Lord, extend your hand!

Well, the week that we have dreaded for months is here. This is the week we pack. I am not sure what or how to pack for our family of 5 to head to rural Africa. So, before we began this part of our journey, Travis and I sat and had coffee with our missionary friends that we meet with each day. In truth, they do all of the talking. We only listen and learn. From all over the world, they share their insights with us each morning. They are the writers of daily devotionals in a book called "Voices of the Faithful."

In yesterday's reading, "G" in South Asia related her prayer that God would extend His hand and give life to her. Reflecting on this part of Psalm 63, we prayed over all our loved ones that needed God's extended hand. And we prayed for ourselves. That God would extend His hand to us as we are saying goodbye to stuff and people.

And He did.

Through His children.

We marveled that my sister and her husband cared for our children, a friend (who once lived in Bundi!) brought us a beautiful meal, a cousin wrote an email with the charge "Go!!!!!!!!", a brother called with a new found partnership in this kingdom work, a phone call to a Boston friend related that she had been praying for us at 5am... and all of this was before 12 noon!

Our hearts were encouraged as God extended His hand through His obedient children.

Now if He would just come here and pack these duffles!