We were sent off by the congregation at all three services Sunday morning. Each service was led by the high school youth of the church and it was very well done. Not your grandfather's church service, but full of praise, worship and energy. During the past week, we lost one team member to a medical issue and put out a call at each service for anyone that would like to go on the trip for a reduced price that would cover their on the ground expenses, since the airfare was non-refundable. I had texted several members of previous teams the day before, knowing that whoever might be able to go at this late date would not only need to make arrangements with work, school, etc. very quickly, but would also need to already have all of the necessary inoculations for travel to Africa. Dan Zieschang was one of these folks. He had really wanted to come this time, but just couldn't swing it for a number of reasons. Our mutual friend Cecilia, a nurse working here in Austin, came to church and Dan immediately began working on her. He had been with her at his son's high school football game Friday night with Cecilia. She had him text me to ask where we would be serving when she heard that it was no longer going to be Kawangware. When I replied that it was Kiambu, she couldn't believe it, that's where she's from! In fact, she had been in Nairobi for a month recently and just got back about three weeks ago. He asked her to come to Redeemer on Sunday to tell the group about what to expect there. When she arrived, he told her she had to go, it was meant to be and that we would find a way to make it happen, both financially and in helping to handle the last minute details quickly. She worshipped at 8am services, saw our commissioning and plea for a volunteer there and then went to an adult Sunday School with Dan during the second service. By the time Pastor Kevin was praying a blessing over the team during the third service, she was with us as part of the team, holding hands during prayer. The Sunday School class had helped raise the money needed to send her. What a blessing! She's already a good friend, she knows the area and the dialect where we will be holding our clinic and is a nurse with a big heart for the Lord and for people's needs.
Before every mission trip, I always pray that the Lord will once again surprise us with some totally unexpected experience or will bring a special person or circumstance into our path. This time, it happened before we ever left Austin!
Click on the link below to see pictures of our orientation last month and the commissioning.
https://picasaweb.google.com/103425019225851329391/KenyaFall2012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMGJ8Jf9rru_mgE&feat=directlink
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