Journey to Africa and Beyond Part 3

Part 1   Part 2

I wrestled with God a little bit on that one. I had enough money in the bank to cover it, but I also had rent and bills to pay so I really didn't want to pay for the whole trip right away. What if something came up and I needed that money? I was making excuses, and God was asking me to trust him. So I did. I wrote the check and mailed it to the church (the other church was collecting and tracking the funds). And I prayed. I knew God was going to provide for whatever needs I had. And I had no worries.

On Tuesday of the following week, I checked my mailbox at the office and found my paycheck from the previous week (it's direct deposited and I don't get much mail so I hadn't checked it). I started crying as I opened it, because there was a bonus included that I wasn't expecting that covered the entire trip, plus a couple hundred dollars - and this was net, not gross. I checked my bank account right away to make sure it wasn't a joke. It's amazing what God does when we obey him.

That check had already been written when I was having that "discussion" with God. He knew. As much as I thought I was trusting him, I really wasn't. Here's what really strikes me about this, and I actually just thought of it. I didn't even ask God to provide the money. It was His idea. All I did was listen and obey (after a while). One day, I hope to live in immediate obedience, even though I think we grow stronger in the wrestling.

So things were really in motion. I was locked in. Money was coming in from other fund raisers. We were getting passports and visas, shots and prescriptions, and figuring out how to pack for 2 weeks across the globe.

In the mean time, things were changing at work. My boss was leaving the company and I was transitioning into a new position. I hired someone who already worked for the company, but she was new to the department and just over a month after she started, I was about to leave her for 2 weeks.

Then, a couple of weeks before I left, my step-mom died. Everything came to a screeching halt. All the planning, preparation, excitement was put on hold to mourn the loss of a woman who was like a second mom to me.

to be continued...   Part 4