Finally here...

I've been here for about 2 weeks but I'm just geting a chance to post this....

I’m in Africa, in Guinea…it’s still kinda like a dream to me. We left Atlanta Sunday evening, arrived in Paris, France Monday morning and Monday evening we were in Guinea. But let me start from the beginning.

Sunday evening my family dropped me at the Atlanta airport and I tried my hardest not to cry…but I did tear up. While standing in the line to go through security and drying my eyes trying not to look back at my family, a lady asked where I was going because she noticed my family was there waving and my eyes and nose were turning a shade of red. I told her I was going to serve as a missionary for 8 months and she told me she’s done mission work before also. Before I left the security area this lady I’ve never met gave me money for my trip…a complete stranger.That was an encouragement and kinda like reassurance from God that this is where I’m supposed to be because He allowed me to meet this lady who’s also done missions and softened her heart for me. I thank God that I met that lady, who I never even introduced myself to. I FINALLY made it to my gate, it must have been the furthest gate in the whole airport. Sitting and waiting to board I did a lot of last minute texts and phone calls to friends and family telling them I love them and so on…again trying to contain my emotion so people in the airport don’t think I’m crazy. Getting on the plane and waiting to go was difficult. Sending my bon voyage texts to family started the tears again.

Aside from trying to control myself while waiting to take off, I was praying that my partner, Christopher, would make it on time. His flight from Kansas was delayed and he wouldn’t arrive in Atlanta until 10 or 15 minutes before the flight to Paris took off. So I was worried because I didn’t want to travel alone and who knows when we’d meet along our voyage to Guinea. So I prayed and watched through the window as the crew loaded bags onto the plane. Minutes went by, 8:40p came…that was the scheduled departure time but people were still getting situated on the plane and the outside crew was still loading/unloading stuff. So I kept praying and waiting and texting people. I texted Christopher and told him to run as soon as he got off the plane…but knowing how huge the Atlanta airport is I starting thinking he wouldn’t make it on time. He called and told me he was all the way at concourse A and our flight took off from concourse E. Just as I was about to text him and say that we were gonna take off in a few minutes I looked up and he was on the plane…another sign from God that He’s got this under control. I truly believe God used the loading/switching baggage and other passengers who had issues to give Christopher time to make our flight. What an awesome God.

The rest of the trip was pretty good. I sat next to a nice man on the way from Paris to Guinea, he’s from Guinea and told me some stuff and all the things he did in his life. As we got within 30 minutes of landing in Guinea I began to get nervous because I realized I was in Africa…all the planning, prepping, packing, training…I was finally here in Guinea! We got off the plane, made our way through customs and managed to avoid being swindled by the people in the airport and Uncle Marc picked us up. We rode throughout Conakry and stayed the night at a Christian Ministry Association place..kinda like an inn run by this Christian couple. We woke up this morning, ran some errands in the city…got SOAKING wet in the rain and started the journey to Fria. I took in everything as much as possible, but it still felt like a dream. I looked all around and even now its hard to believe that I’m across the Atlantic Ocean, ~16 hrs by plane away from the place I call home and the people I call family. Fria is a nice place, its much more green than the city of Conakry. Everyone here is welcoming so far and I’m excited to be here. Tomorrow will be our first full day in Fria and we’ll have orientation. I miss my family and friends extremely but I know that God has brought me here for a reason and its hard to believe I’ll be here for 8 months straight…that hit me to today…BUT I truly believe that at the end of the 8 months I’ll have a new family and a new place to call home. And just as I teared up as I got on the plane in Atlanta, 8 months will go by I’ll have to start the joyous task of packing all over again and I’ll make the trip to Conakry and board a plane and when I say goodbye to Guinea and the friends I'll make I’m sure there will be tears in my eyes again. God has called me here for a reason and I’m so excited to see what it is!!! He hasn’t brought me this far to leave me…this I know.

So I may cry myself to sleep for a few nights and get really homesick from time to time, or wish I could run home to mommy and daddy, but God has a plan and He’s gonna take care of me and WILL NOT leave me! So here begins my journey with God in Guinea…WAY out of my comfort zone….let’s see how this goes.

~Alex

P.S. I’m gonna have so much fruit once in comes in season….mango trees (different varieties), avocado trees, bananas, pineapple…..YUM!!!! and its gonna be FRESH!!! I’m excited about that if nothing else!!!