Guess What?!

I'm so excited...I'm going back to Africa!!

Back in February, mom said she was going back to Africa for her 3rd mission trip. At the time, and ever since (until last Thursday) I had absolutely NO inkling of a desire to go with her. Not that I didn't love, love, love the first trip, but I just wasn't ready to go back.

So Thursday, I'm standing at the sink getting ready for the day and out of the blue I thought, "I really want to go to Africa." And it wasn't just a passing thought...it was an OVERWHELMING desire! Who but God can move a heart like that, so I knew I had to pay attention.

My next thought was to laugh and pray, "Yea right...so You tell Scott."

Later that evening I called my mom and just nonchalantly asked her the dates of the trip and she was so excited to tell me how her trip cost had dropped a $1000 because Delta had cut the airfare, of the flight that she was to go on, by $1000!

At that point, I knew I had to come clean on my reason for asking...and then I had to ask Scott...

Now, I'm a firm, I mean FIRM believer that God NEVER leads a husband and wife in two different directions, so I knew that if God was truly calling me back to Africa, He would move Scott's heart to be in agreement and I knew there were some HUGE obstacles to overcome.

But God did move His heart and he agreed that I should go...so there was one more obstacle... I've booked enough flights to know that sometimes those special airfares disappear almost as quickly as they appeared...or that the number of allotted seats are filled...so somehow, that airfare had to make it from Thursday to Monday...

So I prayed all weekend... You see I'm alot like Gideon in the book of Judges...how he kept throwing out the fleece to be sure that he had the right message from God. Now, I've always felt like Gideon gets a bad rap...he wasn't testing God...his heart was to obey God and he just wanted confirmation that he understood what God was leading him to do...there was A LOT at stake...

So those reduced fares were my fleece... I'm all for going to Africa, BUT only if I'm certain that it's God's will and not just my good idea... Well, I'm happy to say that those fares lasted through the weekend and my seat is reserved!

I have no idea what God has in store for me, but last time He gripped my heart for the people outside the gate...especially the children.

You see, the children's home that we were at had a HUGE gate and fence around the property...the children inside the gate were safe and loved...they heard about Jesus every day, but it was the ones outside the gate, where life was not so secure, that really, really moved me.

I just longed to be around them...I loved planting gardens in the community...I loved being able to talk to them...they were such an incredible blessing. Of course, so were the children and staff at the home, I don't mean to diminsh what AMAZING people they are...it's just that God gives us all different passions and He placed my passion outside the gate...

(One of the gardens we planted and the family that owned it)

So we are headed back to Swaziland in August where we will be blessed for 10 days to work and minister to the children at the orphanage and the people in the community...

I can't wait to see what He has in store...I'm sure it will be perfect, in the community or at the Children's Home! God is SO visible in Africa and He is a TOTALLY amazing God!!