The Flight to Africa
After my wife and I became convinced that I should go to Sudan, the trip preparation began. I needed around $7000 and since my money tree was not blooming this proved to be a problem. This was an obstacle I could not simply overcome; however, the Lord stepped in and the trip was eventually paid for by many friends and family. The support I received both financially and spiritually from my friends and family gave me confidence in my decision and I was ready to go.
In order to get to Nyamlell, Sudan we had to spend about 26 hours on a plane. This was not fun. On the flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi, Kenya the lovely gentleman sitting in front of me needed to recline for the whole nine hours. My knees were firmly planted under my chin for the duration of the trip. In all christian love, I wanted to remove the man and place him in the cargo hold. Finally, we made it to Nairobi.
That night, before flying to Sudan the next morning, the reality of where I was going truly hit me. I began wondering what I had done. What have I done to my family? What would happen if I did not make it back? Who would take care of my family? All of these questions raced through my head. And then God gave me an answer. Matt and I had been talking about a sermon series on Peter, so I decided to read in 1 Peter. Chapter 1 verse 8 says this “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious inexpressible joy.” At that moment I knew God was right by my side. I was not convinced nothing would happen to me, but I knew that even if the worst happened God would take care of everything. God will always give us assurance of his presence when we need him. I was certainly glad He was traveling with me.
