Two Ladies in Spain

Our week here in Spain had absolutely flown - it's so hard to believe this is our last full day here!  

On our way in we had a considerable layover in Brussels.  We were able to take a mini-tour of the city and get just a taste of Belgium.  We'd love to go back - four hours was not nearly enough!!

On Sunday we arrived safely and got settled in our rooms.  We were able to get prepped for Tuesday, our first day with the children, that evening, so we were able to see the sights in nearby Malaga all day Monday.

Tuesday was our first day with the children.  We had an absolute blast getting to know them, playing games, making music, and teaching them to be secret agents searching for clues to prove the truth of Jesus' salvation.

Wednesday the entire conference went on an excursion to the Rock of Gibraltar! Rachel and I rode up the Rock in a cable car and hiked the 9 kilometers back down.  There is also a place on the Rock from which we were supposed to be able to see across the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa.  Unfortunately, the day was cloudy and we weren't able to make out the other side, but we got a picture from where we were supposed to be able to see it. ;)

The past two days we've spent with the children.  Our time with them will wrap up at the closing service tonight, where the kids will perform some of the songs and recite the Scripture they learned this week.  Then tomorrow Rachel and I fly back to Cleveland with Dinita at 7 pm and boom! the trip is over!!  It's been a crazy week, but we've had an awesome time seeing Spain, getting to know some wonderful families, and working with a team only God could provide.  

See y'all back on the other side of the pond!

Another day-before post

Once again, it is ONE day until I leave for Spain!  Packing and prep have gone pretty smoothly.  I think I'm getting the hang of this thing! (Aunt Barb, I know you're reading this....I'm only taking TWO books this time!  I hope you're proud. ;) )


The best part is that I get to take my beautiful new guitar with me!  Last week I received an email from Amazon saying that my order got processed early and that I should receive my guitar by May 31.  Sure enough, I did - a week before I originally thought I would!  What a relief :)  Thank you all so very much for your prayers!


Hey everyone!  This is Rachel: yes, Monica let me write on her blog.  ;)  I just want to thank everyone for their contributions to this trip.  Whether through prayer, donating items for the garage sale, coming to the pancake breakfast, coming to the garage sale (even if you didn't buy anything, it was great to see you!), or donating money - I couldn't have done it without you!  Let me just tell you guys, sometimes I step back and wonder how on earth I got here.  God is so good!  Who would have thought I could have made almost $900 with one garage sale?!?  Certainly not me!


I am almost all packed; just a few things left to throw in the suitcase (which is working out really well: thank you, Boscaljons!).  I am sooo excited to go on this trip: to spend time with lots of kids, experience SPAIN!!!!, spend time with my big sis, see what God has to teach me on this trip, and fly on an airplane for the first time.  (Unlike Monica, Aunt Barb, I am bringing more than two books... :D )  Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.  Love to all, Rachel <3


As you can see, we already have a TON of reasons to praise God for this trip.  And the fun hasn't even started yet!  We can't wait to discover more of God's hand in our lives through this trip.  As you remember us over the next week, we ask you to pray with us for these things in particular:


-first and last, that God would be glorified in our interactions with anyone and everyone, from the children and their families, to the locals, to our teammates
-our safety, on and off the plane
-our health
-wisdom and discretion as we lead, teach, guide, and have fun with the children
-humble, grateful, teachable attitudes


You cannot know how much you have blessed us over the course of our preparation for this trip.  From the deepest part of our hearts, thank you all.


Stay tuned for a post (and pics!) from Torremolinos!  Until next week, America!

Spain plans

The departure date for Rachel's and my trip to Spain is drawing VERY close!  We're leaving Cleveland on June 7 and come home to be our daddy's Father's Day present on June 15.  On Monday we met with Dinita and Pat, two of the ladies we'll be working with. (The other two ladies, Sarah and Kathi, live in Colorado - we'll meet up with them in Spain.) We hashed out the details of the programs we'll be using during Forum week.  Rach gets to make the most of her sanguine personality by taking charge of crafts and games, while I'm so excited to get to make music with the kids all week! (please pray that the travel-sized guitar I bought online gets delivered in time for me to be able to take it with me!!)


I was able to work to cover my own trip expenses.  Rachel has been raising money to cover hers, and God has provided for her in some amazing ways (He tends to do that ;) ).  If you'd like to support her, there is still time!  Some very gracious people from our church are hosting a garage sale fundraiser for her this weekend.  Stop in at 331 Elyria Rd. (SR 83) in Lodi today or tomorrow (Friday or Saturday) from 9-5 to check out some of the *very cool* items she's selling. (A huge THANK YOU to all those who have donated time and goods to this sale!!)


As I said before, we'll be staying in Torremolinos, Spain, like I did in November.  We're using a different hotel this time, though. (like it makes a difference....we could be staying in cardboard boxes and still have a stellar trip!  Spain is just that beautiful :D ) If you'd like to see pictures, check out this link: http://www.melia.com/en/hotels/spain/malaga/sol-aloha-puerto/index.html


In closing, I'd like to share some prayer requests for both Rach and myself:
-pray for our safety - that all our flights, both going and coming, would be smooth and that all our time in-country would be free from complications of any kind
-pray for our preparations - that all our planning, shopping, packing, and prayer would bring glory to God and that all would be accomplished in good season
-pray for our work - from our interactions with our teammates to the time spent with the children (especially in our small-group sessions) to meeting the international workers, we want to do our very best to serve them and the Lord in the most beneficial manner possible


As always, we are so very, very thankful for all who pray for us, support us, and show interest in the things God has asked us to do.  Blessings to you all - we'll talk again before we leave!

So I'm home....

I've now been home from Mali for a month and a week.  Last week I finally felt like my head was home enough to process the trip, the sights I saw, the things I did.


My braids are out, my itty-bitty tan is faded, I use my phone, I wear pants again (sometimes).  I say "Good morning" instead of "Bon matin" or "I ni sogoma" and introduce myself as Monica, not Monique.


But my tennis shoes still have red dirt clinging to them.  I can't get used to being able to wave with my left hand.  I miss eating with my hands!  And the smells of shea butter - real shea butter, which I brought back with me - and woodsmoke give me a feeling I can only describe as a kind of homesickness.


I cannot be the same again.  And I cannot wait to go back.


I don't think I'll go back as a doctor or a nurse.  I thought I might.  But one day, as we walked into the hospital delivery room, we saw a woman in hard labor, ready to deliver at any time.  I very nearly passed out at the very thought of waiting through what remained of her labor, let alone helping with the delivery.


I'm not exactly sure how or when I'll get back.  But I didn't go for no reason, that's for sure.  And now I think I might be a little addicted. :)


Thank you all so much for praying for me while I was gone.  Believe it or not, I was not sick once in Mali!  I was mildly dehydrated a couple of times (since the air is so dry sweat evaporates quickly - you're actually hotter than you think you are but you don't feel the need to drink like you should) but never once sick, despite having eaten some pretty unusual food. ;)


Your prayers for my health and for the whole trip in general mean more to me than you know.  As a small, small gift in return for all of y'all's unspeakable generosity on so many levels, I'd like to share just a glimpse of my stay in Mali.  You can check out my pictures here: https://www.facebook.com/monica.wacker.1/media_set?set=a.749776175041614.1073741831.100000277140840&type=3.  As before, you don't have to have Facebook in order to view the photos; the album is public.  Feel free to leave me any questions in the comments below!


So now the question is, what is the next step?  Where do I go from here?  


I'm glad you asked!


Remember how, when I got back from my 10 days in Spain last November, that I'd go back to Spain in a heartbeat?


*thum-thump*

Ta-da!  This June 9-14, one branch of the C&MA will be meeting in Spain for its annual forum.  And guess what?!  They need help with childcare!!  As a member of the CD 100 I was notified of this opportunity in December.  Once again, God has had His wonderful hand all over this trip and has made it possible for this to be an even better journey than my last in Spain.

That's right - I get to take this trip with Rachel!  I'm so excited to head back to Torremolinos, and I'm beyond ecstatic to do it with my best friend (okay, yeah, so she's my sister too)!  We'll be joining 6 others from the Central District and from Colorado to serve God's people by serving their children.

My Father has already graciously provided for my financial needs for this trip.  However, Rachel is raising funds and has planned her first fundraising event for April 26.  We'd love for you to join us; you know how to reach us with any questions. (Though since my daddy's making the pancakes, I don't see how there could possibly be any questions necessary ;) )  Thank you so much for serving with us in this way.  Hope to see y'all in a couple of weeks!


Stay tuned for more details on Spain, round 2.  Ala ka duba aw ye!

Mali's done WAWA'd my heart away!

Believe it or not (I don't), I'm down to the home stretch here in Mali.  On Thursday morning we'll be driving from Koutiala to Bamako, then fly out of Bamako on Friday evening.  I'll be back in Ohio by Saturday evening - that would be this Saturday, in fact.

I definitely want to go home.  I want to see my family, to process all the things I've learned and seen and done here, to seek the Lord's plan for my next step.

But I am so not ready to leave.  I don't want to leave this land, this life, or these people behind.  I will never leave them totally behind, I suppose.  I will carry them around in my heart forever.  But that's nothing compared to being here - to seeing them, to walking here, to getting its dirt under my fingernails.

Lord willing, there's always next time.  One of the Malienne "Papa"s asked me today what my "last impression" of Mali was.  

To which I replied, "When can I come back?"

It's true.  I want like crazy to burn my passport and miss the van to Bamako.  This girl's been WAWA'd in the worst (best?) way, and I'll never be the same.  And I haven't even left yet!

For those who would like to know, WAWA stands for West Africa Wins Again.  It's a term the missionaries use to describe the way West African countries, with their [comparably] rough circumstances, tend to do their best to challenge the physical, mental, and moral  endurance of anyone not native to their arid lands.  At this stage, the WAWA factor is kind of endearing to me - sort of like a really adorable, soft little puppy.  

That would be the same cute creature that barks all night long and leaves you aromatic gifts on the carpet, right?

Yes - and this would be the same West Africa that blows out your tire and dumps your 5-gallon water cooler in your truck on your way to a village, where you find two demon-possessed people you're expected to treat as medical patients.

Nice doggy.....

For this and other true stories, I'm inviting you to join me at Lodi Community Church on Friday, March 14, at 6:30 pm.  My church is hosting a potluck, at which I'll share some of my experiences here.  We're opening the dinner up to anyone interested in hearing more about my time in Mali.  We do ask that everyone RSVP (to me - in the comments here or via email, Facebook, phone call, text, or whatever mode of communication works for you) and bring a main dish and a dessert to share.  We'd love to have you!

So long for now!  See y'all soon!!

On the unexpected

As of today, my stay in Mali is halfway over.  In just a little over three more weeks, we head back to Bamako to wing our way home to the frozen tundra of the United States. :) Honestly, I'm trying not to think about it.  It sometimes feels like I just got here - I can't wrap my head around leaving!  I can only focus on today, right here, this moment.

In other words, I'm getting pretty good at being an African. ;)

I really had no expectations for this trip.  I had no idea why God told me to come to Mali, so I've been surprised and excited by everything He's shown me here.  I don't have an agenda; I don't have a program; I don't have any (or at least not many) preconceived notions.  I'm just here to learn.  And God has taken me off-guard in so many wonderful, unexpected ways.

For instance, just last night I was able to pay my second visit to the village of Leleni.  It's 25 [very bumpy] kilometers out of town and is only accessible via roads mostly indistinguishable to the American eye.   Three thousand people live in this village; six of them are Christians.  The amazing part is that it seems so hidden.  You drive along these bumpy, dusty, twisty roads, not seeing any humans for kilometers on end and suddenly boom - 3,000 souls right smack-dab in the middle of the bush.  It makes me wonder how many more of these villages are hidden away on roads I can't see, and whether anyone is reaching them, teaching them, or even just praying for them.  That's not something we see in America, these places that have simply never heard the gospel.  We take it for granted that there is a church in every town and that most people have at least heard of the Christian God.  That's just not the case here.  And it's overwhelming to look out at the scrubland and realize that there are people hidden out there, dying every single day, never hearing that Jesus loves them and died for them.

Another unexpected lesson I've had is a little more, shall we say, controversial.  Yet I feel that this is one of my biggest takeaways from this trip so far and has to be said.  Many people, when they talk about having taken a trip like this one, tell of how their trip made them realize just how blessed we are to live in a place like America.  God has been so good to us, they say, to let us live in a place with so many conveniences and luxuries that we take for granted.

I beg to differ on that.

Are we really so blessed?  Have all our conveniences and commonplace luxuries made us blessed - or spoiled?  

Could we really learn to thrive - without complaining - with no running water in our homes and not even the option of electricity?  Could we be thankful for dirty vegetables, buggy grains, and dog meat?  When was the last time we greeted a complete stranger and asked after their health, their spouse, their children, their village, and their work?  When did we last make tea and carry it over to our neighbor's house, with no expectations and no desire for reciprocation?  Do we ever find joy in helping a total stranger learn our language?  And has it ever just made your day to wave at someone whose skin is a different color from yours?

I'm not saying we should all be Africans, and I'm not saying I've mastered all this perfectly.  All I am saying is that there is no need to insult people in "developing" countries by pitying them.  Instead, it might do us in the "developed" nations a whole world of good to humble ourselves and learn from these beautiful people instead of trying to be their saviors.

Heeeeere's Mali!!!

Greetings from sunny Mali!  Today marks my first full week in this beautiful country - probably the most eventful, exciting week of my life so far!  And the fun has only just begun!! :)

We flew into Bamako, Mali's capital, late last Monday night.  We stayed overnight at the CMA guesthouse there and set off the next morning for the 6.5 hour drive to Koutiala.  That was certainly an extreme road trip. ;)  Along the way there is a stretch of about 70 kilometers of newly-paved "highway".  The rest is the old, rutted road or just plain red dirt, making for a very bouncy ride.  Each village along the way also contains several speed bumps - not to mention that cars and trucks share the road with bicycles, motorcycles, donkey carts, rickshaws, pedestrians, and everything in between!  We took a little off-road "safari" around some road construction for probably 5 to 7 kilometers, sharing the worn-down dust track with huge, overloaded trucks and buses.  

I had whiplash the entire time, trying to take in everything I could as we trekked through the gorgeous red countryside.  

People here still live much the same as they have for hundreds - perhaps thousands - of years (with a few notable exceptions, such as the fact that nearly everyone has a cell phone).  They store grain in little thatched pointy-roofed granaries and raise goats, chickens, cows, and cotton.  Each village holds market day once per week, offering everything from eyeglasses to bowls made from hollowed-out gourds called calabashes.  And while every house in any given village may be broken-down, leaking, and dirty, the mosque is always clean, well-kept, and erect.

When we first arrived in Koutiala we stayed for a few days at the home of Dr. Dan Nesselroade, one of the Hospital's missionary-doctora.  His family is out of town for a few weeks and the Koutiala guesthouse was being rewired, so he generously lent Uncle Erv, Aunt Barb, Rosanna, and me a few rooms for our first three nights in the city.

Our first morning we started working at the Hospital for Women and Children!  Rosanna used to be nurse with the CMA in Gabon.  Since retiring from there she has founded a research organization called Research for Health.  Every year she comes to Mali to gather data for the various studies she's conducting.  This year Aunt Barb and I are helping her complete the database she's started on all the women who have given birth at the Hospital.  She's researching the causes behind complicated births in this country, so our job consists in pulling birth records from the hospital chart room and completing her births database.  All the records are written in French, which makes things a little tricky. ;)  But I'm learning a lot - both about French and about labor, delivery, and complicated births.  Rosanna's so excited about each study she conducts, which makes her a real pleasure to work for - not to mention that she's extremely patient and kindly bears with me when I still can't remember what "ligature tromps" means in English. :)

Between sitting before Microsoft Excel with Aunt Barb and pulling and refiling records from the chart room I've been able to walk around the hospital with Aunt Barb to visit the patients and their families.  Just today I taught this little man how to blow bubbles.  His eyes got huge when I first started blowing them - and he was ecstatic when I told him he could keep the jar and wand!

We also stop by the delivery room a few times each day on the chance that we might be able to help with any impending births. ;)  So far we haven't had any luck, though we did come in to see one sweet little baby boy just moments after he was born.  We'll just have to keep trying. ;)

I've also been able to spend some time with the missionaries here.  They were in a seminar this weekend so I met most of them at dinner Friday night and at church/brunch Sunday morning.  I helped watch their children during the meetings, which was a blast. :)

There is so much more I could tell you, but that will have to wait for another post.  For now, I would ask that y'all please remember these things as you pray for me:

-Pray that I would be able to pick up on French and Bambara easily.  If I could learn one language or the other, things might be easier, but as it is, I think I'm going to keep saying "I ni sogoma!  Comment allez-vous?" until doomsday!

-Pray that I would continue to stay healthy.  So far I'm feeling great - which means I've been healthier here longer than I was in Spain!!  Hallelujah!

-Pray that I would be obedient to the Holy Spirit, following His leading in ministering to these lovely people instead of allowing myself to get distracted or discouraged by externals like poverty or disease.

Your prayers got me here, and they will keep me going.  I'm eternally grateful for each one of you for reasons I may never know.  Until next time, Ala ka duba i ye!  God bless you!

Tomorrow?!

"Hey what do you have going on tomorrow?"


"Oh, not much . . . how about you?"


"Oh, you know . . . this and that.  Just leaving for Africa for seven weeks . . . "




Wouldn't that be a wild conversation to have with somebody today?


Oh yeah.  That "somebody" would be me.


Did anybody else see that coming?  'Cause I sure didn't!


Nearly one year to the day from the Sunday morning God told me to serve Him in Mali, I'm going to be boarding an airplane (four of them, actually) to do just that.  After so much growth and planning and discovery and surprise and blessing, it's really happening.


And I can't believe it.  I can't believe the Comforter of my soul turned that soul upside down and told it to get itself to Mali, West Africa.  I can't believe my Father took care of the details of this trip and provided for it in ways that continue to blow my mind.  I can't believe God wants this little kid in Africa right now.  And I can't believe that He might, just might, have some pretty huge things to teach me and show me - things He has stored up just for me.


But He did.  And He does.


People, I am humbled.  And honored.  And so very, very blessed.


My plane leaves Columbus tomorrow at 5:25 pm.  Please pray that all of our (Erv and Barb Powell, Rosanna Hess, and myself) flights would be smooth, uneventful, and on time.


Thanks to all of you who prayed for my teeth situation.  The gauze drain was removed painlessly, and the hole is healing up nicely.  But please continue to pray that I'll stay healthy - and praise God that, should anything weird happen, I'm working at a hospital!!


Please also pray that our Heavenly Father would grant me the ability to speak in His language to any and all Malians to whom He wants me to show His love.  Pray for me to have courage to get outside my box and trust His leading.


And please pray that my heart and my mind will be open, ready to learn whatever it is the Holy Spirit has to teach me through this trip and ready to obey His voice. 


Thank you all for taking this incredible journey with me!  Stay tuned . . . I will be able to post from Mali. ;)  Blessings to you all!

I leave for Mali....

....in six days.

Six.

Days.

Yeah.  That's about how I feel too.

Since I was able to get a good portion of my trip prep done before I left for Spain - and since I bought most of the things I need when I was packing for the Spain trip - I haven't been rushing around frantically trying to get my things together.  So reality didn't quite set in until last Saturday.  Holy cow!  January 12th is...like...soon!  I'll be home March 1, making the total trip just short of 7 weeks long.

The lack of posts lately has been mostly due to...well, the lack of anything trip-related happening recently.  But all that changed this weekend!

On Friday I had to go back to see my oral surgeon.  After I had my wisdom teeth out (6 days before I left for Spain) the left side of my head healed well.  The holes healed properly and the swelling went down in due time.  The right side was a different story - it made no move whatever to keep me from looking like some kind of half-mutated chipmunk.  So we made an appointment, where we found out I had an infected abscess in my lower jaw.  After surgery, I was taking an antibiotic, a painkiller, and a ton of ibuprofen.  I started getting woozy and nauseous every time I took my meds - I don't normally take any medication and my system was NOT used to all those drugs.  We called the oral surgeon's office and were told to stop everything except the ibuprofen.  Well, as it turns out, I wouldn't have contracted the infection if I had finished the antibiotic.  But since I didn't my doctor had to put a gauze drain in my gum (I'll let your imagination tell you exactly how he performed that little operation), which I'll get removed tomorrow.  This should fix the problem (as long as I finish the second antibiotic he gave me ;) ).  Please pray that this will indeed be the case, as my teeth are about the last things I want to have to worry about while in Africa!

Saturday afternoon I came home to find a going-away party planned for me by my family!  So many friends and family members came over that evening to express their love and support...I truly feel so blessed to experience God's blessings through His people. 

And Sunday morning my church family laid hands on me, as this was the last Sunday I'll spend with them for several weeks.  As so many members prayed for me, my safety, and my future, I couldn't help being so, so humbled by their love.  I can't even begin to deserve their prayers - but how much less do I deserve the dying love of our Savior!  He is so eternally good to me, and I don't have any choice but to obey His simple command to go.

I'm thankful to have another few days at home, tying up loose ends and spending time with my family.  Then it's January 12th, and Columbus, then Atlanta, Paris, Bamako, and the world!

I'm a little excited, to say the least. :)