I shared earlier about the ordinariness adventure of everyday living with Jesus. With Jesus. Following Jesus. This is the way of life for a disciple of Jesus. Some people have misconceptions of what overseas missions is about. I am currently in Kinshasa, DRC, and some people think that cross cultural missions is an exotic adventure with a touch of romanticism. You know, its rather ordinary living. My 2nd TREK experience has taken me to “romantic Africa”. Our days are filled with walking under a blistering sun, riding scrap-yard taxi’s, cooking, and cleaning. Missions, like the way God created us, is relationships. It is building friendships with taxi drivers, our host leaders, our neighbours, students at the Bible school campus where we live. Missions is not a complex term at the grass roots level. If you are a disciple of Jesus, you are a missionary. You are following Jesus, then welcome to the mission field. I once heard that you are either a missionary or a mission field. I think mission, at the grass roots level, is that simple. (Of course missions has many facets). Overseas or in Abbotsford. Pastor or stone countertop fabricator. Preaching every Sunday or daycare worker. Being a disciple in a cross-cultural setting is never a dull moment. Like marriage, for instance, it’s cross gender, and it should never be a dull moment. Relating cross culturally adds spice to my life. I sometimes jump right “to the point” in conversations with Congolese. I forget the “small chat” and I become rude in this culture. Opps. Congolese are vocal, loud, long prayer people. They love to be heard. They love to fire up prayers to God. They love to do this in community. My prayer style is a bit more independent. I am more comfortable with quick, to the point, arrow-like prayers. I like to pray quieter and shorter. Congolese are passionate in prayer and they do not keep it hidden. I found a new addiction in this culture. It’s a soda culture, and I have been consumed by it. Coke is now a regular addition to my diet. Its different than back home, where I believe it’s made with syrup. Here it’s made with real sugar, I believe this difference makes it better. No, it’s really the coke bottles. Coke tastes better in bottles. And one of the neatest things I have been sensing here in DRC is Jesus just being here with us. I believe He has been totally been protecting and shepherding us. Praise God! The beginning of missions is “just being there”, and we often feel like we are “just here” in Congo. This is OK. Because Jesus is “just being here” with us.