Well, what a productive morning I had today! I got up early and Leyana and I had our travel clinic appointment. What is that you say? Well we go and meet with a government certified travel medicine doctor who looks at the countries we will be traveling through and places we will stay and identifies any immunizations and/or medications we require. Praises because neither of us needed immunizations today (only because they have to special order them) and we got 120 days of anti-malarial medications. We will go back at the end of the week and receive our first Rabies immunization and then two more subsequent immunizations. Jeffery was so sweet during our process he just chatted away!
Then, off to get the notarized copy of Leyana's camp registration that Anthony had fixed up for us at his work. A quick stop at the company store to get Leyana a flashlight and batteries. We then drove 120 miles to drop her at camp. This was SUCH a bright spot in my day. How I realize that five or fifteen minutes with women of God who have such divine purpose as encourages in my life was just what I needed. It was super to see Reya, Sherry, Trisha W, Trisha D, Renee, Retha, Cheryl, and the list is exhaustive. The touch through a hug and a hello is so poignant in our life. Little did they know that I needed that girlfriend minute more than anything today.
I won't say I am afraid, but definitely contemplating life outside of my own little world (to steal a lyric). I live in a town called Normal. Yes, seriously, I am going from Normal to Malawi in less than seven weeks. Now that is a HUGE move! In my own little world, I live less than one mile from Meijer, WalMart, Target, Kroger, a mexican/chinese/thai/fastfood/chain/starbucks/coldstone/subway/mcd/wendy, then I contemplate that I drive everywhere, there are roads everywhere, there are phones, constant power, constant internet, convenient television, girlfriends which are just a minute away, a church home which is 2.8 miles away, schools which all have air/con, comfort of a work which requires no personal preparation except show up on time, the pool, the putt-putt course at State Farm, LOTS of parks to walk and play in, and still we prepare for Malawi. I just now came to realize things will be different there and now I am beginning the spiritual preparation to take my heart outside of this little world and go. Oh, I know, I have been on a bazillion mission trips and what is different? Well, what is different is a round-trip ticket separated by 3 months time and really I know not one person there intimately. I will have God, he is our steadfast soulmate. He will go with Leyana and I, he and I are intimate, and I expect to come home with an even greater sense of intimacy with Him.
Please don't misunderstand the post here, we remain thrilled with the calling of Christ to go and make Christlike disciples in the nation of Malawi. We are thankful the Church of the Nazarene has invested in our lives so we may invest in many others. I would ask if you think of us, pray for presence. Pray for God to begin to separate us slightly to prepare us greatly.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. The next seven weeks I will work to prepare my classes and get the syllabi/tests/plans/powerpoints in order. I will finish the reading of several pertinent textbooks and at one point I may even cut off some Facebook and WWF's and fast this for our mission. God is moving, I am listening and it is sweet, the lingering of his spirit in my heart.
Thank you for your support, your love, and your patience as we grow to be what God has called us to be.
Love and peace,
Jesika