When I was first raising my funds to work with Wycliffe, one individual asked me if I was going to give an update every time I changed my hair cut…as all the copies in front of her (whether the live version or on paper) were all different. Consider this your official update on MANY (no not all) of the hair styles I’ve had since this journey with Wycliffe began.
Here are some of the first few hair styles that I had:
And some Cameroonian inspired styles:
The Mohawk. Oh the Mohawk. I can’t claim points for this being my idea – as I had never wanted or planned on having a Mohawk in my life. So how did such a thing happen? Coercion. The short-term trip participants with Wycliffe talked me into it as they’d seen cornrow-mohawk style on a few Cameroonian women (meanwhile these participants had all gotten long beautiful traditional braids…). My first thought when I looked in the mirror for the first time was, “I look like a Roman Centurian!” (oh, no!) If I thought I was stared at in Cameroon before, I hadn’t seen anything yet. But I felt comfort in one thing – I was heading home to Toronto. Toronto – a place where “everyone has tried everything with their hair” – so I’d blend in with the crowd and have nothing to worry about. Boy.was.I.wrong. Blend in I did not. People – for the most part – loved my hair and would tell me so on a consistent basis! So much for blending in.
But quickly I realized that this was a wonderful thing! The Mohawk opened up doors for me to talk about Cameroon, Bible translation, and Christ’s love for us! Conversations that never would have started if this Mohawk wasn’t around. May He be able to use any seeds that were planted as a result of the Mohawk.
So in February 2011 I attended a fundraiser for a participant in Race to 2025 – who creatively said she would shave her head if their teams funds came in by the end of the fundraiser. She impressed me – all I was doing to raise my funds for the 2011 “Race to 2025” was asking a few of my friends via Facebook messages.
This year (2012) I was once again participating in “Race to 2025”, this time the project was to help raise funds for literacy and Bible translation work among the East Apurimac Quechua people in Peru! The day before our team’s fundraiser I remembered this girl and her willingness to part with her head of hair to help raise funds….and so I thought about it and the next morning I made a decision, posted it on Facebook that by 12am EST THAT day I would shave my head for Bible translation if we raised all our funds.
13 hours later we emerged the night with three of us having had our legs waxed, 2 beards, my head and one set of eyebrows were shaved. We closed that night as a less-hairy group, deeming the night a success! Praise God! Thank you every who helped fund Race to 2025 – whether in 2011 or 2012! Two weeks later at “Race to 2025” we learned that we were the highest fundraising team! East Apurimac Quechua people group – we did this for you! May our contributions of hair, money, prayers and time help you know our Lord and Savior better!
Sometimes doing shocking, weird, interesting, different, or normal things can really open up doors to share about Christ. In this last year, I’ve found hair to be an awesome – UNEXPECTED! – tool to do this very thing!
Is there anything you’ve really found helpful in sharing your faith?
Mohawks for Bible Translation.
I kind of like the sound of that. Perhaps someone should start a group.
Spread the Word.
John 1:1-4
Sarah Barnes 