceful” feelings in our journey. Obeying God does not always bring feelings of peace.

Our “call” started with:
1. A commitment and love and passion for the Great Commission—to see all peoples in all nations come to know Christ, and a willingness to go wherever God leads.
2. A desire for God to use our unique gifts, talents, and place in life in the most strategic way possible for His kingdom.

That’s it. All there is to it. Basically, the way every Christian everywhere should live. I’m not saying, of course, that God “calls” every Christian to live overseas. But God “calls” every Christian to the two statements above.

During our first two years in Tanzania (2001-2003), we had no idea where we would spend our lives. God had given me a love for Africa (I spent 6 formative years in Liberia and Ethiopia as a child), and Gil a love of other cultures, especially in the third world. But that’s all the direction we had.

During those two years, I was teaching 5th and 6th grade at HOPAC. Gil was involved in another ministry, but filled in as a Bible teacher for a couple classes when there was a need. He discovered that not only did he love teaching the Bible more than he loved anything else, but also that he was incredibly good at it. The school’s director started recruiting Gil to come back and be the chaplain at HOPAC. We went back to the States, Gil got his MA in theology, and the rest is history.

How do we know God called us here?

1. HOPAC’s ministry is strategic in the kind of kids it is reaching and the kind of families it is helping.
2. There was a big need at HOPAC for a chaplain and full-time Bible teacher, both of which the school had never had before we came.
3. The ministry perfectly fit with our gifts, talents, vision, desires, etc.
4. Our vision was totally in agreement with the leadership of the school.

Does this sound overly logical and not very “feely?” Well, it is. There have been many times when we wrestled with God over this. It is not always easy; it is not always fun; there is a lot of heartache involved. But isn’t that the case with any calling in life? However, there is immense joy that comes from knowing we are doing exactly what we are supposed to be doing, and that we are in a place and situation in life where we fit perfectly. Doesn’t get much better than that.

We can see it written across his face as soon as we make eye contact across the church foyer. He is thinking, “Oh, that’s Gil and Amy Medina. They are missionaries…somewhere….somewhere in Africa. But I can’t remember for how long or what they are doing there….” [Looks nervously at our picture on the wall.] “Don’t we get their newsletters? My wife reads them….I’m supposed to know!”

That’s when we hear the question: “So…how’s it going…over there?”

We translate: “Where exactly are you living and what are you doing?” Don’t worry; we don’t take it personally. We can’t keep track of where you work or everything you are doing either, even if we do get your Christmas letter!

So here is the answer:

Gil and I live in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa. Tanzania is directly south of Kenya. Dar es Salaam is a city of over 5 million people right on the coast of the Indian Ocean.

Our ministry is at Haven of Peace Academy (HOPAC). HOPAC is a school that was established by the parents of missionaries for missionary kids (MK’s) about 15 years ago. Why is there a need for HOPAC? Well, the only other international school costs about $15,OOO/year. Many Tanzanian schools, though many are in English, put hundreds of students in a classroom and teachers are often bribed for grades. Of course, there are exceptions, but very few meet western academic standards.

All the teachers at HOPAC are missionaries, from a few different countries. Elementary school uses a mixture of American and British curriculum, and secondary school uses all British curriculum.

HOPAC has 3OO students from 3O different countries in kindergarten through 12th grade. About 4O% of the students are the children of missionaries. About 4O% of the students are Tanzanian. The rest are children of businessmen who are working in Dar. HOPAC is a day school, though one mission organization has built a dorm next door which houses about a dozen students.

HOPAC is bursting at the seams. Every class has a waiting list. This school year, there were 6O applicants for the kindergarten class—which could hold 22—and that is without one speck of advertising. The school could easily double overnight if it had the space and the teachers. HOPAC has a fantastic reputation and is much more affordable for families than the other international school.

HOPAC is also a Christian school, firmly based on the Word of God. However, 3O-4O% of the students come from non-Christian homes. All of the students participate in Bible classes and chapels, but parents are willing to let their kids do this because HOPAC is such a great school. Which makes for amazing opportunities for us teachers to invest in such a diversity of students.

Gil is the chaplain at HOPAC, which means he is in charge of the spiritual life of the school. He also teaches Bible to grades 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12 and an elective photography class. He has often coached after school as well. I used to teach elementary school at HOPAC until we got Grace. Now I teach 6th grade Bible and help out in a few other ways.

We see our primary ministry as discipleship. So we do everything we can to spend time with students. We host youth group on Friday nights at our house, and we have students over for lots of other reasons as well. We take students with us when we go places. We spend a lot of time counseling. They have become incredibly dear to us and their sorrows and joys become ours.

And… “How’s it going?” It’s going great. We love it. More specifics to come in later posts.