Back to Niger and Back to School

For the third time in 12 months Geoff is going to Niger on a mission trip. I can't even tell you how excited he is. He loves this place and the people there. I will be posting the updates I receive on the blog, so if you're interested in what he's doing on the ground you can keep up. And please PRAY! For safety, for miracles, for God to do what only He can do. And I must say that God has really shown up for these trips. We haven't paid for a single one because of generous donations and anonymous givers. WOW. 

And for the first time in 7 years I am returning to school! It's hard for me to write that because part of me can't believe it. Homework, class, midterms!! I feel a little old for that, but really, you're never too old to learn. And it's never too late to do something you feel God has put on your heart to do...over and over and over. If you've known me a while you may remember that back in 2006 I took prerequisite classes and applied to VCU's Accelerated Bachelor's Program. I declined my acceptance for a number of reasons - good job opportunity, the money and I just wasn't certain. Despite that, it is something that continues to come up in conversations, situations and in my heart and mind. And when we visited Niger in September, the day that had the most impact on me was our day with the medical mission team. Seeing healthcare from that perspective was eye opening and devastating. That was when I knew I had to try again. I felt God tugging at my heart saying "this is what you're supposed to do." So, within a few weeks of our return, I applied to the same program at VCU, signed up for the last prerequisite (Statistics; thankfully the classes I took in 2006 were acceptable despite the time lag), and this week I received my acceptance letter. Wahoo!

My sweet husband who is so supportive sent me this:

Sunshine,

I am so proud of you! I can't wait to see what God has in store for you and our family with nursing school. Times will be even busier than they are now, but with God FIRST we will smoothly glide through.

With all my love and support!
 

Yes, this will certainly be a hard season, and it's going to be tough to be away from the kids so much. That will probably be the hardest, but it is just a season, and I want them to go after their God-given dreams. I think the best way for them to do that is to see an example. So, I'm going to trust the peace I have about it, do what I can and pray like crazy because we will need God's help to juggle it all. Here we go!