Contagious Joy

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

First of all, I pray that you and yours are well.  Although we have had no confirmed cases here in Tanzania and life continues as usual, my social media has been consumed with all things corona virus. I’m sure some of you are worried, some annoyed, and many others just totally overwhelmed by it all.  Continue to have faith amidst your fear, be smart as you take preventative measures, and show God’s love to all you encounter, especially during this time. 
We finally got a break from the rain this weekend.  The sun rose Saturday morning and brought life to the whole campus.  The children brought their freshly washed uniforms out to dry in the warm light and groups of boys started soccer games around the compound.  I made fresh squeezed lemonade and Joseph worked on planting the new flowers we had picked up in town.  Saturday night all of the students gathered in the dining hall to “watch”.  They had been asking me when we were going to “watch” for weeks and after finally finding all the right cords for my projector, I told one student that yes indeed we would be able to watch a movie this weekend.  The news spread around the campus and after dinner the students ran around singing, “We are waaaaaatching in the light of God”.  They packed into the dining hall benches waiting anxiously as I hooked up the equipment and a hush fell over the group as one student switched off the lights.  The kids watched the new version of Annie together; laughing and singing and clapping and “aw-ing”, and I sat in the back smiling like a little kid myself, filled with their contagious joy.  
I have lived in Tanzania for almost two years now, and while in many ways I have adjusted to the culture and lifestyle, there are still moments like this that take my breath away, moments that bring tears to my eyes and goose bumps on the back of my neck.  Those moments of such pure joy, inspired by the simplest of things.  A box of crayons, a pair of sandals, a sticker, or a piece of candy, watching a movie.  It is in those moments of joy that I am reminded just how much I take for granted.  My life in the U.S. and even here in Tanzania is full of so much privilege and excess that I can’t even stop to appreciate it all.  But what would it look like if I did? What would it look like if I took the time to receive as much joy from even half of my blessings as those children did from watching Annie?  I’d probably spend much less time complaining, or thinking about the things I don’t have or wish I could do. 
I’m so thankful that God has given me the opportunity to experience a life so different from the one that I was born into, and for opening my heart to learn from and be changed by it.  I know that during this crisis, many of your lives look different than they did even just a week ago.  Maybe this is the perfect time to recognize some of those simple things in your life that bring you joy, and really receive that joy.  Let it bring a childlike smile to your face and tears to your eyes and carry it with you wherever you go.  Joy, especially amidst sorrow and fear, is an incredible gift. 

The seventh grade girls after our run on Thursday.

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