"The opportunity to minister is huge – lots of home visit opportunities with HIV/AIDS clients, children who are orphaned often from HIV, children with little support and loving environment, older adults who have experiences many losses and sorrows, churches with many different needs, orphanages, schools, World Hope employees – list goes on and on."
- Excerpt from Prof. Leslie's Email While in Zambia

Zambia Team :-)

Let the Rain Pour Down...

Tonight I am sitting in my room watching the lightening flash, feeling the thunder roll in, and hearing the very first drops of rain that will undoubtedly turn into a deluge before this post in complete.

I love Iowa storms. Truly.

I realized today that I started this blog a very long time ago, but have yet to share it with any of you. Well, the time is here. I guess it started as a random journaling site that I came to whenever it struck my fancy. Starting very soon, it will be my avenue to communicate with you, my friends and family, about my life in Africa. It is amazing to read back over these few posts and see how God has been working to bring me to this point. It is up to you whether or not you read them. I was going to take them down, but decided that they were a part of this journey too. So they sit untouched.

The rain is here in full force!

I pulled out my two duffel bags this afternoon and realized that they are smaller than I remembered them to be. I laughed at myself. As long as I am clothed and have medical supplies, we will be good to go. ;-) As I look around my room I realize just how much "stuff" I have. Part of me wants to pack these two bags and then give the rest away. However, I do not know of a soul that would want most of it. I am such a sentimental goof. My little thrift store dolls my mom sent me at college ( and Darcy knows I love), my own artwork, notes from friends and family, my stuffed animals, or my quilt that is literally falling apart. And yet, even as I go through this in my head, I see just how rich I am and how comfortable my life is.

I have a few shifts left at the nursing home. It is hard work, but sometimes I have moments when I am reminded of just how awesome it is to work with those people. Tonight it was talking to a 100 yr old former missionary to Honduras in Spanish and making him laugh harder than I have ever heard him laugh before.

I am enjoying my last few days here. Wrestling the weeds out of the garden, baking and freezing veggies, working, talking walks with my dad, and picking my little brother up from school. I love my family.

I am so excited to get back to school and see everyone for a few days and prepare to fly across the ocean. I know that God is going to continue His great work in the lives of my friends at IWU, in the lives of my family here in Iowa, and be using my team and I in Zambia in ways we cannot imagine. It is awesome what God does when we give him the controls.

Looks like tonight, the sky is heavy
Feels like the winds are gonna change
Beneath my feet, the earth is ready
I know its time for heaven's rain, it's gonna rain
-Rain Down ( Delirious)

Soon!

I will be leaving for IWU on September 5th. My team will leave for Zambia on September 10th!

I am excited for this new adventure and for all that I know God is going to do while we are there.

Please pray for my team as we prepare to go. I know that I have many things to do before I take off and I am sure that they do too. Pray for our hearts to be full and open. Pray for our families and friends to know that they are letting us go in God's hands.

God is so good. All the time.
Leza Mubotu, Njindi Yoonse.