From Idaho to Africa!

Well, she's gone. 

 Our dear Rose and her sweet friend, Brenna are in route as I write.

  From Idaho, to Seattle, to Amsterdam, to Entebbe, to Jinja.  

It is about a 25 hour plane trip to Uganda, Africa where they will spend the next three weeks

 ministering with some very dear folks, Paul and Pam Hunter of Next Generation ministries. 

 I'm stealing some photos from Rose's blog....but better yet,

 I hope you wander your way over there and see for yourself what God is doing 

in this young ladies heart!  

I am so excited for Rose and Brenna, but I am going to miss Rose dearly! 

She is such a vibrant soul...I will be missing all the laughs and great talks, 

 the singing together and being together.

Meanwhile, I am preparing for our annual women's retreat, 

where I will be sharing the weekend with around 30 other ladies, and, 

I will be speaking for two of the four sessions. 

 You know, the great thing about preparing a lesson to share, is that in the preparation, 

God does amazing things in my own heart!  

So it is really a blessing to be the speaker, and thus, because of my new found, AHA! moments,

 I am so excited and eager for the retreat!!

I will be leaving the children home with daddy for part of the time,

 and Joe will be in charge while daddy is at work. 

 Joe is quite a kid magnet, like his daddy...and very responsible almost 16 year old, 

so no worries there.

  However, the two littles are sick again with a croupy kind of cough, congestion,

 and Olivia has a fever.  

 Ten years ago I never would have left the children for two and a half days, 

but older now, and hopefully wiser, I am much more relaxed with them and laid back. 

 They will be in good hands...I need not be a control freak and mother them every second,

 and...God sees us in all we do, He sees our good intentions, 

our motives to get away now and then for some intimate time with Him and other women..

..and I have faith that He will be watching over them with greater care than I would. 

So, I WILL myself not to worry over them.  Or Rose and Brenna, their luggage...

...and all that a mama's mind can conjure up in the middle of the night 

when one of her babies is on the other side of the world.

 smile.  

He will be watching over them.

Uh, Oh, that did it.

sniff.

Blessings,

Julianne