Tomorrow is the big day! After months of prayer and weeks of support raising for this trip, Derek and I (both of us!) are leaving for Zambia tomorrow at 9am. God has been incredibly gracious to provide in ways that we could never have imagined. We will be gone for 2 weeks and are anticipating a somewhat relaxed schedule while there. Having been there already, we know what Africa looks like, we have experienced Victoria Falls in each season (hot, cold, rainy), we are familiar with Lusaka, we have little carved animals and woven baskets, and we even have many friends there. There are a couple things that we do not know or have yet, though…
We do not know so
me of the members on the Action Zambia team. And we do not have the approval of the Action Zambia Board of Directors. Both are vitally important for us to continue making plans to return to Lusaka, Zambia as full-time missionaries. So, we will be spending intentional time with the team and getting to know them and also interviewing with the Board.
This trip feels a lot to us like going home. We have several places in the world that feel like home to us, and Zambia is one of them. It will be so great to reconnect with friends there and to just be back in Lusaka.
- Leave for Zambia on Wednesday, August 12th at 9am
- Arrive in Zambia after 29 hours en route (24 hours in flight) at 9pm on Thursday
- Have lunch with John and Eta (the CROSS/HIV team) and the Action Zambia director and family on Friday. (Eta is one of our good friends and future co-workers in the CROSS project).
- Next Wednesday, August 19th, we meet with the Board of Directors
- The last 3 days of our trip will be spent down at Lake Kariba with John, Eta, and Steve Allen (one of the Action Zambia missionaries), witnessing the CROSS project teach their curriculum to a church there.
- Leave for Minneapolis on Tuesday, August 25th
- Arrive at MSP on Wednesday at 9am
We will try to keep people updated through email and/or blog, so feel free to check back to see what we’re up to while there!
Here are a few prayer requests that we would so appreciate your intercession about while gone:
- Safety in traveling for us and our luggage
- Derek like’s to travel, but his stomach doesn’t – pray for unity there
- Confirmation for our future in this area
- Deep and fruitful times in the Word and prayer
- God to use us as a means of encouragement to the team
- Sweet times of fellowship with old friends
We look forward to sharing with you about the trip and how God will continue to answer prayers in wonderfully humbling ways. Thank you for partnering with us! We feel so supported already and praise God for His love shown to us through you.
Derek and Kristin Dearth 