arrival

I’m finally here! After 24 long hours of flying and layovers, I arrived in Cotonou at 7 p.m. last night. The next hour was probably the most stressful of my entire life! Everyone on the plane and in the airport was either French or African therefore spoking only French (or very broken English with a thick French accent which was even more confusing than French itself) and although I have taken French all of my life, I could not communicate at all! I could make out bits and pieces of what they said, but when I tried to speak everyone looked at me like whatever came out of my mouth was just mindless blabber. Finally one man on the plane noticed my US passport and came up to talk to me in English – of course the first thing he asked was “It’s your first time in Africa isn’t it. I can tell”. Great, I actually do look as lost and confused as I feel. We chatted for a bit (turns out he was an American and also used to live in Missouri) and I was able to get my way past security and into the baggage claim. This was just one room probably about the size of a basketball court (think the actual court that is played on, not the whole gym area) with the conveyor belt holding bags snaking around the room and tons of metal carts to help people carry their luggage. Now add in the 250 people on the plane, all of their luggage, the 25 people in uniform “helping” with bags, and the 90 degree humid heat and you make for a very overwhelming experience. After about 20 minutes of pushing my way through people, standing on my tip toes, and jumping, I finally caught one glimpse of the conveyor belt. It took about half an hour, the help of 3 African men, and lots of broken attempts at speaking French, but I finally had my bags. I got ready to push my way back through the crowd of people towards the exit, and soon discovered that one of the wheels on one of my duffel bags had broken. I pushed through the exit doors completely exhausted and disoriented, dripping in sweat, and dragging two 50 pound duffels and could only think of wanting to be at home. Thankfully, I immediately saw the group holding a Mercy Ships sign. Once we recognized each other they were all so nice and excited, and I soon forgot about how much I had hated my first hour in Africa.

The drive from the airport to the ship was another long adventure in itself… in Cotonou, traffic laws are merely vague suggestions. Throughout the entire drive I was tense and terrified, but the most frightening part of the ride was when we drove for two miles down a one way street going the opposite direction. I swore right then that I absolutely will not drive as long as I am here.

Once on the ship, I had to fill out a few papers then got to come to my room. I share a cabin with 5 other girls, all much older than me. It is very close quarters with no natural light, but it is actually fairly comfortable. I was able to unpack all my things and settle in a bit before finally getting some much needed rest.

on the way...

The day is finally here, I am on my way to Cotonou! I am currently sitting in the Detroit airport waiting for my flight to Paris. I will be arriving in Cotonou, Benin, tomorrow at 7 p.m. local time (1:00 p.m. for those of you in St Louis). Saying goodbye to my family was undoubtedly the hardest part of my trip so far. Emma Claire’s loud sobs could break anyone’s heart, but Isaiah’s silliness helped to lighten the moment. But once I got past the tears, I realized again how incredibly excited I am to be going to Africa. While waiting to board my first plane, I was texting with some friends and thinking myself crazy for what I was about to do. But right as they called my flight to board, I got a text from a friend saying “You’re not crazy, you just wanna serve God! So go!!” That small text gave me the strength to step onto the plane and leave my beloved St Louis behind. Once I turned my phone on in Detroit, I had received several texts from friends and family encouraging me and saying that they were praying for me. It is so exciting to see how many people back at home feel just as much a part of my travels.

I have been amazed over the past months to see God’s hand so clearly orchestrating these plans for the next 7 months. Now that the time is here, it feels so surreal. When I was making the plans, I of course knew what I was getting myself into, but it never really feels like the day is gonna come. Even as I bought my plane ticket, packed up my bags, and said teary goodbyes to my friends, it never really seemed real. It first hit me the realness of the situation last night as I was putting my little brother and sister to bed. They sat cuddled up in my lap for half an hour, showering me with hugs and kisses. Isaiah looked up at me and, in his sweet little voice with pleading eyes, begged, “Kendall, will you miss me while you are gone?” All summer I have asked him if he will miss me, but last night, for the first time, he wanted to be sure I too would miss him. Today, standing at entrance to security, I had to hug everyone goodbye for the last time. That is when the whole situation felt completely real.

At this time my prayers for the next 20 hours are for safety over the rest of my trip. Also, please pray that I will look with excitement at what is to come, even though I had to leave my family and friends behind. Jesus asks us if we will be willing to leave everything we own in order to live a life serving Him. While this is probably one of the hardest steps to take, He promises a life full of joy in serving Him! I know that throughout this trip it is inevitable for me to feel sad at what I have left behind in the States, but the rewards, both in this earthly life and in heaven, will be well worth it! Please pray that in the midst of saying goodbye, I remember that I am heading towards the most incredible adventure of my life so far. Pray that He will also comfort my family as they all struggled to say goodbye, especially Emma Claire. Please continue to pray that upon arriving in Cotonou I will make close friendships quickly in order to make up for (but not replace!) those I have left behind.

almost there!

With just 9 days remaining til I leave for Africa, I am amazed at how the Lord has so evidently answered my prayers. Although not all of my support has come in, the amount I have left to raise seems so much more manageable. I now have enough money to cover all of my crew fees for the entirety of my trip, I just need the money for a flight home!
Now that most of my friends have left for college, I have found myself with two weeks just full of free time. Because I love to bake so much, I decided I should try selling some of my favorite things and see if I could raise just a bit more money before I leave. I expected that maybe a few people would be interested, but I didn't really think I'd get much response. Thanks to people spreading word through emails, however, I have now sold over $300 worth of breads and desserts in just 3 days! My hope is that over the next week I am able to continue baking and selling and will be able to earn at least 1/4 of the plane ticket.
Another way that God has clearly answered my prayers has been through something as simple as facebook! I have been worried about traveling all the way to Africa without knowing a single person when I arrive. But through facebook I have been able to meet a couple of people that will be on the ship at the same time as me. One person in particular is about to serve for the second time, so he has been extremely helpful in answering my constant barrage of questions and helping me to feel more sure of what to expect.
Seeing God's answer to prayer so clearly portrayed over the past two weeks has truly helped to strengthen my confidence and ease my fear about traveling so far from home. I can hardly wait for these next 9 days to go by so that I can be on my way!