Loriann in Sudan

September 4, 2008 unpacking and repacking in the Chicago airport when we found out how expensive the extra baggage charges were

I recently wrote a brief email to an old friend about what I’ve been up to the last year.  “I’ve been living in a remote area in Sudan learning a tribal language of an unreached people group that hasn’t been learned or studied by an outsider before.”  I stopped dead in my tracks.  What was I thinking?  If I knew then what I was doing…But, I didn’t know then what I know now, and I’m happy for that. 

Lori Hofmeister, not a single credit of linguistic training, no Bible training aside from church, parochial school, and Bible studies, no missions history, no missions in the family.  I feel nervous to write this, like someone might find out the truth of how unqualified I am and send me home! But I write it anyway, why?  Because for whatever reason, God brought me hear a year ago, unqualified, unaccompanied, unprepared to a people who are unknown, unreached, untouched.  Though I don’t know what I was thinking, I trust that God knew what he was thinking as he brought me here out of love for me and love for them. 

One year ago marked the start of the most “set apart” year of my life.  A year full of experiences I can compare with nothing else.  I cared for a starving baby in my home, cried when I realized even seat cushions were part of the cost of this choice.  I’ve been a part of praying for an out of place rib that was simply healed, a boy’s horrendous fever than simply left, a sick baby whose long lasting diarrhea simply stopped.  I’ve learned a language, learned to trust God in the dark.  I’ve learned to sit down and just watch.  I’ve learned to stand in awe of God and be OK with not having any idea WHY things went the way they did.  I’ve learned to have faith not in what will come, hope not in what will change, trust not in the outcome, but to stand in darkness surrounding in every direction and have faith, hope, and trust in CHRIST ALONE who IS my hope, joy, and strength. 

It has been a good year.