Africa...here I come

Most of my close friends and family know that since I was a child I have wanted to be a missionary and most of my life I believed I would end up in Africa. I use to dream of living in a mud hut and hiking the mountains of Africa to tell all those villages, who had never heard about Jesus. I know I was naive about so many things back then but my heart for those people have never left. Even back when I was in college my sister Laura bought me an African journal for when I went to Africa and enclosed money in to help me with my trip. My sister Holly was asked 2 summers ago to come over to Cameroon and teach the missionary's kids. In about two months she had got things in order to go and she left the day Abe was born (almost 17 months ago). She did have to come back home to get her visa extended, and got to see Abe but her plan was to stay only one school year. Then she decided to stay on for the summer and help with camp. Then again the Lord led her to stay and go another school year. We still aren't sure if she will come home this May or again decide the Lord wants her to stay. Anyway, who can blame her. She is seeing the Lord use her in such wonderful ways...and all the time, her e-mails are incredibly full with prison trips, bi-weekly bush trips, counseling, and not to mention teaching with the missionaries. Life is definitely different over there and busy!
My sister Laura was thinking about visiting her this Spring. It is so much different when you can share with someone where you have been and meet the people and share all that with a experiential knowledge. Then comes January and a family member gave us a large money gift. The next day Mike says "I think you should go to Cameroon with Laura, you have always wanted to go, you are so caring about what Holly is doing and I think we have enough money to do it. Well we talked and prayed about it for a few days then today (2 wks later) I have tickets to Cameroon for March. Yesterday I had to go get a yellow fever shot and Tuesday I have to go get about 5 more. We are also filling out visa paperwork, getting travelers insurance, and the list and expenses go on. but I am so thankful for this opportunity and I can hardly believe it is even true. It looks like we even may get to go on a bush trip for a weekend to counsel some young believers. Mike is so wonderful, he has worked hard to make this happen and he will be watching the boys for 2 wks alone! More details to come :)