Few will accuse me of being a woman of few words. So I know there will be a long version, but for now here is a glimpse of God's blessings while I was in West Africa.
"Sisters"
So God knew exactly what he was doing when he picked Mindy to be the other half of our VBS team. One of my favorite things about our time with the missionaries is the title we got when we stepped off the plane. We became "Aunt Jennifer" and "Aunt Mindy." So, I figure that makes us sisters. We shared food, sat together, filled each other's water bottles, planned, laughed, kept each other sane, and coordinated VBS like we had been doing it for years. I asked questions and she is an amazing listener. Mindy also prayed me through the hardest moment of my trip when Titus was sick and crying for his mama. Only God can make that happen with someone you've SKYPED with less than 5 times. God is good.
"Oh, boy!"
This little guy captured my heart from his first borage of questions when he sat down next to me at dinner the first night. His name happens to be Josiah so I knew instantly I was gonna love him. He is all boy with a side of sweet and a side of onrie. I have a picture with him with every single creature I encountered while I was there. Including frogs, fish, and crabs. (And is sister Anna is a whole lotta sweet-love that girl too!)
"Interesting..."
Tonic water...yum! Okay, maybe not so much. One day at lunch I looked over and saw like 8 of the missionaries drinking this unfamiliar drink. It was described to me as being a bit sour with bubbles and no calories. I thought that sounded pretty good so being the adventurous one I decided I needed to give it a try. Just imagine getting a fountain soda and the syrup running out and that is basically what this beloved drink tastes like. I would describe it more like bitter and think maybe it should try out some calories. So, I of course turned to Mindy and insisted she try it. We ended up passing it down the line to each of our teammates...and still had half a bottle left when we were finished. It was like the cultural experience that kept on giving.
"Twinkies"
This little MK stole my heart. Her name is Buntu and I knew from the first day when we had "matching" hair we were going to be the best of buds. She listened intently even though she was one of the youngest in my group. Several days she brought along items from home that went with whatever we had been talking about the day before. Including her scrapbook that told the story of her adoption. I loved snuggling up with her to read all about God's special plan for her life. I have no doubt God has big plans for this precious one.
"Unexpected Blessing"
So my nails are just now loosing their tie dyed hue, but it was so worth it. This was one of those kind of last minute projects that popped into my head when the t-shirts we ordered were all out in the fun green color we intended. I'm so glad because this ended up being one of the funner more memorable things we did. Love being reminded how all-knowing our God is.
"Ladies Night Out"
One of the nights was Ladies Night Out and this time in happened to be a surprise wedding shower for one of the missionaries, Julie. It was like sitting in the most interesting and entertaining cultural lesson ever. Each of the missionaries shared a traditional wedding blessing from the people group they work with and a gift that would is commonly given to a bride. It was a lot of fun. In the picture above the bride tries to unwrap cola nuts wrapped in a banana leaf. The guests throw money at her until she has unwrapped the string.
"My Kids"
Before going on this trip I had zero experience with mk's (Missionary Kids). Working with 30 of them was definitely a crash course! I found in some ways they are just like any other children. But, I also found they grow up in a very unique set of circumstances. I am looking forward to doing some more reading on the subject. (Research I'm hoping the Lord will eventually be able to use in a future trip. :) I know one thing for sure- they captured my heart! I especially enjoyed seeing the missionary family we stayed with up close and personal. If we could have a marriage and family mentor that lived across the globe I would definitely choose Barb & Evert Temminck and their daughters Jennifer and Jessica!
"Louie"
One of the roles our team played was to use our second piece of checked luggage to bring needed items for the missionaries. This is a much cheaper and faster way to bring them much needed and desired items from the US. However, when I packed up I was out of room and pounds and still had more things to bring. So, I looked up online and thought that my carry on bag could weigh up to 40 lbs. (Come to find out later for some airlines it is MUCH lighter.) So I packed up my bag with 35 pounds of blessing and away I went. Little did I know we were going to use our 6 hour layover in Brussels to eat chocolate and check out cool old churches. Needless to say my HEAVY suitcase became a running joke as the team took turns lugging it around everywhere. It reminded me of the movie, "Leap Year" where they call the suitcase Louie. And so my much cheaper version became our very own Louie.
"Be Brave"
Don't you just love my face in this one? One of my favorite things about this trip was that it gave me a chance to exercise my faith muscles. And I found they were a little more out of shape than I liked. Committing to an airplane ticket with little money is savings, leaving my family, traveling alone, speaking essentially no French, and trying LOTS of new things without my hubbie definitely gave me daily opportunities to step out in faith, trust the Lord, and be blessed. Now the question I'm wrestling with is, "What can I do to make my daily walk with the Lord require less independence and more faith?"
"The Team"
This trip was originally supposed to be a team of four mechanics. And then at the somewhat last minute it ended up being a preacher, worship leader, two VBS teachers, and a mechanic. (and it was JUST what the missionaries needed) God plans are always better than the plans of men.
"Joy in Any Language"
One of the surprising added bonuses to this trip was getting to spend time with some wonderful orphans. While everyone else suspected this trip had to do with our adoption I was quick to say it wasn't. I knew the Lord had specifically called me to bless these MKs and I didn't want to be distracted from that purpose. However, when I innocently suggested we do a service project (thinking like help out with dinner or something like that) I was super excited when someone suggested having an orphanage come visit. It was a highlight for sure! I loved seeing their very hesitant faces turn to joy as they experienced all the fun we had planned for them. And I was so blessed to watch our VBS kids serve them with love.
(Side note: Mindy and I also visited the orphanage on our lunch break and I made some connections that might intersect with our family's adoption story...but that is for another post and a lot of prayer!)
"The One"
The last day we had the privilege of visiting a village. Our guide was, John Mark. He grew up in this village as an MK and now his family is here in Guinea continuing Bible translation work in another village. The people we met were definitely more intrigued with our light skin, different hair, and lack of ability to speak any language other than English. We were the "white people" parade and children followed us wherever we went grabbing our hands and our hearts. This little girl caught my eye from the very beginning. While I held and played with many children she was the one that God used to show me how he sees his children. Something about those eyes just captured me. The crowd of curious children ebbed and flowed like the tide, but she was the one I always looked for. As our time to leave grew closer I picked her up to give her a big squeeze. It was then that the Lord broke my heart in two. I was thinking about how when I often say goodbye I think about the assurance we have of being reunited with brothers and sisters in Christ one day in Heaven. But, it struck me that for this little girl there is no mama or daddy who loves Jesus, no Sunday School teacher, no caring Christian auntie, no Bible laying on a table for her to come across. And it was all I could do not to cry. As I held her I prayed over this little life that I didn't even know her name. Praying that God would intervene and make himself known to her. She was the "one" that made the urgency of the gospel in Guinea real and I have yet to forget.
"My Hubbie"
I can't write a post about this trip without Jeremy. He was so essential to this journey. Before I left he sent me with a new journal and a very special note. In it he reminded me that according to the word of God we are one entity. And me going to Guinea wasn't like him going it WAS him going. He was the one who filled my role of mama, cared for our children while they were sick, and held everything together while I was gone. Many people helped, but ultimately is was him. During our hardest Skype conversation as Titus was sick and crying for me he said, "Honey, we are fine. Dr. Dobson is going to write a book about us were so good." I laughed and knew it wasn't true, but loved him for saying it and making me smile. When I arrived at the airport he was holding these flowers and I kissed him to the lovely melody of our middle child wailing in the background because she desperately needed to pee. (thus there being no storybook homecoming pics). But that is the beautiful messy life God has called us to and I'm so glad Jeremy is the one leading me through it. If I have one regret it is that he wasn't physically with me to experience this life changing experience. But, I know the Lord has purpose in his plans and I'm excited to see what He will bring.
And I didn't have time to tell you about all the missionaries I met and learned from, the big brother I gained, the food we ate, the miles we traveled, and the cool stuff I brought home, but for now there you have it, the "short" version. ;)
