This is it - we think they're ready! Yesterday at church there was a commissioning service for Mark, Kari and Amy. They told what they will be doing while in Salone. Mark said that he's bringing the electric wire, fence posts, grounding wire (donated by a friend) and solar charger - but it's God who's gonna hafta keep the goats in! Mark has had horses, pigs, cows, chickens and four children and he was never able to fence any of them in!!! Amy let everyone know that she and Kari will be helping Christie in the orphanage with the children, and whatever else is needed, cooking, cleaning, laundry (which of course they both do all the time!). Kari thanked the church for giving her the roots that brought her back into a stable relationship with God and she's excited to see what God has in store for her and through her in this trip. Please keep praying for all four of them as God works in and through them in the next two weeks.
After church, some of both of our family members came down for lunch, and then Randy and Dean went to help mom in her new home (she's living there now - altho it's quite a mess and a lot still needs to be done to get her unpacked). Syvilla, Irene, Alex, Mantha and Kennedy helped with final needs for the trip (winding flashlights, sharpening pencils, vacuuming jerky, bagging candy, hemming clothes and packing! It was a marathon time of packing - but six 50 lb bags and two (as heavy as they can carry) backpacks (Kari has her carry-on in the Cities) later, we think they are ready!
Tuesday morning, May 27th, Amy and Mark will leave bright and early and meet Kar-Beth at her work. Everyone there is excited to send them all off also. Then it is off to her church to be commissioned by her pastor as well. We are so grateful for all the prayers and support behind this trip. I am anxious to see what God will be doing through all of you and your prayers!! They must be at the Airport by 1:00 p.m. or so and they fly out at 3:30 p.m. They will meet up with the rest of the team from Marshalltown in Chicago. I sent a family picture to Marshalltown and said "You know Christie, our son and I aren't going . . . so look for the other three". I didn't have a picture of just Mark and Kari and Amy. Whatever works! They have the short flight from Minneapolis to Chicago, then and then two 7-hour flights. The first is from Chicago to Heathrow in London and then from London to Freetown in Africa, for a total of 24 hours. Then 4 to 7 hours by Poda-poda (van with board seats) over pot-holed roads until they reach the orphanage. Please pray that they will have safe travel, that all of the luggage will get there and that they'll be able to rest on the plane.
Thanks for taking this journey with all of us,
Karen
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