Africa- 16 days away. Here's the TENTATIVE sched!

Well 16 days until I leave for Africa. I am so excited for this trip. It will solidify the calling the Lord has put on my life to lead short term mission trips. There is still so much to do, but it will all get done- it always does.

This coming weekend I'm going to visit my family in Bend- I'll miss Micah and Leah's bday, which I'm bummed about, but it'll be good to see them. Then the weekend after that I am going to Seattle for a mission conference/fair. Erica just did a fair this last weekend in Spokane- she was discouraged because we were the least visited booth. I’m not exactly sure why at this point, but it could be because of our display or the fact that we’re not as well known. Either way it gets discouraging to have a calendar of dates and no one applying for them yet. This job stretches our faith to say the least. God has kept the doors of AGCI open and is using this ministry to care for His beloved children through adoption, orphan care relief, and mission trips. It is an extreme privilege to be a part of what God is doing, but it does get discouraging at times. If you’re reading this…I would love your prayers, Erica would love your prayers, and AGCI would love your prayers. Please pray!

Here is the plan for Africa (it’s mostly tentative, because so many things can change in Africa)- we at least know when we’ll be flying though...Erica and I fly to DC October 13th at 6am(ish) with 1 other individual going on the trip. We then will meet up with the rest of our team the following morning when we will meet each other and head out to Rwanda.

Oct 15th Arrive at ANL guest house, get settled in
Dream Center tour
Kigali Genocide Memorial
Oct 16th we’ll be working at the Home of Innocence (work project)
Oct 17th Church- I love “church” in Africa
Oct 18th Street Children’s Feeding Program Ministry in the morning
School computer project in the afternoon
Oct 19th Home of Innocence (work project) in am
School computer project in the afternoon
Oct 20th Home of Innocence all day
Oct 21st Pack up and head up to Gisenyi after breakfast
Noel Orphanage (work project)
Oct 22nd Noel all day
Oct 23rd Visit Lake Kivu, drive back to Kigali
Shopping day
Oct 24th Niamata Genocide site in morning
Lunch, debrief, say goodbye to the team- send them home @ 3:30

It’s just me and Erica at this point:
Oct 25th Gahanga Orphanage
Lunch with Christine
Meeting with some other people to partner with
Oct 26th Meeting with Amanda
Hope for the Future (street boys ministry)
Oct 27th Game park (checking it out for future trips)
Oct 28th House of Hope (Mother Teresa Home)
Fly to Ethiopia- check into hotel
Oct 29th Hannah’s Hope
Lunch with Bekele
Oct 30th Fly to Mekele- visit Rachel’s Faith- AGCI women’s ministry
Oct 31st Samra- sports complex project
Nov 1st Fly back to Addis
Meetings
Korah Dump
Nov 2nd Youth Detention Center project
Bethzatha homes projects
Nov 3rd Youth Detention & Bethzatha
Nov 4th Bethzatha & Lunch with Sammy
Head to airport to pick up the team
Settle in hotel with team
Meet & Greet

Nov 5th Youth Detention Center Project
Nov 6th Hannah’s Hope
Nov 7th Pack up & Check out of hotel
Church Service (U-Go)
Drive to Awassa
Culture night
Nov 8th Bethzatha Project
Nov 9th Bethzatha project
Nov 10th Bethzatha in morning
Drive back to Addis
Nov 11th Fistula Hospital tour
Youth Detention
Nov 12th Youth Detention
Cultural Dinner
Nov 13th Youth Detention Center
Shopping afternoon
Head to Airport- debrief
Nov 14th Arrive in DC, then to Seattle, then HOME!

Well that is our TENTATIVE schedule. I am going to try and journal each day while there, sharing difficulties, pray requests, joy and what the day actually looked like. I am excited for this adventure and chapter in my life.

Thank you for your prayers!