Monday, March 24, 2014

Prologue

If you knew me, if you truly knew me, you would understand how closely I relate to the Jodie Foster character, Alexandra Rover, in Nim's Island.  "I'm afraid of everything!" is my favorite line from that movie.  When she hollered that statement, kicking and screaming as she tried so hard not to leave her house, headed for an unknown island thousands of miles away, I could instantly identify with her.  The difference between me and her is at some point in my life, I decided that my fears were not going to dictate how I lived my life.  I would put my trust in God to the best of my ability and, well, here I am in Africa.

My journey didn't even begin with me - it began with my daughter and her and her husband's (great use of grammar there!) decision to request to be assigned to the embassy in Burkina Faso ("he" goes by the name Isaak and is a U.S. Air Force lifer).  That was 2 1/2 years ago (? - maybe longer).  She (my daughter Melissa), upon telling me the great (not)  news that they were going overseas for 2 years (which they extended without my permission) said, "you can always come and visit us!" and I said, "I'm not going to Africa.  You'll just have to see me when you take your leave of absence."

And that was the beginning.  The one thing you don't see in that exchange anywhere is the mention of the word, "GOD."  I certainly didn't use it in connection with me.  Only with them.  I was convinced God had not in anyway, shape, or form told them to go to Africa.  I was convinced of it.  I had never heard of any desire to go to Africa in all the years I have known my daughter and son-in-law and all of a sudden, out of the blue, BAM!!!  they're going to Africa.  Well, I wasn't.  And that was final.

So final that after about a year of listening to her stories of life in Burkina Faso, I began to hear a different voice.  Not mine.  Not anywhere close to mine because this voice was saying, "go to Africa." Which I was not going to do.  I had made that perfectly clear.

But I couldn't ignore that Voice.  I heard it in the descriptions of the lives of the children she encountered in the orphanages.  I heard it in the desperateness of the people who lived on the streets.  I heard it in the dying breath of the babies who couldn't hold on any longer.  I heard it in the hope and encouragement of the missionaries she had come to know in Burkina Faso.  I heard it.  And it sure as heck wasn't me.

Eventually I listened.  Reluctantly.  After about a year.  Because I just knew if I listened I would hear what I didn't want to hear.  Which was pretty clear at this point - "go to Africa."  I had two topic areas for my dissertation for my doctorate I was considering and one was in international education.  Slowly a picture began to form of what this dissertation could look like.  And one day I got up the courage to say ok, I'll go.  I'll face the prospect of the plane crashing as we cross the Atlantic Ocean, the fact that in Africa lions can eat me and terrorists can kill me, and I'll go. There was a story that I believed God had to show me that for some UN-Godly reason, I couldn't see from the United States.

Well, I landed 8 days ago today.  The plane didn't crash.  A person not afraid to fly would have probably said it was the best flight ever!  I said it was ok.  Some turbulence.  If there's turbulence of A.N.Y. kind it is not going to be the best-flight-ever.  It is highly possible in my life-time that I will never experience a best-flight-ever.  I left in a snow storm on March 16, 2014, from Dulles, VA at 8 p.m. and landed in Brussels, Belgium 6 hours and 40 minutes later (after a two hour delay because the plane had to taxi back to the terminal after someone became ill on board and wanted to get off - WHAT - couldn't decide that while you were still inside the building??? -  and then wait to get permission to taxi back out, and then get de-iced).  A three hour layover in Belgium, a meeting up with some great folks who were also traveling to Burkina Faso to drill a well (and knew someone who knew Melissa and Isaak!) and I was in the air to Burkina.

It was INCREDIBLE!!!



Meet the Afri-bag.  This 4.00 find from the Goodwill Warehouse in Richmond, VA transported my clothes across the ocean. Of course, it was not my only bag.  I had another, plain black bag full of everything except clothes.  And I had 2 carry-ons.  Fortunately for me, I pre-shipped about 9 boxes in the months, weeks and days before I left.  Because these airlines are crazy - you can check 2 bags.  In what universe????

I am going to link this blog to my facebook page and to my other blog, georgiaatseascape.blogspot.com.  I am taking a hiatus from the other blog while I am in Africa and most of my posts will now be here and not on facebook.

To Be Continued!





2 comments:

me again said...

Hah - when I logged onto here, it said the post I was looking for was not found, then clicked on one link and up it came. Clicked on another link and it came up again in another format! So much for whoever hosts these. ANYway. . . so good to read. Have you REALLY been there 8 days already??? Where did that first week go? Will be praying for you. So excited how God will use you with them while you are there. Love you!

Unknown said...

Hello, Qion and I miss you being his tutor. I hope you are safe where you are. And we cant wait until you return to the US.