On the way to Africa

Hello my friends and neighbours! Paul and I are getting set to leave for Africa on October 31. We will be working at the Village of Hope and will be symbolically presenting the proceeds from the walk to the children at the village. It promises to be a great time of closure for me. Although large sums of money continues to come in as recently as today someone dropped off a cheque at Careforce office for $3000.00!!!! Thank you my friends!
What is it like to be home?
Thats a question alot of people ask me and I don't think I do very well at answering the question. I loved walking and I felt very much at home the whole time-except for the fact that my dear husband was too far away. Coming home just seems to be natural and easy. I do miss Diane now and again.
Do you still walk?
I haven't been walking because of this Bell's palsy - my neck and ear are very susceptible to the cold now and I want to be well to get to Africa.
What is Diane doing?
She has a great opportunity to drive truck with her husband in the north for a couple of months. So she is trying to get everything ready to LEAVE again! I am so happy for her and Carmen.
What do you miss the most?
I miss being outside all day, everyday. I have been trying to think of a job that would keep me outside...not coming up with much. I miss meeting new people everyday. I miss sleeping beside trucks, grain bins, walmarts, train tracks (:) and streams. I miss morning prayer with Diane.
How did the walk affect you?
I can't mention all the ways that I was touched by the walk. But Ido know this, God intended the walk to do more than raise funds to build a school in Africa. He is ever pursuing my heart, ever molding my will, ever guiding my purposes. I am changed and in some ways that I don't even realize.
What is next?
We have no plans for more adventure yet...one thing is FOR SURE it will be with Paul along next time. We have played with the idea of walking from the Arctic ocean to the Pacific and then across to the Atlantic. One couple did it in 8 months and they are older than we are.
So, I will write again when we get back from Burkina Faso. God bless you til then.

Now for something completely new!

I woke up on Sunday with some strange pain in my neck (no, I don't mean Paul). The pain was also in my ear and was accompanied by dizziness and spasms of sharp pain. On Wednesday I went to our Dr. who thought I might have been grinding my teeth while sleeping. He told me to stop chewing. But by Friday morning my right side of my face had started to become paralyzed and my outer ear was swollen. We were visiting Amie at Caronport so we went into Moose Jaw to a walk in clinic. The Dr. there diagnosed it as Bell's Palsy. This is a result of trauma to the 7th nerve in your brain. The trauma was caused by a viral infection in the ear. The swelling debilitates the nerve and you loose control of your face muscles. Today the paralysis is worse than yesterday and my loving daughter and husband can't stop the peels of laughter at the faces I accidently make while trying to sip tea from a cup or even laugh. The photo below is one of me laughing at them laughing at me. Now that I know it is just Bells Palsy I am not afraid and can enjoy this funny time too. One web site we looked at says that about 1 in 5000 people get it. Funny enough, my father-in-law had it about 20 years ago! Maybe it runs in the family but it skips a blood line every 20 years. I should have my face muscles back under control within a month just in time to smile at the kids in Africa without making them run screeming, "What is that thing!"

Bell's Palsy makes my smile one sided.

So I wanted to tell you about coming home. The thought of walking into Melfort, was packed with the emotion of 1. completing a long term goal, 2. living with Paul again, 3. beginning a change of lifestyle (no longer living with Diane in the RV moving along the road everyday), 4. being welcomed home by friends and the celebration that ensued. When I spoke at Calvary Church in Saskatoon the Sunday before arriving home a little missionary lady, Flo Salaway (she and her husband Owen worked with NCEM in Prince Albert) told me, "dont worry honey, Jesus will be with you." She was so right. I was just blessed by all of the love and encouragement not overwhelmed. The job was done, Diane and I had kept the goal of getting home as the focus and let everything else fade into the background. We had done what God had asked us to do.

I believe we are at $133,000! Donations on the last day amounted to $17,000.00!!! Thank you Lord.

Wanna see where we live? This is one of the streets Paul and I walk on in the mornings.

And this is the Melfort Post Office.
And this is the door to our new place. It is apartment D - handy that our name starts with D too eh? And that is my bike that I love to ride around Melfort. We are happy to be together and I thank God for His great work in our lives.
Sorry it took me so long to blog. I am still trying to give away and pear down the stuff that clutters the little place. But living there feels so right.
Paul just bought me a new book that we started reading together on the way down to Amie's. The byline of the title is: Moving from Affluence to Generosity. I am looking forward to getting into this book as this is what I have been thinking about and Paul & I are working toward in our life. This book is an updated book first published 10 years ago.
Rich Christians in an age of Hunger, follow this link to more info about this book.What is God talking to you about these days? Ask and listen, its an exciting journey. Thanks for being my friend on this journey. denise