Anti-Religion?

Everyone recently has seen the video from Jefferson Bethke entitled, "Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus". If you haven't, take a look at the video that has over 17 million views:

At first, I disagreed with him. I didn't hate the video, or have the angry reaction some people did. But I didn't agree with every point. Jesus doesn't hate religion. He visited the temple when He was on earth. So we shouldn't hate the church. Towards the end, he says that "Religion says do but Jesus says done" and that "Jesus and religion are on opposite spectrums". I don't think so. Jesus says in Matthew 5:17, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." So, he wasn't exactly right on with a couple statements.

But I think Jefferson has gotten a lot of criticism that maybe wasn't so warranted. See, I think we as Christians criticized him too soon. I cannot speak for the poet, but I think maybe this video was more of an evangelistic message rather than for believers. To the world, Christianity is portrayed just like he describes it. Even though Christianity isn't supposed to be that way, I think we see more often than not that in the western world, the majority of Christians are like he describes... Hypocritical, judgmental, and selfish. 

I think the church has lost its purpose. I love when he says the church is "not a museum for good people, but a hospital for the broken" and if "grace is water, then the church should be an ocean". See, the American church isn't that way anymore. True religion, the religion that Christ taught, loved, and participated in is not the religion of the church today. He poses the question, "If Jesus came to your church, would they actually let him in?" I think that we see a church and a religion God never intended. And so I agree with him... I hate the religion of the American church. I don't hate true religion. But the religion that Americans have created, I don't think Jesus would've been a fan either.

I think Jefferson Bethke was speaking to the youth of today. I think that he was talking to my generation, those who have experienced this false religion. I think it was more of an evangelistic message than for us believers. I think you have to take it for what it is, and not what we think it is. Overall, I agree with him. And I think it sparks some thinking and discussion that needs to happen in the church. 

Dr. Dunn

I have always seen myself getting a Bachelors degree in something and then moving on. I would get a job. I would start my career. Kids would follow. And I would be off to Africa at some point. More schooling after my Bachelors was something I would never have intended. But God had something different in mind... Doesn't He always?

While we were in Uganda, my heart was burdened for the believers there. Here, I can go to Bible College pretty easily. Yeah, University is expensive, but I have Financial Aid, Scholarships, and the option of payment plans. There, not at all. Thus many who feel called to the ministry are not able to go to school.

How cool would it be to begin a Bible College in Uganda? And how cool would it be for both African and American alike? It would be a great opportunity for Americans who want to be professors, pastors, teachers, missionaries, etc. could go down and teach and get experience. And for Ugandans, they could have a Bible College completely based on Scripture and Americans could provide scholarships or sponsorship.

It sounds crazy big when I say it. I haven't really told anyone until now. I have no clue how it'll work, but I believe someday I will see it come to fruition.

So what does my education matter? Well, the time that I spend in America, I have decided I want to be a Bible College professor. I know. I do not seem like the type smart enough to do something like that. And private universities are more and more requiring a doctorate in order to teach. I truly believe my experience as a teacher here in America would help me to run the school in Uganda. But that means I have to go on beyond just my Bachelors and my Masters and become Dr. Dunn. That sounds weird. Dr. Dunn?

Holy buckets, batman.

Missing it.

Last night, I had a dream about Uganda. That's 3 nights in a row.
Gosh darn, I miss that place.
But lets be real, there are things I don't miss.


What I DO Miss About Uganda:

• The People - So friendly, loving, and passionate.
• The Heat - Ok, so it might be a bit on the warm side, but after this rain/flooding we've been having here in Oregon, I miss the sunshine.
• The Kids - I am so in love with the babies. They're so happy, and even though they live in poverty, they have no idea. They just love life. And hearing them yell "muzungu" (white person) as we drive by.. I miss that a lot.
• Uganda Fruit- Their fruit is SO much better... Pineapple, mango, papaya... Mmmmmm.
• African Food- Ever heard of Chapati? Its like an African tortilla.... But better than a tortilla. 
• The Nile- Being that close to something so historic.. It was exhilarating to be on the River Nile.

Chapati and fresh fruit

What I DON'T Miss About Uganda: 

• The Bugs - These suckers are MASSIVE. I have never seen a cockroach that size. No thanks.
• Mosquito Nets - Sleeping in a twin bed after having to tuck in a mosquito net and having it hang over you is no bueno. 
• The Bucket Shower- Call me spoiled, but this having to boil the water then mix with some cold and it has bugs floating in it and you have to use a pitcher and you don't have enough to wash everything, so you have to pick and choose.. 
• The Toilet- Some are simply holes, with flies living there... And my western toilet didn't flush because there wasn't running water most of the time. GROSS.
• The Roads- Driving several hours in the heat with no air conditioning or paved roads.. Yeah, not my definition of fun.

La Cucaracha

Work To Do

When I started this journey of planning my trip to Africa, I thought this was going to be just the first trip of many. This was going to be a preview of what my life would be like, living day to day in an African nation among the African people living the African lifestyle. I would leave my family and the life I knew here in America and spend who knows how long living my African dream as a missionary with my husband.

But as soon as I arrived, immediately, I knew this was not to be the case. I can't tell you how or if that even makes sense, but I just knew. And so I continued for a few days, my mind confused and unclear. And I felt that God had become silent. The training wheels had come off and He was letting me figure this one out on my own.

For a while, I became unhappy. I became selfish. I missed my spoiled American life of showers, western toilets, variety of food to choose from, paved roads, blah blah blah. I became homesick and miserable, and it didn't help that God was still silent.

But the very last week, God finally spoke again, probably because I was too caught up in myself to see what He was trying to show me. While in Uganda, we got to see Show Mercy International's facilities.  Show Mercy  is a local organization from Oregon that has a children's homes, church, medical center, etc. located in Uganda. They also have a place where teams from America can come for a couple weeks and work with the children and people of Uganda. It inspired me!

You see, part of why I was so miserable for a few days is because I missed America. Part of it was the stupid material side. But part of it was that I missed the people. I missed my youth kids. I missed my church. I knew in that moment that I could never leave America to work in Africa because there was work to do here. And I knew I couldn't abandon Africa for America because there was work to do there. So I was stuck.

Long story short, after seeing the Show Mercy facilities, I knew that my new goal was to bridge the 2 countries. How cool would it be to have an organization where I could help not only the children of Uganda, the sick of Uganda, the believers in Uganda, but also the young people of America. Because I know that trips like this change people's lives. What is better than giving Americans the opportunity to see the world outside of themselves and help those less fortunate?

So now I know I will not be long term in Africa, and although my plans are still unclear, I feel that this trip really clarified a lot for me. And for that I am grateful. More to come.

Home... Kind of.

I am home. Well, kind of.

I now have 2 homes.

It is day 2 of being back in America and I am struggling.

I was struggling when I was there because I missed America. Now I am struggling here because I miss Uganda. I guess this is how I will live, because there is no going back to the way things were. My heart now resides on 2 very different continents.

I am sure that I will be posting stories, pictures, thoughts on Africa for a long time. It radically changed my life. It changed what I want to do, how I want to live, how I see life, how I see myself, and I how I see my God.

I am still quite jet-lagged and freezing. Going from 90 degree and humid every day to snow is quite the leap. also, it is 7:22 Monday evening there, and we are just beginning the day. So I will write more when my head is more clear. But, because it is MLK Jr. Day, I found a quote I thought fitting for my current state of mind.

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."

-Martin Luther King Jr.