Today was a big day on this journey to Africa.  Our team met and took care of some bookkeeping type chores:  passports-check, yellow fever vaccine cards-check, new visa applications-check, copy of current bank statement (required for the visa)-check, child protection video watched-check.  Then, our fearless leader, Travis, announced that we all had to practice our C2C presentation.  C2C is the short story of the gospel from Creation to Christ. We hit the high points (creation, Noah, the law and sacrifices, the prophets, and Jesus. The first brave volunteer (who did a spectacular job) said that she practices on her 18 month old as they travel in the car.  That child is going to know her stuff!!

 I managed to avoid making eye contact with Travis each time he said, "Next!" until I was the next to last person.  As a perfectionist, I was far from satisfied with my attempt.  I know I could have done a better job with a slick powerpoint presentation!  None of us were too happy with our attempts. Travis reminded us that our obedience comes in speaking the words.  After that the Holy Spirit does the work.

Then, he said something that I know to be so true (but needed a good reminder).  God will not enable this trip, provide the finances and resources, carry us safely from Nashville to Cincinnati, to Paris, to Niger, to have our words be the stumbling block.

These words transported me to a pivotal night last August.  I was given the opportunity to apply for a new job.  I have spent the last 27 years teaching children.  In August my pulse quickens as I set up my room and then my heart sings as the desks fill.  By May, I am ready for a 2 month break, but come August, I'm ready to go again.  I love teaching.  It's one of the few things about which I feel self-confident.  This was an opportunity to leave my familiar classroom and teach teachers.  I will sing, dance and do all manner of silly things in front of a classroom full of children.  Speaking/teaching/leading a large group of teachers and administrators--now that's scary stuff.  For many reasons, I was confident God was leading me to this new job.  I told him I would pursue it until he threw down a stop sign.

 I got the job.  I couldn't tell anyone for several days. That night, I sat in the back of a dark van full of people and had a mini-panic attack.  In my heart, I cried out, "God, I can't do this.  This is so far out of my comfort zone.  I don't even know if I WANT to do this."  He gently chided me with this message, "I did not set you up to fail and to believe I did, is sin.  Be obedient and believe that this will happen and I will make sure you are successful if you continue to trust me."

I love this job!  It's sometimes still way out of my comfort zone.  Presenting to a group of 200 school administrators is still some scary stuff, but when I feel that fear rising, I know what to do.  I repeat to myself, "HE didn't set you up to fail."

He's not setting us up to fail in Niger.  Our stumbling, stammering stories will come out of our mouths, talented translators will make our words sound familiar to our Songhai friends, and the Holy Spirit will make our message beautiful.  I ask that you would join me in praying for the ears that will hear those words.