Happy Birthday Saida!

She might not appreciate my posting this picture, since nowadays you're likely to see her with her hair done and makeup on, but I liked this photo so...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET SAIDA!  Hard to believe how fast 14 years can pass!  You bring beauty to our family and help to keep all those squirrely boys in their place.  I'm so glad God brought you to us!

Sadly, we will be leaving for Africa on Saida's special day, but we leave her in capable hands and know she will have a wonderful time.  While she is celebrating with friends, we will be boarding an airplane for Kenya!  

Yes, our time of preparation is almost done and the trip has finally arrived.  This blog will remain silent for a couple of weeks since we will not have access to the Internet while we are in-country.  When we return, I hope to relay our experiences to you in detail.   Until then, thank you to all who have followed this journey since "Eating for Africa" and have supported us with your prayers, finances and words of encouragement. 

We would appreciate your continued prayers throughout our journey since it is clear to us that the enemy has been "prowling around [our team] looking for someone to devour".  He might be hungry for a kill, but the Lion of Judah is going to kick his scrawny butt!  Oh - is that not polite of me to say?

May God bless you, keep you, make His face to shine upon you and give you PEACE.

- Julie

I Know You're There Lord

Tonight the CCC Prayer Ministry Team met with our Bondo mission team to hear our needs and pray over us for the trip.  What a sweet time of togetherness, with each other and with the Lord.  At one point I really want to fall on my knees, but of course second-guessed myself for a while.  When I opened my eyes preparing to make a move, I saw that almost all of our team has prostrated themselves already - so I joined them!  By the end of it all, we had all humbled ourselves before God and it was just...perfect.

Without disclosing details of other people's stories, I was amazed to hear how many of our team have been under spiritual attacks these past few weeks.  Many team members shared how current situations in their lives had been mentally all-consuming, distracting and heartbreaking.  There were many commonalities in our prayer needs.  My heart ached for some of the situations and it really brought losing the UK trip into better focus for me.  In short, I'm okay with it now.

I believe Satan has been trying to divert our team from the battle ahead and I see all of these attacks as an ambush from enemy forces.  Those grenades have really been flying in everyones lives, so I reiterate:

"No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. - Isaiah 54:17

We'll spend the rest of this week in final preparations which for me equates to housework and loving on my kids.  There is laundry to finish, luggage to pack and bug spray to purchase.  Yes, the business of these final days will continue but by the grace of God I choose to give my worries to Him and go about my business enjoying the "peace that surpasses all understanding".

I leave you with a favorite song to enjoy.  Just pretend it is me singing it because I agree with every word sung.

Grenade!

I've been watching the mini-series "Band of Brothers".  That tidbit of Julie trivia will help make sense out of what I am about to say.

Two weeks ago, just about the time we said "Whew! No more fundraising!" we get the word from Dave's work that they were wanting to send Dave to England to help out the UK office and they were possibly considering sending the whole family.  This started us down the road of anticipation, but I was pessimistic.  There was no good reason to send a family of six on the company's dime other than to bless a hard working, long-term employee.  I was shocked when the company came back with an offer to send the whole family for 3 1/2 months! 

As you can imagine, this was a huge mental distraction for us.  Since they needed Dave within days of returning to Africa I suddenly had to prepare for two trips instead of one and I only had about 2 weeks to get it all together.  The logistics were paralyzing at first, but we processed the details and started working a plan.

Did I mention how mentally distracting this was from our Africa trip?

Over the past two weeks we have run the gambit of emotion but we landed in a place of excitement.  Even the kids were warming up to the idea of a family adventure.  This was an opportunity that we could never afford on our own...traveling internationally together.  I felt blessed and I was so glad Dave's company was willing to honor him in this way.  Dave and I waited with anticipation for a meeting with his boss to receive all the logistics, but when that meeting came (yesterday) we were stunned to hear that they would no longer be sending the whole family.

"Disappointed" seems too flippant and "shattered" too severe - but we are very let down.  I mean, I had spent two weeks thanking God for blessing us with an opportunity that I had only dreamed about for my family.  We had prayed about the logistics, contacted a church, found a home group, familiarized ourselves with the area, the weather, the free places to visit, etc.  Now...nothing.

After some time to process the news I've decided that this whole thing was nothing short of an attack by the enemy.  It's like an emotional grenade was thrown into the middle of our lives; it came out of nowhere, sent us scrambling then exploded.  Fortunately, God's word says, "no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD" - Isaiah 54:17  The grenade was a dud, meaning it didn't destroy us, but boy has it left our ears ringing!

It also serves to remind me that we are in a battle for the souls of men.  As I've struggled to re-focus my thoughts towards Africa I realize that Satan doesn't like it one bit when the truth of God goes forth to shine in the darkness of broken lives.  There is definitely a battle and we are foot soldiers in that fight. 

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - Ephesians 6:11-12

Yes, I am sad about not going to England with the family, but when I stop and consider the scriptures I've shared with you today, I'm encouraged and believe that great things are ready to happen in Akala, Kenya!

Amen Lord, let it be!

- Julie

P.S.  In case you're wondering, yes - we know we might be wrong about all this.  We have prayed and given the whole situation over to God to work out the details as he sees fit, but for me, emotionally, I have to consider the matter closed.  Perhaps circumstances will change so feel free to pray as you feel led. 

Freedom!

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." - John 8:36

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1

Happy Independence Day Everyone!  The family spent a fun night at the town Jubilee surrounded by friends, sharing food and oohing & ahhing over the fireworks display.  It was a fun night of celebration and I am reminded again of how blessed we truly are here in America.

More importantly, I am blessed to be a child of God because in Him I know a freedom that isn't dependent upon any government system.  True freedom indeed!

"On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand - all other ground is sinking sand."

- Julie