Africa Part One

Well, before we get to the actual Africa trip I will talk a little about what lead up to me going on the trip. A little over a year ago I was at an area-wide youth retreat that my friend Casey spoke at. The theme was Unsafe. I had already been thinking for a long time that I wanted to go back to Africa but the timing never seemed to work out. At that retreat God was really speaking to me through some of what Casey Pate was saying and I decided that I was going to make a trip happen. I talked to Josh and we decided that March would be a good time for me to go with his schedule. I started to put some of the pieces into place and eventually asked some friends to go and announced to my church that I was going and whoever wanted to go with me was welcome but that the details/dates etc were set. I was excited when 4 other people decided to go also but I also would have been content to go on my own. I have gone to Africa several times before and love it. It's hard to explain it really. There is something about the people and the land that really get into your heart and changes you. I wasn't sure if and when I would get to go back again so I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. I will always try to encourage the kids Josh works with, as well as adults to get involved in missions - it really is a powerful experience and an incredible way to share Christ.

Anyway....It was a challenge to figure out what Josh and I were going to do with Addison while I was gone. Eventually we decided that she would spend time with 2 of the 3 set of grandparents so that Josh could still work since Connie, who takes care of her during the days was also going on the trip.

At first I wasn't nervous about it leaving Addison, I got worried as the trip got closer just because it was the longest I have been away from her - before that it has just been a weekend. She is a pretty adaptable and flexible little girl so I thought she would do well but I was still nervous about how it would affect her. She ended up doing great and not having any problems at all other than that she was still recovering from being sick the week before.

Josh was great and so supportive of me going. He had been to the same place in Namibia that I was going to - we went together 7 years ago so he had a good idea of where I would be, what I would be doing and who I would be with etc. He helped me do everything I needed him to in order to get me ready to go.

It was a rough few weeks before we left. I was working long days and even some weekends. Addie had been sick for almost 2 weeks and worse more sick than she had ever been before. It seemed like there was so much going on. I ended up getting sick the Sunday before we left and just tried to ignore how bad I felt. I kept telling myself I could sleep on the plane.

We finally were able to leave on March 3rd - ready to go to Tsumeb Namibia and work with John and Martie D'Alton, the Tsumeb Bible School, an orphanage there and help build a church building in a village in Northern Namibia.