For me I began packing late for this trip, and yet I think it has been ok. It amazes me though when I hear of people who can begin a journey like this the day before. I think of all that Karen in our office has done for us. I have never had a personal assistant, and that is what she has been for me. Thank you Lord, and thank you Karen. I won't bore my readers with the details for which I am personally grateful; just know they are many.
Yesterday I remembered I hadn't packed the hand held mirror, maybe not a big deal to male readers, but for us ladies, it's huge. (Smile) This morning I wonder whether I should try to find a micro fiber
towel since we leave in the middle of the week for Sierra Leone. I don't think taking a wet towel
would be too nice. I write that just to share the myriad of things to think about. It doesn't really matter whether you are going for a short time as we are or a long visit. You have to go through the same processes each time.
I certainly hope there isn't even a tinge of complaining coming through in what I write. Knowing though that blind-spots are ever before me, I am reminded that for this too you could pray. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he, So having a pure heart would be the beginning of my prayer requests.
All teams that I know about begin their list of prayer requests with requests that God grant safety of travel, health and safe arrival of luggage, and for the families we leave behind. Though a prevalent requests, please don't overlook the need of these when you pray.
Pray for cross cultural communication. We want to be gracious guests, to ask good questions, to seek to understand more than to be understood. We want those we partner with to also ask good questions, for illumination as to their responsibilities. We want wisdom to discern the character of those with whom we work. Have we, EAFC, chosen well the 12 new people which will receive the funds? Pray God gives us a spirit of discernment. Pray that we figure out the least expensive but most effective ways to get funds where they are needed. This is huge. Some don't understand the expense and time involved in wire transferring money or why EAFC is a stickler for making sure funds only go to the educational institution, even with that, however, there are times that we have to trace the money as not all universities credit the right accounts. Did I read somewhere that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it?
When I. Egan writing, it was a test run. I haven't written on this blog for a long time as you can tell. Could I remember how? Feel free to share and tell others how they can follow this if so inclined
This is my attempt to open up a world that most of us will never see for ourselves. I want you to see the richness of the people, not regarding money but with gifts from God that we might not pick up on since their way of living is so different from the people I normally live among .
