tararehrig.com

do you know how hard it is to make a school cafeteria look like anything other than… a school cafeteria?

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pretty stinkin’ hard.  i’ll say.

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it’s big and bright and utilitarian and ugly and smells a little funny.  and screams, twenty thousand kids were just in this room throwing hamburgers at each other mere hours ago.

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imagine having to erase those traces from a room and turn it into a “brazilian jungle banquet”.

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and then imagine that you only have a few shillings to do it with.

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what do you do?  you beg, borrow, and steal all the resources, ideas, and creativity your can get your hands on.  then work yourself into a frenzy, employ slave labor, and squint when you look at the finished product.

then remind yourself that it wasn’t about the decorations or the food or even the fact that we were raising support to go to brazil.  but about the message of God’s workings in the lives of men who were will to sacrifice it all for the call of Christ.

i realized recently that i really haven’t said much about where in brazil i will be going.  when speaking about my summer trip, i’ve simply said, “i’m going to brazil.”  this is not because i was choosing to be vague or mysterious.  but instead because i really did not know myself.

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saying, “i’m going to brazil.”  and assuming that any part of brazil is like any other part of brazil is a faux pas similar to that of my chinese friends always asking me if i lived in an apartment building like that on “friends.”  surely, we’re all the same.

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well, you know and i know that all americans are not the same.

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just as all areas of brazil are not either.

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choosing to live in ignorance no longer, i’ve been doing a little research on exactly where i will be ministering this summer.

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cruzeiro do sul, brazil.

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to be exact.

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cruzeiro do sul is located in the brazilian state of acre, in the middle of the amazon rainforest.  it is bordered by peru, bolivia, and the northern state of amazonas.  if you don’t know where that is, look at my map below.

because it is a difficult area to access, the state of acre is scarcely populated with more than half it’s population living in it’s two main cities: the capital rio branco and our city, cruzeiro do sul.

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according to the internets, of which i rely for complete accuracy, rivers are the main means of transportation between cities because of the dense rainforest foliage.

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and that, folks, is where i will be spending part of my summer.

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tune in next week for:  the amazon rainforest.  how to deal with the heat.

last night, my dear, sweet, high school friend, cara crawley contacted me about a way to help raise funds for my brazil trip.

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can i just say – how amazing is God?  i had just mentioned that i was getting a little freaked out about the time crunch of this trip.  most especially the fact that i must raise half (that’s $1200) by the end of april.

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april, people.  three weeks away.  ok.  deep breath.

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low and behold, not minutes after publishing that post, cara messaged me that she wanted to help.  yay!

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so, here’s the deal.

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cara sells mary kay.  so all you pretty ladies (all you pretty ladies.  i’m singing the beyonce song to these lyrics in my head right now) can go to cara’s mary kay website, shop to your little heart’s content, enter a special code, and…

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here’s the exciting part.

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presto!  25 % of her sales will go toward the brazil trip.  again, yay!

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it’s a win-win situation.

so, here are the steps again:

• go to cara’s mary kay website.
• at check out enter the code – MISSIONBRAZIL
• enjoy your new beauty products.
• make tara very happy!

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ok, go.  what are you waiting for?  this is only available through april 21st.  go now!

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help a sister out!

oh. my.  goodness.  did i just hear someone say that we have only one and a half months before my team and i leave for brazil?

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shut your mouth!  i can’t hear words like that.  it makes me nervous.  and i do not like to be nervous.

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i’m thinking:  let me get through achievement testing and then.  let me get through the sixth grade DC trip and then.  let me get through final exams and then.  let me get through sixth grade graduation and then.

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and then it’ll be time to hop on that plane for good ol’ brazil.  literally.  the. day.  after.  the last day of school.  eek!.

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last week, we had our first official team meeting.  when i stepped up to the front to give my shpeel on fundraising opportunities, i lost my shoe.  i squealed, “oh no!  i lost my shoe!”

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silence.

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they don’t know me yet.  they will learn soon enough that i am funny.  until then, i’ll keep being myself.

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i’m excited that we do have several fundraising events in our near future – dinner before the school play, bake sales, track and field concessions.  to name a few.  i’m really praying this helps!  please keep praying with me!

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and.  here’s the and.

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one more thing.  if you, amazing and creative people you, know of any games that we can play during our bible schools, will you please send them my way.  via google mail – trehrig.  sweet.  thanks.

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you’re the best!  peace.

when i was in china, i bought these paintings.  for approximately a penny each.

i love them.

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they are bright.

they are original.

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they are so very, very chinese.

they are perfect in my kitchen.

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they are me.

they are something that i love.

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for previous post, go here.

yesterday, i was asked to be a guest speaker in the third grade classes.  i’ve been a guest speaker in there before.  apparently, i did ok.  and i was asked back again.

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both times i found myself with the job because (surprise, surprise) i can’t keep my mouth shut when i’m around my third grade teacher friends.  i think the conversations went something like this:

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third grade teacher:  ”…and then on wednesday, we’ll cover ananias and saphira…”  me, interrupting:  ”you’re gonna teach them the song, right?  ananias and saphira got together to conspire, a plot…”

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or.

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third grade teacher:  ”….let’s see, this week, we’ll wrap up teaching on asia…”  me, interrupting:  ”oo, oo,  are you gonna teach them about the khans and marco polo and…”

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to which they say:  ”how ’bout you come and teach them.”  and since it’s my trap that won’t shut, i agree.

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so, like i said, yesterday i was the special third grade guest speaker on asia.  yay, me.

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i shared with them a story that has since been stuck on my mind.  lessons rolling around, begging to be learned.  and shared.  digested.

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and so, i share it again here.

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are you ready?  here goes:

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about 300 ish years after the flood, the people of the earth decided that they wanted to build a tower to God.  we know this as the tower of babel.

i’m not going to go into the details of the story here.  you can read your Bible to find out more.  but the point is, God was displeased and destroyed the tower, confused the languages and scattered the people.

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everyone was running around crazy, looking for people that spoke their language and going off to start a new life with these new people.

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from this, we get what we call today: ethnicity.

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one such ethnicity was the chinese or those living in what we know as asia.

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for thousands of years, this area was ruled by emperors.  dynasties followed dynasties.  but here’s the kicker.  here’s the thing you must remember.  the knew God.

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until time began to move.  and they began to forget.  sounds like another country near and dear to our hearts, huh?

eventually, the chinese and most of asia was overtaken by the khan clan.  you’ve heard of them.  genghis.  kublai. ruthless, merciless, strong.  except for one thing.  they had an open mind toward religions.

when the khans were ruling asia, the polo brothers were on their expedition across the world.  they became acquaintances and advisers to the khans.  buddied up in their tents, drank goat’s milk, ate rice.  that kind of thing.

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as their relationship developed, khan made a request to the brothers polo.  a request, that if fulfilled could have changed the course of history as we know it.  he asked the polos to return to their native italy and petition the pope to send 100 Christian missionaries back to asia.  remember i said, khan had an open mind toward religions.  he desired to hear the debate of these missionaries for the truth of the Gospel.

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the polos did return to italy.  they did petition the pope to send 100 missionaries.  and the pope asked for volunteers to go.

when the volunteers came forward.  there were not 100, as requested.  no.  there were two.  merely two individuals were willing to travel to asia to tell the greatest ruler of the time about Christ.

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these two started out, along with the polo brothers and now marco polo.  you know him.  you’ve probably played his game in your swimming pool.

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however, shortly, the difficulty of the journey caused the two missionaries to turn back and return to the comfort of their own home.

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no missionaries.  no ambassadors of the Gospel made their way to the khans.

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khan turned his attention to the buddhist monks and tibetan shammas.

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and my heart break.  just think.  if those 100 missionaries would have been willing to go.  if those 2 missionaries would have been willing to continue.  what would asia look like today?

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don’t think you’re decisions are not significant in the big picture of God’s kingdom.

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for previous posts, go here.

when i went to mexico, taiwan, moved to china, there was one step in the process that i did not like.

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i loved preparing myself.  i loved speaking about the opportunities.  i loved planning and packing.  i loved spreading the vision.  i loved seeing others get excited about God’s name being made great among the nations.

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i hated asking for help.

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but it had to happen.  and it still has to happen today.

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it’s a humbling experience.  so many questions go through my mind:  why can’t i just take out a second mortgage and finance this trip myself without involving anyone else?  why would someone want to give their hard earned money to me?  what makes what i am doing any different from what others are doing?  there are so many great things out there that people can support.  Lord, why do you want me to put one more thing before your people?

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over the years, i’ve come to terms with some of those questions.  and i’ve still struggled with others.  asking for help flies in the face of my stubborn and fierce independence.  something my pride clings to with vigilance.

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and something the Lord wants to rid me of.

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but God, in his graciousness, has been walking me through this.  teaching me his Truth on the subject.  helping me to put aside my pride and worry and rely on Him.

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he’s showing me that, if he’s asked me to do this thing, to go to brazil, then he has all the details taken care of.  if i’ll just ask.

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and so, i ask you, my friends.  will you first of all commit to pray for this trip?  for the high school students?  for the sponsor teachers?  for the Howes?  for the brazilians?  for the details and plans?  and yes, for the money?

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and if, in your praying, God lays it on your heart to join with this mission not only through prayer but financially, please contact me.  or click the donate button to the side of this page.  or for more information, visit my brazil page.

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for your prayers.  for your encouragement.  for your help.  thank you for the blessing that you are and will continue to be.

when asked what i want to do with my life, two things always come to my mind:

1.  get married and have a family.

2.  go back overseas

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lately, it seems, i’ve been doing a little life evaluating.  it’s good to do from time to time.  i probably do it too often.  sometimes things should just rest.  other times, things need analyzing.  in my life analyzing mode, i looked at those two life goals.  though i’m not sure if they are goals or desires.  or is there a difference?

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i’ve decided that, short of selling myself off as a mail order bride to a lonely cowboy on a ranch in montana, there is little i can do for number one.

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so i move on.

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i began praying and looking for opportunities to be overseas, short term or otherwise.  i’ve always got my ear cocked for these open doors.  i only just recently stopped carrying my passport on my person.  and that was just because i got a smaller purse.

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a few weeks ago, i heard through the grapevine of my school that they are planning to send a team to brazil this summer.

several years ago, my school sent a similar team to a similar place in brazil to work with the same missionaries as we will be working with this year.  my dad and my sister were a part of that team.  i have memories of sending them off at the airport, back when you were allowed to walk with them all the way down to the gate.  i have memories of the spears and hammocks they brought back as souvenirs.  i have memories of talking to my dad on the phone as he exclaimed over the salt water porpoises that he was watching swim by his deck.

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i immediately wanted to be a part of this team.

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i gathered information, continued to pray about it, found out my brother, ethan, is also planning on going.  and now i’ve committed to go.

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to brazil.  for a week and a half.  with five adult and twelve high school students.

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to help new tribes missionaries, duane and nadine howe.  and host Bible clubs for children.  and minister to brazilians living in the jungle.

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i couldn’t be more excited to tell you about this.  and i will continue to tell you more…

when i was a senior in high school, i went to mexico.  my first trip out of the country.

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then, in college, i went to taiwan.  had to get a passport and everything.

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after college, i went to china. singapore. thailand. cambodia. malaysia. united arab emirates. afghanistan.

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there was a time when my heart lived overseas.  i wanted nothing more than to reside in a foreign country, serving the Lord.  reaching the unreached.  loving the unloved.  build on the foundation of the great missionaries of our past.

apparently God had other plans.  and here i am.  in america.  not only america.  but middle america.  the Bible belt.  oklahoma.

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and that’s ok.  because i trust God’s plan.  i don’t understand why i’m not married yet.  but i trust His plan.

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and though my circle of influence doesn’t include those from another culture.  or those who have never heard before.  or those whose language is not my first.  it is a circle of influence, nonetheless.  and one that i believe with all my heart is exactly where God wants me.  one that i am responsible for.

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but i would be lying if i said that there was a part of my heart that did not still long to be overseas.

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and that is why i’m so excited that God has seen that desire and granted me this gift.  the opportunity to once more travel to another country.  to be surrounded by another culture.  a culture that gives me just one more insight into the character of God.  to pour myself out in service to His workers.  offering encouragement and help to those who teach among it’s people.

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and most importantly, to be an example to the high school students that will be on this journey with me.  to be a part of helping them catch a glimpse for the extension of Christ’s kingdom.  to watch His name be glorified in their lives.

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over the next few days, i’ll be sharing more.  letting you know what i will be doing.  where i will be going.  how you can help, if you choose.

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i treasure the chance to share my heart.

january 12th, 2010.  it’s a date that will stand still in the minds of millions.  the date that changed the life of a nation.  the date that brought the world’s focus to the country of haiti.  

devastation.  despair.  anguish.  torment.  misery.  heartache.  hopelessness.  these are the words that will forever be associated with that day.

in the face of such disaster, what can we do?  how can we help?  how do we respond?

my pastor shared the following today:

1. weep with those who weep.  embrace the pain and sadness that you have felt.  let yourself see the images.  don’t turn away from the hard news.  feel the emotions.  do not become hardened toward it.
2. give.  serve.  be generous.  if you don’t already know how, look into these organizations:  the orphanage called canaan and the global orphan project.
3. pray for them.  you don’t have to know them.  know they are humans.  created in the same Divine image as you.
4. repent.  ”i tell you, Jesus said, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
5. reflect on how fragile life is.
6. rejoice and be grateful for all that God has given us.  don’t take it for granted.
7. redeem every second of your life to the glory of God and doing good for others.  your life is a mist.  and it is precious in the sight of God.

and remember isaiah 54:10, “‘though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”

may God’s name be known in haiti.  amen.