Kijabe and Back and Back to Mali

Their faces are frozen images in my mind. Their smiles make me smile. Their eyes beckon and plead with my heart as if to say, "Come to my village. Tell me about Jesus."

The other day I thought of the old song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," and taking poetic license, I changed it to "I Left My Out In The Village" -- at least part of my heart.

I've felt what was for me an unusually strong pull to go to Mali. Even before going with the July team, I wanted to go with the September team as well, but all the spots were taken. And although I kicked and screamed and hollered (not in reality, but inside I kinda did), I accepted the fact of not going. But I didn't stop asking God to make a place for me. I shared my passion to go back to Mali with a friend in California, who began praying that God would find a "Ginger shaped spot" on the team.

Almost no one knew how my heart longed to return to the village. I kept it to myself, knowing that God would answer His way. At night I'd often fall asleep seeing the faces of those beautiful women and delightful children, longing that the women would learn to teach their children that Jesus loves them . . . that the children would soon know Jesus too.

My cell phone rang as I pulled into the parking lot of Sara's office. "Hey, this is Lori. How bad to you want to go back to Mali?" It took a few seconds to process her words. I thought she was calling about some typing I had offered to do for her.

"Really bad," I babbled. "Why?" She went on to explain that a need had arisen for two more volunteers on the team and did I think I could break away to go back. "So, what are you really saying?" I asked. "Which team?"

"September. I know that's not very far off, but . . . . " I don't know what all she said after that. My heart was truly pounding and I wanted to cry but I was too elated to cry, and when Lori asked me how sure I thought it was that I could go, I said 99.9% and after consulting Gene, it would be 100%. . . and it was.

God also provided seats for both Sara and me, on the exact same flights as the other six team members who had already been ticketed for several weeks. And He continues to bring one confirmation after another that He is allowing me the privilege to "return to their village."