Getting to Africa

July 7th, 2008
The day we had planned and waited for was finally here. I wondered how I would feel on this day, but I have to say, I really didn't have much fear. I was ready to go. I was totally excited. Randy was going to drive us to the airport in the church bus, so we said our "real" good-byes at home. We took care of a few last minute things that day and ran up to Gentry because a wire from Jared's braces was poking him. It was taking forever for him to even get called back and I started getting stressed out. Bad. I went up to Karen and she asked if everything was ok, (she knew we were leaving that day) I told her no, we needed to get up to the church soon, but Jared's wire was poking out and we really couldn't wait any longer. She immediately took control. She called an assistant over and she fixed Jared right up. It literally took less than one minute! whew...
We got to the church and people are all over the place! There's a feeling of excitement in the air. Not really any apprehensiveness at all. We made our copies of our passports and got ready to go. We had a time of prayer and onto the bus we loaded. We got to the airport and thus started the waiting. Everything we did, we had to wait. First, we had to wait for the United people to even open up the check-in desk, we were so early. Didn't matter though. Our plane was late! We finally made it onto the plane and it was so much fun watching Ariel and Larry. Ariel's first plane ride ever, and Larry's on a commercial jet. A couple of others too but they were behind me and I couldn't see them. The whole way to Chicago, we were visiting with the stewardess, because we knew we were going to be late getting into Chicago, and our plane for London was across the other side of Chicago. All the talking didn't help though. We got off the plane and ran. Remember, Home Alone. Oh yeah, that was us. 23 of us. Well, needless to say we made it. They closed the doors right behind Jason. I was so thirsty I went to the bathroom and filled a little Dixie cup with water several times and drank up. Hope it was drinkable water. I sat by Shellie Kindy on the flight over and an Indian lady. She never said a word though. Unfortunately, she was on the aisle seat, so I tried to just stay in my seat, so I wouldn't bother her. Right after take-off, the pilot said he was expecting a smooth flight. Not so. It was an incredibly bumpy ride. It was very hard to sleep on the plane. I know I did fall asleep for a little while, but not much. The food on the plane was actually pretty good. We arrived in London, Tuesday morning. The stewardess on the plane encouraged us to go into London, instead of waiting at the airport for several hours. I was so glad we did. It was a nice little trip into London, and we got to eat at a pub. The different pods all went their separate ways. The pod I was in, joined with another though and we went to a pub called, The Salisbury. I ate some type of steak sandwich. It was literally 3 chunks of meat on bread. Very, very hard to chew. Luckily, Mary had Fish and Chips, and it was huge, so she gave me a few bites of hers. We went back to the airport and didn't have to wait long till we boarded our next flight, using Kenya Air. It was pretty much an uneventful flight. Lots better than the trip across the pond. Food was alright, except for breakfast. I couldn't even tell what part of it was so I didn't eat it. I got to sit by my son for this flight. In the air, during landing, I could see some of the trees that when you think of Africa, you think of those types of trees. Cool. We had made it to Africa! We flew into Nairobi and getting off the plane, we had to walk down a flight of stairs. I thought I was on the last step but no, there was one more! Fell to my knees and scraped one. Welcome to Africa! ha ha While at the airport, we had to change into our skirts, just the girls :o). Women in Africa wear skirts or dresses. They are not allowed to show any leg above the knee. With respect to their culture, us ladies were going to wear skirts during our mission time in Africa. We walked to our next gate and sort of hung out. I saw some post cards in a little shop and asked the owner if there was a place to mail them. He told me you could at one of the gates, so I hurriedly bought several, wrote a quick note on each and headed down to mail them off. It cost $2 each to mail those postcards! Gulp. We got on the plane to Entebbe and arrived on time. I slept very little on all the flights over, but when we landed in Entebbe, I got my second, or was it 3rd, 4th....wind. We had made all our flights safely and everyone is in good spirits. Praise the Lord.

Home Sweet Home

Hello! We returned from Africa Sunday night around 10:00 p.m. I am SO sorry that I didn't get to post any during Africa. The only internet access that was available was through Pastor David's phone and it was dial-up. I hope that everyone got a chance to read Jason's blog he wrote when he went into Jinja one day. I haven't even read it yet. Maybe I should?!? Africa was...hmmm....what I expected in ways, and not at all in others. I wasn't prepared for the amount of people, the poverty that was rampant everywhere, the dirtiness, etc. I guess that I was prepared it would have those things, but not to the extent that it was. The people were great, especially the kids. How they loved us! They were always wanting to touch each of us. We would pass by and hear yells of, "Mzungu!" (White person) They would wave and smile. If we were stopped, the children would reach in and try to touch us. They also loved to have their picture taken and then be shown the picture. Adults too. They would just giggle and laugh. It was great! There is so much that happened in Africa. I know it will take forever to fully tell about, and I'm sure I'll leave out many things. Know this...the people are beautiful and they love God. They love God and worship Him without abandonment even in the midst of all the poverty. My life is changed.

Africa Team

Here is our team of 27 adults and students that leave for Africa tomorrow!!! It's hard to believe that it's already here. Today is a day of preparation, packing, and just hanging out. I hope that I can fit everything I need to in my bag. I don't see how at this point. We're not bringing large luggage because of the transfer from the airport to Father's Divine Love Ministry. I feel comfortable in getting every thing finished which should probably make me worried! I'm sure there a ton of details that I have forgotten. I'll try to post more later. Glory to God in the Highest.

Getting Ready for Africa--Come Together

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to do my quiet time, I wasn't sure where to start reading. I had finished my book in the new testament and was still reading through Isaiah. I wanted to find the verse where it said that the world will know you're mine because of how you treat each other. I sat down and looked in the concordance to find the exact place. John13: 34,35--"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Jesus spoke this to his disciples right after he had just told Judas to go do what he needed to do (betray him) and right before he told Peter that he would deny him 3 times before the next morning. He wants us to love one another just like he loves us, even when 2 of his closest friends were going to betray him and deny him. It made me think of how others can do something so small to us, and yet we take it as a horrible grievance against us. Jesus was betrayed which led to his cruxifiction and he still wants us to love all just like he loves us.
I was reading through this, God kept giving me verses and some revelations. We've all heard how love isn't a feeling, but a choice or a decision we make. I don't have to agree with everyone, I don't have to like how they treat me or others, but I have to decide to love them. God started helping me with leaving Randy for the 2 weeks. I have worried about being away from him for so long because I don't like being away from him at all. I even miss him during the day during work and I'm going to a third world country for 2 weeks WITHOUT him?!? God helped me to see, that yes, I'll be sad, I'll miss him, BUT I can choose and decide to cry, sob, weep, and make myself miserable or I can decide that Randy loves me, he misses me too, but yet God has so much that he can show me, and use me for His Kingdom. He can be my comfort, my best friend, my husband. "I AM ____________________." Isn't God incredible how he gives you little things at just the right time and when you look back and see the whole picture and how it worked out you just knew it had to be from God? It's like how the church body works too. He gives me little bits of revelation when I need it to work for my good, just like he relates different people of the body of Christ to work together. Each gives and contributes to the body so that it can work correctly. Each member is needed. Just like each team member of Africa is needed. What affects one member of our team, will affect us all whether good or bad. We will be depending on each other. If we can just remember the verses in John to love each other, think how incredible our ministry will be!!! Shellie Kindy, another team member found these verses in Romans, and knew it was for our team too. Romans 15:5-7 "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jessus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Man, if we as a team, could take hold of that and live that out think of the power we could have. If we will only receive each other, not change, modify, or do what we can to make others fit our idea of who they should be, we could show Jesus to so many. Jesus received us when we were still sinners. This man, Our God, who hates sin, received us as sinners!! He didn't try to change us before he received us, he simply received us. Father God, help me right now to begin seeing others as you do. Give me your love, help me to receive others. Help me to not want to change them to be what I think they should be, but to simply love them and receive them. Help my mouth to only say words of others that glorify You and Your body. Be with our team as we prepare this last week. Help us to be encouragers of each other, lifting each other up not tearing each other down. I love you and desire your will for my life and for the life of each of our team members. Be with us this week. Put into place everything that needs to happen. Let us show the world that we are yours. In your sweet, precious name I pray. Amen.

Here I Go...

I have known that I wanted to begin writing a blog for my upcoming mission trip to Africa. It's been very hard for me to get started because of people reading what I write. I have no confidence in my writing ability. And there is the problem. That word, I. It seems a lot of my sentences begin that way. If I am going to fully increase the Lord in my life, I need to put self away. It's simply a pride issue. Luckily, Jesus said to become as little children, so if my blogs sound simple and childlike, it's ok. To fully Increase Him in my life, I have to put away any plans that I may have for my life. I'm either for Him, or against Him. When I put my agenda, wants, needs into play, I'm automatically against Him. Another pride issue. Anything that I do on my own closes God out. Even his name, "I AM" shows this. He is everything I need Him to be. I can just fill in the blank for Him. "I AM ____________." Whatever I may need at any given time, He is that for me. My identity needs to be in Him. I am a child of God and that is all I need to be.