5 Days till Nairobi

It has been an emotional ride these past 5 weeks. I have visited with family members of a special young women that passed away last November from Melanoma, spent healing time with one of my brothers, my oldest daughter turned 18, old friends from Maryland visited for a couple for days after 10 years of not seeing one another. Each of these events have been emotional from crying to laughing, from hurt to gratitude, from loss of the past to excitement for what lays ahead. Mostly for me much humility.

Really there is so much story in each of these events I feel rich in the reality of Christ. He is the common theme in all these relationships. Reflecting in these moments I realize that His timing is perfect. I am strengthened by each of these relationships and ready as I can be for Nairobi.

I will never forget joining hands in my living room with my family and Valerie's family as Rita (Val's Mom) prayed for us. Valerie was 25 when she died last November. Yet, in their grief hope is still alive and their heart still full of love for others.

Tonight I finished packing our 3rd suitcase. We are taking a lot of stuff bedsides our personal things...haven't gotten to that yet.

I came across a book, "Hope in the Dark" Anything with the word hope catches my attention. It is a picture and story book about a person's trip to Africa. It contains the most beautiful pictures. As I flipped through I found this:
" If you want to know the pulse and strength of Africa, spend a day with the women of a village. In the midst of deep suffering, domestic abuse, societal and poverty constraints, the women are the stability of Africa. They will carry the buckets upon their heads, touch the wounds of the sick, accept the burdens of helping the village survive - and all the while, they will be singing praises to God. "







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