16 Days Until Kenya

Wow, here it is already August 28!  I haven't been on here in a while.  Seems like life got crazy busy all of the sudden and I look up and we've got 16 DAYS until we board the plane for Kenya!!  Where in the world did the time go?!  Everything that I've anticipated is almost here.  God has been so good and He is Faithful and man have I learned to trust Him during this process!
I'm so excited, it's almost time to go meet God's precious people in Kenya but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit nervous, a little anxious.  Maybe it's because the reality of everything that seemed like such a dream before is finally here.  Maybe it's because I'm leaving my kids for 11 days and will hardly get to talk to them (even though I know they'll be in great hands while we're gone) much less see their sweet faces.  Maybe it's because this is something so much bigger than me and I don't have a clue what to expect.
But there is one thing I know and it's this...God is going to show up!!  As a matter of fact, He's already there and He's preparing the hearts, as we speak, of the people that we will encounter.  And what's cool is that He's still here too with me and with my kids and with the team that we are going with and He's preparing each one of us, as we speak.  And I know that no matter how anxious I may get about any of this, God is in control and He is sending us out "to the farthest ends of the earth" because He has a plan and a purpose for us and for the people of Kenya and for my kids.  What a testimony I get the privilege of bringing back to my children!!
And I just believe with all my heart that God is already orchestrating a perfect plan for us to meet sweet Dorothy!!  And if we don't meet face to face, well, there is already a piece of my heart over there in Kenya because God saw fit for us to meet on Facebook!  I treasure the "conversations" I've had with her.  And Dorothy is praying for us :)  What a blessing!!
So many emotions!!  I never dreamed that I would ever be going on a mission trip OVERSEAS much less feel the way I do about it right now!  Happy, sad, excited, overwhelmed, humbled, unworthy and the list goes on and on.  All I know for sure is that I serve a mighty God and I am honored to be able to "GO" and be His Hands and Feet!!

Dorothy

Tuesday night we decided to take the kids fishing at the lake and these fishing trips always end up with a VERY late “homecoming.”  We got home about 1:30 am, got the kids and ourselves all settled and in bed around 2ish and I decided to check my Facebook before I called it a night.  About 20 minutes had passed when a message came through from “Dorothy from Kenya!!!!”   You can imagine my excitement because I had responded to her message about a week ago but really deep down I doubted that I would ever hear from her again. 

Our conversation went on back and forth for about 2 hours and it was beautiful!  I keep saying it over and over but I just love how God works….Dorothy found me on Facebook through the little inspirational pictures that I repost and share on the newsfeed.  And now it makes sense to me as to why I always make those public instead of sending them where just my “friends” can see them.  God used one of those pictures to touch Dorothy’s heart all the way in Kenya!!!!  Who’s to say there haven’t been more people throughout the world who He has ministered to in this way?!

Dorothy is a believer…she was very quick to tell me that she was “born again”, she is a part of the worship team in her church and even the job that she has is a ministry J  She loves her Savior!  I told her that Michael and I were coming to Kenya in September to share the love of Jesus with her people and that when she messaged me the other day I did NOT believe that it was coincidence.  I told her (and I believe this with all my heart) that God is up to something BIG!  She also agrees with me that this is no coincidence and is excited that we are coming.

She lives about a day’s journey from one of the places where we will be serving so the chances of actually meeting her are pretty slim but she and I are both praying that God will work a miracle and that somehow He will bring us together while we are there. 

You know, I don’t know what God is doing in all of this but I DO KNOW that He is definitely at work!  I also may never meet Dorothy this side of Heaven but I will forever have a friend in Kenya who GOD has placed in my life for “such a time as this.”  I will FOREVER be grateful for the opportunity that God has given me to be His hands and feet in this and I believe that I haven’t even begun to see the half of it!!  My God is BIG and I know that He has BIG plans for the people of Kenya and for the team that is going over there!