What a great return...

I almost hesitate writing this for many different reasons, but I do not want you to get the wrong idea of what it is like here. This life is not easy. I am not suffering in a physical sense, but many things are difficult emotionally and spiritually. Thanks for sharing in them with me.

On my first day back, after suffering jet lag and severe lack of sleep, I was driving around with my friend and had this horrible thought. It was a fleeting, momentary lapse of will, but into my brain flashed the idea, "I am not glad to be back." It was sudden, confusing and scary that I would feel that way. I did not want that to come from my heart, but it did.

God was so good, allowing me to share my thoughts with others who understand and I really believe He is preparing me for the future. I am praying that this term will be my first of many and that God would let me serve Him here in West Africa. This is rather scary to pray because I understand that the answer could be no and my first reaction is to refrain from that specific of prayer until my path is more discernable. But, God has taught me over the last year (yes it has been a whole year already) that my only fears are justified being away from His will for me.

I get to wake up every morning knowing that without a shadow of a doubt I am exactly where God has told me to be. I know that everything I am was made and prepared for this. My feeling of not being glad to be back has vanished as I see God at work here in Niger and among the Fulani. I lament leaving friends and family and really important relationships behind, but God has a plan for this time, for me and for the awesome Fulani people.

Please pray that I will be faithful in my tasks and that God's Spirit would shine in my life like a cool breeze here in the hot, dry desert wind.