Beginnings of an African Adventure

Hope all is well wherever this may find you! It is safe to say that I made it to the continent of Africa in one piece, very exhausted yes, but well. There are so many stories already that I could tell about God's sweet, loving faithfulness to me but I will tell you just a few. It is a crazy thing to be honest enough to say that I have had some really rough patches and moments in life and God sincerely brings me through each and everyone with enough courage to help someone on the other side.

While flying from Vegas to D.C., I found myself begging God to show me evidence even then that He wanted me in Africa. I already had my yes on the table and I was completely willing but still somewhat fearful that I could somehow miss something else that He actually wanted for me. However, He always sees fit to take care of me in every small detail. I prayed and prayed that there would just be mission teams on the plane on the way to Ethiopia from D.C. I didn't even ask for a conversation, I just asked for there to be proof that God is alive and at work all over the world. When I arrived in D.C., I didn't have a boarding pass to get to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and so I went to the desk to ask and as I walked away, I saw an entire group of women wearing shirts with the continent of Africa (anyone who has ever been on a church trip knows that at some point, there will always be matching outfits or t-shirts and so this was a clear sign ;) ). I walked over and just asked where they were from and what they were doing-- missions, yep, thank you Jesus for your evidence. I almost started crying when I saw them and realized how good God is to me in every single thing I ask. After I got myself settled there, I was charging my phone when another lady, Vicki, who was part of another team going to Uganda came over. She was a sweet mom, with a 16 year old daughter also going on the trip. We talked about different places we had traveled, differences between places and how God really is at work all over the world. I met her daughter, Lizzie, after that for just a moment and then they sat with their team. Later on, Lizzie came back over and we talked about her going to college after she finishes her last year of high school and what missions could look like for her. I was thrilled to share my heart for Africa and people to love Jesus with Lizzie and was so compelled by her passion to see change in the world.

Anyways, I know I am sharing so much detail but feel that I must especially because I am able to easily communicate now.... I board the plane to Ethiopia and we leave DC about 45 minutes to an hour late. There was very little time between when I landed in Addis and when I left for Johannesburg but I felt sure I would make the flight. The closer that we got to Ethiopia, the more I realized that I was probably going to miss my flight and I was already thinking of a million worst case scenarios about what could happen because of it. Little did I know that by the time I had left the plane, a worker from Ethiopian Airlines was waiting for me because they had already booked me onto Johannesburg (going through Nairobi, Kenya mind you--the homeland because this is my name and all-- haha). However, there was another girl, Leah, who was going to miss her flight to Jo'burg which would also set her back from getting to Botswana to see her brother and sister-in-law. I am standing there witnessing this sweet American girl be told that she can stay in Addis overnight and they will cover her hotel expenses and everything and tears from her eyes... I flashed back to 2 years ago that this same thing happened to me in the UAE and I was stuck there for 24 hours waiting for a flight out (another story for another time if you do not already know this). God spoke so clearly and said tell her to go to Jo'burg with you and she can stay there for the night and fly out of Jo'burg tomorrow to be with her brother. I said those words out loud and it was a clear calm. This was a much better solution than going into a city unprepared alone. I called Suria to confirm that she did not mind and she, of course, was fine with it. They picked us up from the airport that night and Coen was able to take Leah to the airport on Friday for her to go on to Gaborone. In that time, we were all able to share just through the overflow of our lives what God has been doing and what has caused us to walk away, as well as walk toward Jesus. It was interesting to spend time with her in the airport, on the plane, and back at Coen and Suria's house for her to just sit back and relax and us to just chat. I think it was beneficial for all of us. Who knew that I would have to take a 35 hour trip to get to Africa for that?? Yet, so worth it... and some good moments at the beginning of my trip.

I will try to make this as short and sweet as possible but I do want to share just another moment I had with Jesus on the way over. A lot of you reading this know that I have an incredible passion for genocide and the causes of it, as well as the effects (I continue to wonder how this will play out for me) and so flying over the Sudan is like a hidden treasure for me. We had approached Europe and the Mediterranean at night and began toward the continent of Africa as the sun was rising. I don't know if you have ever seen the deserts of Egypt and Sudan as the sun is rising but it is truly incredible.... so much so that I'm sure that my mouth was wide open the entire time as I stared across the vastness of it all. As I watched the colors change, I was reminded of a clip of Beth Moore that I have recently been listening to. She describes the sun setting over her subdivision on the way home from a conference and how much love she had for Jesus in those moments. In her message, she shares that she just begs of God, "Why do you love me so much? Why?" In her moments of realization, she understood that God is and was love, that He is the creator of love but that more than anything, He is the epitome and description of all that love could every imply. As she watched the sunset over her subdivision, she felt that God was just teaching her to just love Him too... He already loved her, she needed to love Him too. In the moments I watched the sun rise over the desert of Africa, there was so much love that God poured into me and all I felt my response could be was, "I love you too." What a faithful Jesus I serve.

I am praying that your heart may be overwhelmed with God's love for you in every small and slight detail, and in every big picture. May you see Him, hear His voice, and follow Him every step of the way. Thank you so much for your prayers for me. I am looking forward to sharing Africa with you soon. Love you all.

-Melis