Christian in Africa

I honestly don't know if I have adequate words to truly convey my thoughts and feelings after spending some time on the internet web looking at images and reading blogs from previous missionaries who have served in Benin. You can smell the garbage in these images by just looking at the heaps and mountains.  Missionaries who have served in the past have blogged about killing rats who have taken over their pots on their stoves, about not having water for over a month! Which in turn means they haven't showered in that time either. They talk about hand washing their clothes and that simple things like a hotdog can wreck HAVOC on ones body. But in all of this they also talk about how the people here are kind, loving, grateful, and always wear a smile. I guess in the end it teaches us to be humble, grateful ourselves for the simplest things we have in abundance of, and that happiness truly lies within each of us and not in the material things around us.  This mission is going to be ...

Christian headed off to school today and I was certain he would text me in the am and tell me he got his call...well he didn't. And when I texted him to see if anything had come in, he just simply said 'no'. We were both hoping it would be here so that Sister Garcia would still be home to see him open his call but it was looking bleak.  After he got home, Christian was down in his room, I was in the office, and I heard a CRASH on the stairs! Like a huge crash!!! So I jumped out of my chair and headed to check to see if everyone was okay and just what the heck happened. As I turned to the top of the basement stairs, Christian was handing me his phone and rubbing his shin that he just slammed into the stair as he was flying up them. When I looked at his phone... The day the call came in... So freaking crazy that at 3:11pm it came in!!! We have been so used to early morning calls that this was pure shock. And what a blessing in that Sister Garcia will be available to be here ...