Getting to Africa

Several months later, the evangelist that Shannon had travelled with to Haiti asked for prayer in our prayer class at church for her upcoming trips, two of which were to Africa-to the East African countries of Kenya and Tanzania. Of course my interest was piqued, especially because I had previously met the woman she would be working with in Kenya. This native Kenyan had travelled with Shannon's group to Haiti and she also ran an orphanage in Kenya. While in our area, Shannon and I had had the opportunity to meet with her to talk about the African orphans. Our hearts were both affected by the stories she had told. I couldn't help but want to be on this upcoming trip to Kenya.

Again, I was told, this time by a friend that had travelled to Haiti on other trips, that the evangelist probably would not want me to go to Kenya until I had first travelled with her to an easier country. I was disappointed, but determined to at least talk with her about it. So I did. After prayer class one day I approached her to ask her about the possibility of accompanying her to Kenya. She asked if I would be interested in travellling to either Haiti or Jamaica first. I expressed to her that I really wasn't feeling drawn to either of those countries. I told her that as a former Marine, I felt I could handle the travel conditions of Africa and asked her to please pray about it. She said she would.

A couple of weeks later, she and I met in her home to discuss this further. She told me that she felt at peace with taking me along to either Kenya or Tanzania. So we sat and discussed the details of the two diferent trips. The Holy Spirit did His work. I went into the meeting, planning for Kenya. The trip involved seeing a woman I already knew that lived over there and visiting her orphanage. With my heart for the children this would be perfect I thought but, somehow, by the time we were done talking, I knew, that I was supposed to go to Tanzania. The timing of the trip was not as good as the Kenya trip and it was probably going to cost more but I knew I needed to obey the Spirits leading. We both decided to pray about it and connect later.

I think it was the next Sunday in prayer class that we talked again and I told her it was to be Tanzania. Thankfully she agreed with me on that and the preparations to go to Tanzania began.

I remember when I told my parents. My dad wondered why Africa. Why would I want to go to such an unsettled continent, with so much Civil War and tribal fighting? Why to such a poverty-stricken and disease-filled place? All I could tell him was that that was exactly why I wanted and needed to go there. Because so many of the people in Africa have not yet heard the name of Jesus. Because Jesus is their only hope.

That summer Shannon and I took our children, and our then foster daughter, to Duluth. We wanted a nice vacation but needed to stay within the state due to the legalities of trvelling with a foster child. Shannon had never been to Duluth so we decided that would be a good trip. While we were there we visited the aquarium that is there. Duluth is situated on the shores of Lake Superior which is the largest freshwater lake in the world. That summer, the aquarium had dedicated their entire lower level to a display about Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world. It is located in Africa and the country of Tanzania is located on the southern shores of it. One of the cities we were to visit was the most major port of the entire lake. I thought this was a great coincidence and was excited and thrilled to be able to look at the items on display, watch the videos and hear the audios about the place I was soon going to visit.