Three days already? Since leaving my home on Sunday a.m. I have had only about 5 hours of sleep. It is now Tuesday night. Ministry began for me on African Airlines when they closed the aircraft doors to take off in Washington. I spotted an empty bulkhead isle seat and hustled to claim it for more leg room. I was a happy camper! I looked to my left and there sat a beautiful African woman holding a tiny baby. To my right on the side isle seat sat another African woman holding another tiny baby. There was a seat between me and the one on the left and the isle separating me from the one on the right. I was so taken by these precious baby girls (one a month old and another one month twelve days). I was in the nursery!!!
It was my first divine appointment of the trip. They needed help! For the next seven hours until our stop in Dakar, Africa I helped with the babies – helping each with the special baby seat belts that no one knew how to use, getting items from the diaper bags, holding babies while mothers went to bathroom, standing and rocking – back and forth, preparing formula for a bottle, and on and on. I felt lost when they got off in Dakar. They were so appreciative of my help. We hugged and said goodbye. Those seven hours passed rather quickly and then all the seats filled up with people getting on for eleven more hours to Johannesburg. That may be the longest eleven hours I have ever spent, in spite of taking an ambien that just did not work.
Our team had a busy first day on the field with orientation and then two ministry stops in the afternoon. No one slept last night. I found all the guys up before daylight, along with several from the other group. We were all still on Nashville time and had not slept. We played volleyball at one school and soccer for two hours at a local field that was all sand, covered with rocks and glass and trash. While they played a local team I walked around and picked up rocks and broken glass, etc…doing field maintenance.
Afterward Keaton and Andy and I shared greetings, testimonies, and the gospel. Several members of their team accepted Christ, along with three others who were bystanders. It was the perfect ending to a good day. A walk down to the beach and into the cold water topped off the day’s work.
The Team House, our residence for our stay, is located on the hillside with a path leading to the beach. Our hosts serve us the most delicious home cooked food you can imagine. I hear the two groups downstairs playing a game as I sit in my room writing this entry. I wonder when we are going to sleep. Did I say this is a beautiful place with incredible people as our hosts? Everyone here sends greetings to Belmont and Brentwood Baptist Church.
We have 3 ministry times scheduled for tomorrow in schools and basketball tomorrow night at a local community center. The work is on. Our schedule is full. Keep praying. Be proud of your children, our students, and how they represent all of you. They are a blessing!!
BW