Yes, you read that correctly...I will be leaving for Torremolinos exactly one month from today! Time has flown so quickly, and there is still so much to be done. But the same God Who provided that first $36.29 will not leave me now - the adventure is only just beginning. :)
Spain orientation was on September 8. Twelve of the 14 members of our team made it to the Central District office to get to know each other, learn the expectations for the trip, and receive assignments from the age group team leaders. I'm helping with the preschoolers (2-5 year-olds) as one of a team of 6. The other 5 ladies are wonderful - I'm so thrilled to be working with them. I also met my roommate Annie. She's a sweetheart, and I think we'll have a lot of fun together. :) About half of us will be traveling to Spain early to help out with the pre-Forum activities. Then we'll work 5 days (Sunday evening through Friday morning) at the Forum and leave Saturday morning. We have a long afternoon off on Friday, during which we can opt to join one of several different groups being organized to visit some tourist destinations in and around Torremolinos and Malaga. Still can't decide exactly where I want to go...decisions, decisions. ;)
I've spent quite a bit of time in Shelby over the past few weeks. Two weeks ago the church held their missions conference. One of their speakers, Brian Lindsey, is among the missionaries attending the Forum in Spain, so I get to see him again (and take care of his kids!) next month. The other speaker was Ed Bonvillain, one of the doctors at the Koutiala hospital. It was incredible to hear him talk about the work God is doing at the hospital and in the lives of the people of Mali. Between hearing from him and talking with [Aunt] Barb, I can't wait to see it for myself. :) This is gonna be good!!
While I was in Shelby during missions conference week, Aunt Barb lent me her Bambara phrasebook to practice with until we leave. It's written for missionaries to go along with (surprise, surprise!) the Indiana University Bambara course. In case y'all didn't know this, God is good and loves to satisfy the desires of His children's hearts. :) He is doing everything necessary to make sure I'm prepared for this trip - right down to catering to my learning style.
This past Friday I was in Shelby to help pack the 22nd shipping container bound for Mali. It was an absolutely amazing experience. We packed that thing tighter than anything I've ever seen before, and still there were some boxes left over. Handling the boxes, sorting them by priority, deciding what goes to whom - it was touching God's provision itself, holding His love for His children and for the people of Mali in my hands. I wanted to hold each package, to give each one my blessing, to imagine just how it was going to change the life of someone across the world. And soon I will join those boxes! Soon I'll see with my own eyes just how my God works all the way in Africa. I'll see how He used the equipment I sorted and packed, labeled and shipped. I will discover the everyday lives of His workers - the trials and victories, tests and emergencies, pain and joy that define their tasks.
And who knows? Maybe one day I'll go back again. And again. And again.
And who knows? Maybe one day I'll stay. And stay. And stay.
Who knows?
