Come see the pandas!!

So this story is funny... and a good picture of just how much we feel like the "Where's Waldo" books.

A few days after moving in I put the kids out on the patio of our apartment to have some play time.  I was out there with them for a few minutes, then went inside to put a few things away in the kitchen.  I could see them from my view but not much else beyond the patio.  About 5 minutes later I went back out there to sit with them and I was so amused at what I found.  About 20 feet away from my patio sat about 8 adults and 4 or 5 children.  Just sitting and watching the whities.  They were squatting and staring directly at the kids.  I called my mom and said, "It's like they are a zoo exhibit!!"  And not only any exhibit... panda-type exhibits worthy of calling your family and friends to come look! 

This true story is a great visual because it shows how bewildered these refugees are at our presence.  I've had several conversations that go something like this:
"So where are you from?"
"The Congo.  And what about you?"
"Oh I'm from here" (with a nice Jesus-y smile)
"No I mean before here"
"Yes I know.. I am American!"
"No no... (looking frustrated for not communicating well enough in English)... I mean where were you born?"
"Yes I understand.  Here... I lived in California and then I came here to Arizona".  
"But this is a place for refugees"
"Yes I know!  We love refugees!  We want to live here and share your food and your culture and teach you about America" (insert another Jesus-y smile)
At this point they stare for a few of the longest seconds I've ever sat through, and they smile and still feel misunderstood.
"Ok then you come to my house for some food!"

Our moving here has certainly been the talk of the village.  A friend was lost in the complex as she came to visit and she just asked the first stranger and he knew exactly where to point her.  The apartment of the Americans is not a mystery here.

We have a tremendous opportunity to use this bewilderment as a parallel for the gospel.  Their heads spin as you see them try to really understand what we are doing here... and in every persons heart who knows the story of the gospel, our heads ought to spin at how bizarre and unthinkable it is that the creator of the universe, the knitter of our souls, perfect in every way and divinely complete would become a man and come dwell with lost and dying sinners.  That should make our heads spin.  Does it?
Imagine the bridge that this incarnational ministry has! "You think it's crazy that we moved in here... let me tell you what Jesus did!!".   These people come from story-telling cultures... we are learning Jesus stories and look for opportunities to just talk about who He is and what He has done... surely there will be more to follow on this topic!