I wonder what my mother would think...

Some of my earliest recollections of church involve missionaries at our home for meals or short stays while they were stateside.  I remember the small gifts, simple carvings, baskets, and other exotic hand made items that immediately went on display in our living room.  I was young, impressionable, and of course enthralled by the stories of  Africa with it's dangers and daily struggles for survival. In those early years it must have been obvious that I  wanted to be a missionary but never pursued that for a variety of reasons.  Life happened, school, work, marriage, children, career and  what I later learned was the fervent prayers of a mother who prayed regularly that I would not become a missionary!  She did not want her son going to dangerous places... that was for someone else's son or daughter.

Fast forward to Fall of last year and the introduction one Sunday to "Covenant Kids Congo" and the effort to bring hope,  health and education to the poorest of the poor on this planet.  I can't describe what happened that day.  I still get chills recalling how I was overtaken with emotion and a feeling of being drawn to a cause, to the plight, to the challenge of reaching people on the other side of the planet with resources and hope for tomorrow. That day, when the opportunity to sponsor children came up, my wife and I knew exactly what we needed to do, that was the easy part of this journey. Later that day I told my wife Veda "who knows, someday I might get the chance to meet our kids, wouldn't that be a miracle".

Earlier this year that miracle began to take shape.  Our missions leader announced that a team would be going to Congo. If anyone was interested please see him after the service.  I looked at my wife and could see the questions in her eyes, she knew at that moment I would be going to Congo. The timing could not be worse for personal and career reasons. It was definitely not a safe place to go, but yet with all those questions I could see in her eyes her supportive answer because she knew that God was already preparing my heart for new challenges.

I'm still not sure where this journey leads but I do know that already I am not the same person I was six months ago and believe those changes are just beginning.  I wonder what my mother would think...