Kenya here I come!!

I have a few things to accomplish first! This time of year I'm working on Angel Tree. A program through prison fellowship ministering to the kids that have a parent in prison. It's shocking how many kids in our country have a parent in prison. Angel tree is one way we can connect with these kids and their care givers to bless them and help them to know their parent still loves them and thinks about them.

Then we have our own Christmas traditions that are so important! Ravioli, homemade bread, secret Santa gift exchange. We each only have one person to buy a gift for but since we want that to be special it can turn into a big job.

I have piles of paperwork to do to go through all the Samaritan purse hoops. I've done it twice before so it's getting easier. A Kenyan Visa, travel insurance, a stack of paperwork to sign, emergency contacts, and new this time a course on Globel Security. This includes abduction, car jacking, theft, personal protection, what to do if you get kidnapped!. Not light reading, but I'm sure in the rare instance I get into one of those situations we would appreciate learning this stuff. Most of the lessons are for long term missionaries. But I am very grateful to be under an organization that is very careful with protecting their missionaries and volunteers. One of the statements in one course said "just know if you do get kidnapped, Samaritain purse will not give up looking for you". That is comforting knowledge! 🥺

I can't believe I actually can be a "missionary". All my life I wanted to be a "missionary". and although God taught me, we are missionaries where ever God has us, this is a dream come true. Back in 1984 we joined YWAM, hoping to get on the mission field. Our outreach ended up being in California, since that year we had the olympics in USA. That was great, except that was actually where we grew up, so it wasn't the missionary experience we had dreamed of. We often worked in one ministry opportunity or another, but all those experiences were actually a huge molding, shaping, cleaing, teaching, growing experience more then anything. Always so much to learn and grow in this life no matter if you are a local missionary or foreign missionary. In any ministry where we go to help others, I think God does this little orchestration so that he is helping others while working in us at the same time! He's so good at that!!!

I still remember the day sitting on my porch praying and telling God, it's ok if I never go on the foreign mission field, I will be content staying and working right here in Libby. Soon after that I got an open door to go to Haiti and then one after another, God has opened doors. I'm content now to stay or go, as long as He goes with me and is leading!

This time I was requested to come back and that just gives me so much joy, to be able to go and help and be useful where there is a need for midwives! I'm super excited, a bit overwhelmed and also at peace too.

With covid stuff there is even more to think about and the dangers of travel and going to Africa can be there and I hate to worry my kids. Trusting God with our lives is always something we must do no matter if I'm driving to Kalispell or flying off to Kenya!

Merry Christmas to all and God bless you! So happy to have you come along on another journey with me!