Flying to 'Tomorrow'
And the little book about the orphans
We fly to ‘tomorrow’ in 7 days. ‘Tomorrow’ is across the dateline on the other side of the globe, where plants flourish in the heat and steam and where it’s suitable for flip-flops, ponytails, and umbrellas to shield the sun’s rays.
Gateway’s Camelia blooms are frozen, the pond is partially covered with ice, and the days are short. No more Christmas lights shining or reminders of a new year’s beginning. Our suitcases are open to begin loading the necessities for the two months of mission travel. They will be loaded, weighed, unloaded, repacked, and weighed - over and over until we place the locks and tags on them for the last time. We inevitably overpack some things and miss some essential items - like our Oppo phone we left home on the previous trip.
Friends and family will visit during these seven days. We will check and recheck to ensure nothing goes wrong while away. Our ‘loves’ on both sides of the globe have our itinerary and contact information.
Eight years ago, while still a widow, I was ready to finalize my plans to return to Ghana, Africa. My eyes and heart had seen a door of opportunity to serve a village in the Muslim side of the country. They needed water, sanitation, a school, and a church for the children and grandchildren of the chief who recently pursued a knowledge of this Jesus he had heard of. I saw the purpose of mission work in this needy village and took steps to achieve that purpose. Then…
The missionary to the Philippines asked me to marry him, and I said, “Yes.” My dear friend from an earlier time and place was planning another trip to continue his work on a high school curriculum on biblical creation. I would ensure he understood I would accompany him as his wife, but he should not expect me to have the same passion for the work or the people there. My heart was already full of love for my own children, grandchildren, and the Ghanaian children in the village. “Full!” I insisted. He just smiled and continued packing.
The 30-hour trip is grueling, but the hugs and love words from the children are intoxicating. My heart, which broke open the first week after arriving, always had enough love pour out to make room for the children who crowded inside it to take their ‘forever’ place.
My first children’s book, The Adventures of Rica Mae and Juliet: The Field of Flowers, introduces children on this side of the globe to the life of orphan children in a faraway, unfamiliar culture. You can find it on Amazon. Book 2 of the trilogy about those adorable little girls is on its way to the illustrator in the Philippines. Book 3 will wait for my return to the US.
At Gateway, we will gaze at Mars, Jupiter, Orion, the Pleiades, and the Milky Way; I will turn on the grow light for our precious indoor plants that we hope to keep alive, and we will sleep under the thick down comforter for the last time before we fly to ‘tomorrow.’
Oh, yes. I can’t forget to pack the mosquito repellant and the roach traps.
It’s a good day to give thanks.