JOURNEY
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I
praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?Psalm 56:3-4
We left the US for Sudan in early January of 2008. We had all been following
the news of the political and social turmoil in Nairobi, Kenya. We had to fly in
and out of Nairobi to get to our destination in Sudan. We watched the riots and
read of the numbers killed and displaced by the violence. We had conference
calls together and prayed a lot. What should we do? The only correct human
answer was to not go. To fly into such uncertain conditions was not wise. I had
many Christian friends questioning the wisdom of continuing on with the trip.
The State Department had a travel advisory to avoid travel to Kenya unless
absolutely necessary. There was much that needed to be done in Sudan and if we
did not go it most likely would not get done. In addition to setting up the
clinic and providing much needed medical care we needed to take in medial and
building supplies for the hospital project in Sudan, set up the compound for the
surgical and building teams coming in after us and keep our word to the people
of Werkok that we would return. We went. It was a strange feeling sitting in a
777 that can carry 300 people with only 50 passengers on board. Most all of us
were missionaries or aid workers. We talked and prayed on the flight from London
to Nairobi. The trip from the Kenyatta Airport to the Mayfield Guest House was
very quiet. In a city of about 4 million people, the only ones out were the
police and military. Two days later, we left Nairobi via Wilson Airport and flew
up to Loke and then onto Werkok. All of our flights went well and were
uneventful. A month later we retraced our path back to Nairobi and then home.
Nairobi was much different then. People were out and about, businesses were open
and traffic was back to normal. Now we are all back home safe and sound.
I struggled with going on this trip. After I got to Sudan, I felt a deep
peace and felt at that time I had made the right decision, but I did not feel
that way until then. I know and accept the risks involved in missionary work,
and I think the Lord has called us to be wise in what we do. I search and pray
for divine guidance and always pray that I am doing this for the Lord and not
for me. Struggle is part of the Christian life. It was a good and blessed trip.
Stories will follow.
Michael McMahon
"If you live for the next world, you get this one in the deal:
but if you live only for this world, you lose them both."
- C. S. Lewis
Prayer Power
Pray for wisdom from above in all we do. Do not pray for your life to be easy
but for the strength thorough Jesus Christ to live your life as He wants.