One Week!

It's already been a week since we said our goodbyes at the Airport in Columbia.  Some moments it feels like it has been a month and other moments feel like that was only yesterday.  So many mixed feelings and emotions rolling around in me.  Overall it has been a great week.  We have been so blessed to have been greeted and hosted by the Sukups.  Jeff and April have been so gracious to us and are very patient with helping us getting everything in order.  April has escorted us all around the city to get us familiar with driving and the location of grocery stores and etc.  I don't think I would have made it through this week had we not been here with them.  I am thanking God everyday for Jeff and April Sukup!!

Today we finalized the lease on our rental home.  The Lord has provided a very nice home with some extra space to host guests or small teams.  We feel very blessed to have secured this property.  We went and test drove a car - I should say this is the MOST stressful thing we have done thus far.  The vehicle is owned by IMB missionaries and is a very nice SUV - "Condor".  The problem is that is rather large ( not as large as the Suburban that is headed across the ocean to us ) and is a stick shift!! This would be the vehicle I would have to drive and that is way more than I can handle at this point.  Remember it is hard enough to get used to driving on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the left side of the car and then to add a stick!!! WHEW too much for me!!  Parking in the city is very tight as well - so there would be very few places to park a large vehicle.  We decided to continue to look for something smaller with an automatic transmission.  Please pray that God would provide exactly what we need - Just as He has through this whole process! I still haven't gotten behind the drivers wheel.  I am just beginning to have an idea of my around town so maybe that will come soon.  Please pray that the Lord will calm my fears about driving and that I would be confident when I decide to drive.

Yesterday was our 1st Sunday at Open Baptist Church.  We were introduced at both services and met wonderful people of the congregation.  OBC is such a picture of what Heaven will be like - there are so many different people from so many different nations!  It was a great day of worship.  We did get a small amount of rest before we headed to the game reserve to see some animals.  The kids were so excited to finally get to go.  You normally pay a very small fee per person to drive thru but the man didn't have anything to write a receipt on so he told us to go in for free.  That was a nice treat.  The kids stood up in the van (we are borrowing the church van until we get a vehicle) sticking half their bodies out of the sunroof.  They loved seeing the warthogs, monkeys, ostrich, impala, Kudoo, and Eland.  At the very end of our trip through we got to see some Zebra - everyone was excited about that.  We headed back to church to help out with "God Zone".  "God Zone" is the programming for kids on Sunday night.  The small room was packed with kids from 7months to 15years.  There were 2 other adults besides Scott, Jeff (the guy we are staying with) and myself.  We immediately went to work.  Hunter helped get the craft ready - we made salvation bracelets, Scott got our twins situated as participants,  Parker jumped right in with the other kids and I hipped a baby around (everyone knows that didn't hurt my feelings at all)!! Chandler didn't quit know where his place was so he hung to the back and watched.  It was a good night - just very chaotic.  Affirmed the need to train and equip leaders.  Please continue to pray that God would lead us in our ministry!

We love you all and miss everyone! We are grateful for all of your love, support, words of encouragement, and prayers!!     Tonya