There’s a strange relief when you finally take off on a long trip.  I don’t mean relief that the plane took off safely, I’m talking about the absolutely wonderful feeling that whatever didn’t get done is beyond being dealt with, by me anyway, and can wait until I come home.

Everything becomes like clothes in the ironing basket.
Not actually forgotten, but totally ignored.

We’ve traveled thousands of miles, hundreds of thousands by now, I’m sure.  You’d think I’d be a world class packer by now, but boy would you be wrong!  I hate the  week before a trip.  The fact that we’re going to extreme weather doesn’t make it any easier.  I make lists and start collecting everything I think I might need only to realize that there is no way to fit it all in my suitcase.  It’s a math problem involving cubic measurements and difficult formulas the likes of which Einstein couldn’t solve.  And if I did fit it all in, there’s no way I could maneuver the thing up & down escalators or through customs in an airport in a third world country.

What’s essential for this trip?

• A sense of adventure and a secret prayer that this time in Africa I’ll see some cool animals like elephants.
• A sense of humor because we’ll all be together for 6 weeks in harsh conditions and not many bathrooms.
• My Bible
• My Nikon
• My Notebook & pens
• Skittles for the village children ~ I want them to like me.
• The gospel for the unbelievers and the truth to live by for believers.
• My dancing shoes because in African churches ~ well, as one pastor put it, “Now we shall move ourselves.”
• Love.  Lots and lots of love for people I don’t even know.

We’ll spend a lot of our time in the bush which is the southern portion of the Sahara Desert.
It’s a tough environment in good times and can be a real challenge in the dry season.

Church can be under a tree or under a banana & palm leaf roof.

 My grandson was fortunate enough to see elephant when he went with my husband!

But we’ll spend some time in Accra a city of 4 million.
There are over 60,000 children who live as orphans on the streets.
We’ll have to see about that.
We’re praying for an open door.

Religion that is pure and genuine in the sight of God the Father will show itself by such things as visiting orphans and widows in their distress and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.
James 1:27

Do you know God gave a portion of the reward to those who ‘stayed by the stuff’ while others went off to war?  Even though you might not be on this trip with us, you can play a part.  Prayer supports ministry at home in your church and across the world.  We’d be honored to have your prayers for God’s blessing.