barrenness

originally written 19 December 2009.

arrived in al udeid a la midnight. flew from leipzig, germany to qatar. amazing how germany looked exactly like the southern plains of minnesota, complete with snow drifting and seven-degree weather. explains quite a bit about why my ancestors settled where they did.

we passed over baghdad. the countryside steeped in midnight. golden towers of flickering flames spurted out of the ground every few miles from the oil refineries. the land appeared as the ocean—dark and forboding. it was beautiful. the clouds, black as coal, caressed our aircraft as we soared over this barren land of sand and stone. this country is desolate and its people need jesus.

my heart lay heavy with this as the lord prompted me to pray and intercede. i prayed for open hearts and minds. ripe for the harvest. i asked the lord to give words. i asked for wisdom and understanding (ephesians 1). i asked for wisdom and revelation. give me the words, lord. show me your glory. show your glory to these people who are so desperate for love. desperate for unconditional acceptance. show them they need a savior. use me. show them that you are the savior they need. use me, jesus.

we landed with fine reception and all 150 of us disembarked from the plane’s belly, similar to a large monster losing its dinner. we were tired and haggard. we immigrated to qatar and traveled through a variety of stations. ice (individual combat equipment) gear. bag reallocation. customs. lodging. linen. finally, after an arduous seven hours, i took a shower and fell into bed exhausted.

now…i wait for a plane to take me into iraq. into a swollen abyss. anticipating the need for mercy and hope. everything is covered in dust…even the sun is veiled in a fine powder that never seems to dissipate. lord, unveil your glory in this place. unveil the son.