Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

We are packed and ready to leave, with 24 hours to go. Both of us are pleased to be this ready this soon. And, my house is clean as well. So today we can putter, say good-bye to neighbors, have lunch out with my sister and her husband and just relax.

Flat Stanley is going with us. Do you know Flat Stanley? We were introduced to him by Erica, one of our granddaughters. He's a little boy (in a story, of course) who was flattened when a bookcase fell on him. But he discovered he could go lots of places, being flat. So Erica put Flat Stanley in an envelope and mailed him to us, so we could take him to Kenya. When return, we'll mail him back to Erica with pictures, so she can share his adventures with her class at school next year. It's a good thing he doesn't weigh anything, as we are maxed out and then some on our weight limit!

As I have mused about what to expect in Kijabe (everything there is an unknown, except of course, for Ruth and Richard; I'm thankful they will be waiting at Nairobi Airport to greet us), the amazing thing for me is that I'm not at all nervous or fearful. This is just another confirmation that God wants us to go to Kijabe. It is His plan and purpose for us at this time in our walk with Him.

I've been reading Romans again. Yesterday, as I read chapter 6, what stood out to me were two phrases: "instruments of righteousness" and "obedience leading to righteousness." That's what I want to be and how I want to live. Later in the day, I was driving to . . . where else? Walmart. In front of me was one of Bella Vista's many slow drivers, but this one was the slowest of the slow, and I got impatient and irritated. And immeidately I realized, that wasn't exactly how an instrument of righteousness would act. Stab! And how often do we blow off that stab of conviction with justification of one kind or another, that we had a "right" to be irritated or whatever. I'm thinking one of God's purposes for me as He takes me to Kijabe is for me to grow as an instrument of righteousness by being consistently obedient to Him.

Well, our friend, Sara, arrives tomorrow morning at 8:30 to pick us up. At 10:50 am we leave XNA for Chicago. At 4:55 pm we leave Chicago for an overnight flight to London. After a 3-hour layover, we leave London at 10:15 am for Nairobi, arriving in Nairobi at 8:50 pm to the friendly faces of Richard and Ruth. By then, it will be Tuesday, June 6. The four of us will spend the night at Mayfield House, a missionary guest house in Nairobi, and fly a short flight the next morning on a very small plane to Masai Mara for a safari! I could never understand why people would want to go on a safari. I never wanted to go on a safari. I've said I would never go on a safari. Never say never! I'm going on a safari, and I can hardly wait.

Before leaving Mayfield the morning of June 7 to fly to Masai Mara, a young couple who we know from California, Kara and Eric, will stop by to pick up things that we've brought to them from their parents. The fun part for me is this. Eric and Kara have two little girls. Emma isn't one yet. Kayla will be four on June 7. She will be getting birthday presents from her Grandma and Grandpa, special delivery from the United States, right on her birthday. Now who says that the little things of our lives aren't important to the Lord? I think He knows it's important that little Kayla receives a touch of love from Grandma and Grandpa ON her actual birthday . . . or maybe it's important to Grandma and Grandpa to know that she is. Granted, I may be a hopeless "romantic" as a hopelessly-crazy-about-her-grandkids Grandma and I may be projecting how I would feel . . . but nonetheless, I still think God's timing is in play.

Ciao for now . . . and safari, here I come! If I can get connection in London, I'll post again then. Otherwise, it'll after Masai Mara.