On Tuesday I leave for another three-week adventure to Guinea, West Africa.  When I left Guinea four years ago, I didn't think that I would ever go back.  It was one of those, been there, done that experiences.  I could cross it off my list of things to do.  The adventure was exciting, I learned a lot about what I treasure, what life is like in a third world country, and who my Lord is.  So why return?  What more can I possibly do?  Why eat things that one can't really identify?  Why sleep in places that in the United States would be marked for condemnation?  Why go through the hassle of filling my body with drugs to combat diseases that aren't even prevalent in the US?

It is amazing how God works.  I can't fully understand why I am going, but I know this is what God would like for me to do.  Yes, I'm looking forward to the 90 degree warmth, even though several people have teased me that I will still be wearing a sweater.   I will treasure the opportunity to greet the African kids in the different schools we will be visiting.  I'm excited about participating in an African worship service, witnessing the joy they have of hearing that Jesus loves them, and swaying to the rhythm of the sausa as they sing their praises.  And I anticipate spending time with our three missionary families as we encourage them, lift them up in prayer, and strategize how the Lutheran churches and schools in Kansas can assist them with the educational and spiritual needs in Guinea.  

Four years ago, I spent 21 days together with five other traveling companions.  We learned a lot about each other.  We basically knew what made each other tick.  Little did I know that the gospel light that I displayed was the reason that I'm in your midst today.  I thought I was just representing the One I call my Lord, not interviewing for a job!  But I was really following the same advice I had told my sixth grade students over and over whenever we were getting ready to leave the building for a field trip, or if they were preparing to leave for a sporting event, "You are representing not only your school, but you are also representing who you worship.  They know you go to a Lutheran school, they know that you learn about Christ.  What kind of witness do you wish to be to others?"  

Yes, that advice is easy to share, but can be difficult to follow.  Especially when sitting in a taxi for 12-14 hours, when eating rice and sauce for the fifteenth straight day, when listening to the Muslim crier calling out to the villagers at 5:00 a.m. that it is time to wake up and come to prayer, or when Africa time doesn't mean the same thing as US time!  And yet, that is what God's call is all about:  to be His disciple at all times, not just when I feel like it.  

The preschoolers sing the song "This little gospel light, I'm going to let it shine."   I pray that I'm able to display my gospel light brightly to a people group that will understand only my smile.  I pray that I will be able to display my gospel light brightly to my traveling companions when the days get long and the tempers get short.  I pray that I will be able to display my gospel light when the food on the table is 'interesting!'    

I ask for your prayers while we are gone.  Please pray that hearts will be open to the message, that our bodies adjust to the time change and food choices without any major hurdles, that our travel throughout Guinea and Mali goes without major hitches, and that the three objectives we have for the trip are met.  

Thank you for your support.  I look forward to seeing you at worship on March 24!

Enjoying the ride,

Jane