We have been in the United States for over two weeks now. It is amazing how different things look here after living in Africa for over a year. The things we used to take for granted are now a luxury to us. Even something as simple as fresh water from the tap can seem like a gourmet item. Do Americans realize how good they have it? The rest of the world would be in awe to see the luxuries that Americans experience and take for granted every day. On a different note, we have been blessed to see and reconnect with many friends and family members. We will treasure these moments long after we return to Africa on May 8. In a way, this visit is giving us strength that will help carry us through the coming years.

Yesterday, my grandmother passed away.  We didn’t make it back in time.  Even as I write this, we are still in Conakry.  Our plane leaves this evening to head home.  We’ll arrive there tomorrow.  We did get to speak to her on the phone one last time a few days before she died.  The funeral will be in a few days.  Please keep our family in your prayers.  Thank you.

As I sit here typing this blog, my grandmother is struggling for breath thousands of miles away.  Her body has been ravaged by a series of heart attacks that are taking her increasingly quickly toward death’s door.  And so we are preparing to fly back to the United States to sit by her side and say goodbye before she leaves us.  We pray that the flights will get us there fast enough.  Please pray for us during this unexpected but necessary journey.  Pray that God will allow peace to settle over our family.  Pray for his comfort in my grandmother’s life.  We praise God that she has professed faith in Jesus Christ.  For her, this is not the end of the story but the beginning of a new chapter.

“Faith, what’s happening?”

We had just crossed a bridge after leaving the market, and a huge crowd of angry men was approaching us. They were shouting and waving their hands. My mind raced to the recent riots and unrest in Guinea.

We were weighed down by a heavy load of glasses, dishes, and silverware. The afternoon sun was scorching hot. I quickly looked around. There was no way around the advancing mob.

“Faith, what’s happening?” I yelled again. Then I saw two police officers dragging a young boy about 14 years old through the streets. They stopped just beside us.

“He’s a thief,” she said. “They will beat him. It is good.”

Apparently the boy got caught stealing something. His public beating was both a punishment and a warning to others. For me it was a visible reminder of Exodus 20:15:

“Thou shalt not steal.”