1 John 3:18

Humjambo wote, all! Writing in here from Tanzania with a bit of an odd post request.

You all know my mom, Sarah Elizabeth Overby. One of the strongest, most deserving, most loving, most inspiring women that I know. Through the course of the past 8 years, our lives together have "hit the fan," so to speak. For those of you who were never let inside to see the purity of her heart, here's a little bit of our tale.

When my father left a few years ago, my mom and I began to undergo some financial trouble. It was a very hard time for both of us and there was a lot of trial, a lot of pain, and a lot of suffering. Through it all, I was a young girl who needed someone to trust in, and my mom therefore threw all of her needs to the wind and sacrificed her heart, her mind, and her soul in order to give me unconditional and genuine love and condolences. She hasn't stopped doing that since. Financial issues continue to get harder, and she continues to sacrifice any type of luxury or unnecessary expense so that I can have what I want, including sending me off to spend a semester in Africa no matter what type of stress or concern it would cause her. Any time I need money for anything, she forks it over without a thought, knowing that she will find a way to make it work for me. True selflessness.

A lot of people don't know, but my mom truly has a heart for the nations. She loves all shapes, colors, and sizes in a way that is clearly rooted in the Lord. After many, many prayerful nights that God could provide and give her a little bit of stress relief on our financial situation, I woke up this morning to notice that He was going to extend a scholarship that I received for my semester abroad by just enough money to cover a round trip ticket to Tanzania. I told my mom that I received a scholarship and she responded by exclaiming that "Oh I'm so proud of you, now you can have money to actually enjoy Tanzania and do all of the things that you wanted over there! Now you can have the chance to not be so held back by funds! Now I don't have to worry about a monthly allowance!" The interesting thing is, however, that my crazy mother assumed that I wanted to use this money for me. That I would rather spend a day swimming with the dolphins in Zanzibar Island than have $100 more dollars towards a plane ticket to get her out here.

I told her instantly that I wanted to use this money for a plane ticket for her. I wanted to get her over here and share these experiences with her. I can continue to live as cheaply as possible, to constantly save money, and to work hard to pay off other debt. I know that she's stressed about money that is owed, money to come, and the financial hole that we're in that responsibly this money could go towards. Sometimes the people who spend their whole lives giving deserve a chance to receive, though. I want my mom to receive this small gift; truly the least that I can give her. I want her to stop counting pennies to see if she can afford a hostel, to stop worrying about my monthly allowance so that I can see other surrounding countries, to stop making sure I have money to go out to a restaurant for dinner every once in a while. I want her to spend a little time to think about herself, and how much she would love to be here and see the beautiful gift that Africa, and that she has truly given to me.

If you're reading this, facebook message or e-mail my mom. Tell her how much she deserves this. Give her a little bit of encouragement on how amazing she is, and reassure her that I can live cheaply over here. 20 years from now, I won't care if I got the hand tailored skirt of African fabric, or if I got to spend the weekend rafting the Nile in Uganda, or if I got to swim with the dolphins or spend a day on the beach in Zanzibar. I will care if I got to sacrifice those things, in order to help my mom fulfill a dream. So help me convince my mom to let me serve and love on her in a way that she's been serving on and loving me her whole life.

Yours Truly

1 Corinthians 13:7

T5 Things I Miss From the States:

1. The food. Especially candy. I really, really like candy. Oh, and cookie logs.

2. The southern hospitality. I never fully recognized how friendly and inclusive states in the south are, and the attitude of joy and love that they incorporate into their lifestyle. It's something special, though.

3. The fact that mosquito's just want to make me itch, not kill me.

4. Miscommunications are so common here, when there's such a language barrier. Misunderstandings can be frustrating, and are way more plentiful than in the states.

5. A few VERY important people. I would do just about anything to go sit down for lunch with my mom and talk face to face. To go to Cherry Berry and grab ice cream with my best friends. To go on a date with or hug a very special someone. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, though, that's for sure.

People keep asking what I miss about the states, and there's definitely a few things that I'm homesick for. There's a few things (especially a few people) that I find myself laying in bed thinking about at night before I doze off. At the end of the day, though, the way that I miss the states doesn't even start to compare to the way that I will miss Tanzania after I leave. The luxury and convenience of the states is nice, but the suffering and the complexity of Arusha is incredible. Being abroad has fueled the flame that is my heart for missions. Being abroad has flooded my mind and heart with clarity on many things, especially my desires to one day become a missionary in a far away country. Being abroad has expanded my heart exponentially for the nations. I feel so called, led, and grateful to be abroad.

If I could scoop a couple people up from the states and bring them abroad with me, I would never look back.

If you've never been abroad (especially to select areas of Africa or Asia in an underdeveloped country) then I would highly suggest it. It's not everyone's "cup of tea." It's actually very few people's thing. Not many people go abroad and desire to take on this lifestyle permanently. It's a very specific calling. However, everyone who goes abroad comes back changed. No one comes and see's the development, the raw and pure joy and hope, the utter devastation… No one goes abroad and isn't moved by the sights. It's a type of beauty that affects your heart in a way that the states never will. Maybe it's not the lifestyle designed for everyone, but taking time dedicated to others in a country like Tanzania, Nepal, Burundi, or India has the power to make you more effective wherever Christ calls you.

There are lovely things across the pond over here. So in response to everyone's questions of "Do you miss the states? Do you miss home?" Yes. I do miss the states. I miss the states in the sense that there's a few relationships back home that are extremely important to me, that I'm strongly led to, and that I seriously miss. However, when I'm home, the way that I'll miss Tanzania and life abroad will be a whole different world.

T5 Things I Will Miss From Tanzania:

1. The landscape. The way that every day here paints a new picture of beauty and every tree gets a brighter shade of green the longer that I stare at it. To wake up, step outside, and be greeted by God's natural creation rather than buildings, industrial revolution, and man-made images.

2. Every day is such a powerful mission. Every day when you wake up you feel so driven and so inspired to serve and run into the battlefield. The feelings of laziness, apathy, and selfishness are so much more scarce over here. There is motivation in the air to go dedicate every moment of every day to working for Christ. He's moving in this country, and He is making others move along with Him.

3. The look in people's eyes. The most hurt and pained people have a look in their eyes here. There is a general thirst for hope; a hunger for faith lingers in the air. It drips in the humidity of the day and it's so encouraging. Good things are going to happen here, and I can't wait to hear about them.

4. The simplistic lifestyle. It doesn't matter here if you have electricity. You don't really care if you lose water and gas for a day. You feel completely unmoved if your mosquito net breaks on your head in the middle of the night, your water won't boil, and your fans are broken so you're sitting in 100 degree heat all day long. None of it matters, because the people here find happiness in the simple things. They keep their eyes peeled for every single one of God's little gifts, and they appreciate them all. It's something that I hope to carry in my heart forever.
5. Everyone here has so much to teach. I have never learned more about how to love God and how to love others than Tanzania has taught me. There are lessons, just waiting to be absorbed and applied.

Yours Truly

Hebrews 13:20-21

Life is like a puzzle. A big, blurry, confusing, multicolored, multi-layered, beautiful puzzle. The children here don't know what a puzzle is. They play with the pieces between their bruised fingers and they stare at the picture that each individual piece holds, unaware that all of the pieces together make the most complete and lovely picture of them all.

I giggle at the kids as they fumble with the concept of a puzzle, but I am no better. God has blessed me with many individual puzzle pieces throughout my life. As a human, I have a tendency to focus on each piece. I glare at the small picture in my hand at the moment, and sometimes if I'm really reaching out I look at the edges of other pieces to see where my current piece fits. Rarely, if ever, do I step back and look at the whole picture developing. Rarely does someone look back on the puzzle pieces that have already found a home, and admire the glory that they add to the finished picture.

Today, I thank God for the puzzle pieces that I have already placed down. Today, I thank God for the finished picture that He is using me to create. Today, I take my eyes off of the piece in my hand, and rather appreciate the picture in His.

My life continues to be built through puzzle pieces of family, pain, sickness, excitement, adventure, and blessings. Puzzle piece Tanzania, puzzle piece Pi Beta Phi, puzzle piece Anelwa, Flora, Kakaiya, and Lilian, puzzle piece long-distance relationship, puzzle piece love. These puzzle pieces are going to combine together to create a picture not for me to gaze upon, but made for the glory of my Father, the only one worthy.

Look at what Jesus says in Luke 9:23, "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'" It's a heavy cross. It's a cross filled with disease, poverty, exhaustion, hurt, fear, and so much weight. It's an intense and lengthy cross that we carry for our Savior, but he gives us strength. He provides us with the power to carry the cross that he blesses us with. He provides us with little blessings that make the load seem slightly easier to hold.

Today, I am grateful for Anelwa, Lilian, Flora, and Kakaiya. Thanks for making my cross a little bit lighter, girls.



Papa Bear,
I thank you for the cross that I carry towards you each day. Thank you for the puzzle pieces that lead my heart closer to yours. Continue to break me for the stunning faces and souls that continually take my breath away, and continue to make war in my path so that I may battle in your name and fight as your dedicated and passionate Mulan. I love you with a love that will never be explained, lessened, or surpassed by any earthly being. Each day, with each step, I fall in love with you again.
Yours.