The day started off Great with our Sunday morning worship services at CCV. Ben’s vocals were spot on, Brian’s sermon was heartfelt. Shortly after church was over for the morning I grabbed a few last minute items from the store and made my way home to share what little time I had left with Shelli and the boys.

On the way home, my wife called and she informed me of how our two toddlers were a couple of grumps and she thinks Michael knew something was up. He may not be old enough to articulate that daddy wasn’t going to be home for a while but he sure knew I was leaving. When we put him down for his afternoon nap he was sure to give me a few big hugs, definitely not the norm for him. I usually only get one small hug at naptime unless he is feeling particularly affectionate.
After the boys were down for their nap, and I was sure I had all my stuff packed up, Shelli and I had a quiet moment on the couch. She let a few tears sneak out, held me tight, and told me how much she loves me. I’m so lucky. I don’t think we have ever spent more than 4 days apart so spending a little more than a week in Kenya without them is a big step. I packed up my car, got my last few kisses at the door and was off to meet the team and head to Philadelphia Airport.

This trip should prove to be quite interesting with the team that is going. IM THE ONLY EXTRAVERT!!! Diane, Brian and Dan are all introverts and I couldn’t stop laughing at how Diane booked our seats on the plane. She was sure to separate us all and later told me, “Frank, I have to eat 3 meals with you a day, you don’t need me to sit with you on the plane.” Rarely is there a conversation that I have where we don’t laugh.

We quickly checked our bags and made our way through security. There were no issues and I can tell you British Airways is awesome. All of the staff on the airplane were very friendly, helpful, and attentive to passenger needs.

I have no idea what we’ll see when we arrive in Kenya. The country is nicknamed “The Jewel of Africa” because it has a little of everything that Africa has to offer – desert, rainforest, mountains, and beaches. But its largest city, Nairobi, is nicknamed “Nairobbery.” The slums there are among the worst in the world. I am a bit nervous about seeing poverty on this scale.

The last time I was exposed to rough conditions was in Jordan. While we were traveling to sights around Petra and Jerash I encountered kids that had nothing. Their clothes were falling off their bodies and they were begging me for water. I gave them what I had and gave them money but what we are going to see is more than 20-30 kids. Millions live in these slums.

Pray for me. Pray for the team. Pray for Kenya.