Tunnel Vision

Once my family took a roadtrip to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, it was for
the last camporee there, Faith on Fire. A real great time. On the way
back to Alberta we took an extended trip through South Dakota, to see what every patriotic Canadian should, Mount Rushmore. Okay
so it really did not have much significance to our nationality but it was
cool and we had a good time. We got a campsite at this campground (it had a forsale
sign when we arrived, and was deserted, but pretty nice) which was up
the mountian side a bit. On the route there were these one way tunnels drilled straight
through the rock. Some you couldn't even see the other side, and you had
to honk before entering to make sure no one else was coming. We saw postcards
of big charter buses that could barely fit through the passageways. Evidently
we never go in any fatal collisions, as you can tell since I am writing this, alive
and well, neither any minor ones. But it was kinda nervous and exciting to
enter and not know what was around corner, hoping that the horn on our van
had echoed far enough to avoid any catastrophes. Most of life, well pretty much
all of life on earth is like driving a one way tunnel where you can't see the other
side, we just can't predict what's ahead. Those of us blessed as Christ followers,
can trust God to guide and know that even if things don't go great always, God knows the other
side and He is leading. My challenge is trust. I get my stomach in knots, keep my hand
on the horn with great pressure so to speak, just worried about what's coming around
the corner. Praise God that He is still working on me! And He helps me to see
that He's got control. He recently reminded me and humbled me on this point of trust.
I was planning on going home in November to help finish the culture study and had
asked for a moving of the plane ticket accordingly. I had asked God that I would
go ahead and leave in November should He make the way clear by allowing AFM to approve
the proposed extension. He did and that was that. Suzy and I discussed dates and decided
on when I should leave and we sent an email to AFM. The travel agent working with AFM
checked it out and made a startling discovery. My plane ticket lasts only until a year after purchase
meaning the end of August! If I stayed I'd have to buy a whole new ticket. That is not an impossible
thing to do, but it is an unneccessary waste of fundage. Now just when I thought
all was cool with my decision, a monkey wrench. Well I think God's monkey wrench.
So back to the drawing board with much prayer and for me some anxiety. I looked it over
obviously I could ask for the project to find the extra money and I stay, but that seemed
unreasonable. The best option would be leave and come back for another go around.
And that is what I have decided. The culture is scheduled to finish the end of March and
so sometime after that I'd return home. I will be traveling back home the beginning of August
for a five or six week stay, and then in September jumping back out to Benin. It was tough, I was
looking forward to at least spend a semester at CUC with friends, but God's leading
has seen otherwise. I am glad, I really do miss my family and I knew God would help me get through
another six months here (making 15 total), but He has seen fit to give me a chance to get
home a little sooner, and to be able to help complete the culture study. Another tunnel passed
for now, bring on the road ahead!