Has the countdown started?

I know, I am so weird. I was keeping a countdown of sorts in my head and then I stopped because I noticed my daughter picked it up and started informing me daily of the days I have left until we leave. That unsettled me so I asked her to stop. Then Lanny started doing it. Sunday at church someone asked and he shot out the number of days until departure. That REALLY unsettled me and now 3 days have come and gone since then.

In case you're wondering - 14 days.

The last 3 weeks before we leave have been and will be a bit hectic. I didn't get a chance to update last week because I needed to settle down in my heart so I wouldn't throw up over all of you! (Hey, gross picture but it's what you would have felt like if I had written last week.....)

I think we are at a place that I can fill you in on some of the things we will be doing during our time in Kenya. We have 2 team meetings left (tonight being one of them) and then we are outta here!

During our time in the Mathare Valley we will be working alongside of Pastor Karau and the congregation of Mathare Valley Worship Center. There will be a preschool education team consisting of five people. The other team members will be put to work in various ways - health clinic, bible studies, whatever Pastor Karau needs. Last Thursday night the preschool education teamed was announced and I am on it. This means that the majority of my time in Kenya will be spent with the kids. If you go all the way back to beginning of my story you will see that the kids is how God called me there in the first place! It was that urge to be near them and hug on them that put me on a plane in 14 days. Our education team is led by a first grade teacher - Sara - she is fantastic!! Lots of energy and lots of love for the kids. I am excited to get to know her even more as we travel and minister together. Last Thursday I was also asked to gather 10 Bible lessons for us to use while over there. Now, I haven't pulled together curriculum nor been with the kids in a classroom setting in about 2 years so first I had to pray and then I could get to work! I will admit some fears came with this assignment but God is faithful and I believe he will give me and the team what we need and more importantly what the kids need.

Prayer Requests (for now!! More will come as we get closer and closer):

• The Bible lessons will come together and God's grace will be evident in them.
• I'm still juggling and now another ball has been added with these Bible lessons - please pray that I rest in God and I allow him to order my days (Psalm 90:12) and establish the work of my hands (Psalm 90:17) so that I am about HIS business and not my own!
• All of us on the team have started to notice little hits here and there from the enemy - mine actually happened during our meeting last week and continued into Friday. As God leads you please pray for the spiritual warfare that accompanies trips like these - the enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (1 Peter 5:8) and he doesn't stop short of team relationships, Kenyan relationships, travel methods, etc.
• As God leads pray for Pastor and Mrs. Karau and the work they have dedicated their lives to in the Mathare Valley.

More to come....thanks for sharing in the journey with me.....