We are off!

Departure time:  5:40pm
Airline:  South African
Destination:  Johannesburg, South Africa
Flight time: 18 hours

It will take almost 2 days to make our final destination.  We will be landing in Johannesburg for an overnight stay Thursday evening.  In this process we will lose 6 hours, due to the time difference.  Friday will continue our flight to Livingstone, with a short stop for supplies and food and then we will be headed of into the bush by vehicle (a drive that is just under 5 hours) with our destination in site.  Today, our journey begins.   

Please remember to check the blog daily while we are gone.  If you have subscribed to receive email updates already, please know that sometimes the emails can be delayed, depending on how the technology that sends the emails wants to behave.  So I encourage you to visit the site on your own throughout the trip while we are gone to see the posts in a timely manner.

If you have not subscribed, look to your right.  There is a little box in which you can place your email address and click SUBSCRIBE.  Once you have done so, check your email inbox.  It will send you a verification that your email address is correct.  Once you have clicked that link, you will get the updates via email as well!

PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS!  We love our comments!!  We debrief in the evenings around the campfire and we will print and read your comments to the team.  They are great encouragement and we look forward to hearing from everyone back home!

We will be meeting at the church to pack our vehicles and head to the airport at 1:00pm this afternoon.  By 2:00pm we should be hitting the road, well equipped with a prayer from Pastor Ray and then off to the great wild yonder we will go!  If you would like to join us for our send-off, you are welcome to come!

Now that you have all the logistics, I would like to add a quick, personal note.  This summer I have been reading the book "Radical" by David Platt.  It has been an interesting study that my home group engaged in this summer and yes, sometimes we have to agree to disagree with some of Platt's discussions in his book.  But the one thing that we all agree on is his passion for scripture, especially Matthew 28:19-20:

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus commands each of us to make disciples of nations.  Platt has a very good way of stating that we are not to confuse this with our calling.  Regardless of what you do in life, you are told to go.  You are told to teach.  You are told to obey.  And you are told to make disciples.  Your calling will be revealed once you obey his command.

I am very grateful to be leading the Zambia team this year.  I couldn't have asked for a better group of missionaries, ready to take on their command from our Lord and Savior.  They have received their marching orders to make disciples, in which they were specifically asked (called) to go overseas and join in His work among the people in Zambia.  We are putting Matthew 28 on feet and we are excited God has given us the opportunity to reach the unreached of this Tongan nation. 

I am so excited that each of you following us to Africa will join in this mission as well.  For without your prayers and financial support, the mission would not be possible!  Thanks to each of you and we look forward to sharing with you from Zambia!  See you next post!