The Best Laid Plans....

The following will be a good illustration of my my life in Africa the last few weeks. Here I have a perfectly good cloudy Saturday afternoon on which I have determined to bring this blog up to date and now I am going to have to stop soon. I actually still have an internet connection, but now the power keeps fluctuating on and off and my laptop battery is extremely low. Oh, the best laid plans!! I will however leave you with a few items that I have found "interesting" and have had to get used to since coming to Africa:
---- Having gecko's running everywhere inside the house. As it turns out, they are a blessing (once you get used to them) because they eat the bugs that are also in your house.
---- Sleeping under a mosquito net every night and learning to view mosquitoes as your mortal enemy.
--- Having to turn on the small switch located ON the outlet every time you want to use the outlet. I can't tell you how many things I thought I was charging only to find out later that I hadn't turned on the switch!!
--- Having to learn to turn on the switch that turns on the hot water heater. ( I'm sensing a pattern here.....)
--- Ordering a hamburger and having it show up on a tortilla bun.
--- Getting used to calling french fries "chips".
--- The fact that having electricity can constitute having a great day!!!!!!
More later.........

The Arrival.....

I arrived at the Kilimanjaro International Airport on Nov. 6th at around 8pm. I was sooo thankful that all of my flights and connections went smoothly and without delay. The Lord further showed His kindness when I made it through Customs and Immigration without a single hitch. My bridge family, Gary and Judy Woods, and their daughter Kendra Stephenson were waiting for me on the other side of Customs and were amazed at the speed at which I had made it through. In fact, I believe I now hold the new team record for the fastest entry! :-) As soon as we loaded the Landcruiser it began to rain and the team was soooo excited. Judy then told me that they had been going through a major dry spell and had been fervently praying for rain. Judy told me, " You have brought the blessing with you. You have brought the rain!" After a 45 minute drive to Arusha we arrived at Gary and Judy's home where I was to stay for the next 4 weeks. After going in a coma upon my arrival I woke up bright and early to begin my new life in Africa. Gary, Judy, and Kendra had tentatively found me a rent house located right next to Kendra and Jeremy, her husband. My first full day was a blur of activity. Within 20 or so hours from landing in Africa I: decided on the house, bought all my major appliances including gas stove, washer, and refrigerator, bought small appliances, got my new cell phone number and made an appointment to look at a vehicle the next day! Not bad for being in the country less than 24 hours!! The next 2 weeks are not quite so vivid in my memory as most of my time was spent battling jet lag and exhaustion. Most people have a hard time getting into new sleeping patterns when they visit or move to a new time zone. I had no trouble, but for about 2 weeks I could hardly keep my eyes open. One time while helping Judy in the kitchen I actually feel asleep while standing up! I am soooo thankful that the Woods were so kind to let me take lots of power naps during those days.

Greetings from Africa

Greetings at long last from Arusha, Tanzania! Today is Dec. 20th and I have now been in Africa for a little over a month and a half. I apologize that I have been so delayed in writing. One of the many adjustments that I have found since coming here is that African life has a much slower pace than I was once used to in the States. I am learning that things, like my internet getting hooked up, may not always happen on my time schedule, but eventually they do happen. :-) In the following entries I will attempt to catch you up on some of what has transpired in my life since I arrived in Arusha on Nov. 6.

Welcome!!!!

Greetings!
So glad that you made it here! I am still currently stateside and don't have too much exciting news to share with you right now, but stay tuned and I will keep you updated. At the moment I am still waiting to receive my work permit from Africa so that I can leave. Waiting has been a long arduous journey, but the Lord has remained faithful and He has taught me much during this time.
You may have wondered why I titled this site, " A Beautiful Mystery"? I believe that when we are walking hand in hand with the Lord that is what life becomes.....a beautiful mystery. Each new day is filled with wonder and the unknown. I guess the real mystery is how and why the Lord chooses to love each of us so fully and completely even when we fail Him so much. He is sooooo very good!
Be blessed and know that I am so glad that you have chosen to join me on this glorious adventure!!