A lot of people keep asking me if I’m scared of going to the Congo. The answer is “of course.” I think that it is natural to feel scared of the unknown.
While we were in Nampa, ID, God was so good to give us two families fresh off the field from Bunia, the town we will be living in!!! We were able to sit down with each family two separate nights and pick their brains. This was an incredible gift to ask all the questions that the Internet didn’t seem to have answers for. We discovered that they never personally felt threatened. We learned about service opportunities for the wives. We learned what clothes to bring, and what they flying conditions would be like. They gave us advice to deal with the overwhelming needs of the people that we will come face to face with and reassured us of the beauty of the people and the land.
photo by Lary Strietzel
photo by Dave Jacobsson
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While in Idaho Matthew and I learned about all the MAF programs. At one time we felt called to Indonesia, but God opened our hearts to see the needs MAF fulfills around the world. We looked at each other after each presentation and said, “We could go there.” We trust MAF and we trust God and believed dictating our country of service was living in fear. So yes, I don’t know what life will look there. But when we get to the end of our life, we are going to have to answer to question, “Who did you serve? Me or yourself?” “What did you do with what I gave you?” I desire not to let fear be a hindrance to me saying, “Lord, I served you with everything that I had!” I believe by following God we grow closer to Him, making no other options than full reliance on Him. We will not survive spiritually or emotionally entering this new environment without God being our all. I am scared and not sure what the next page of our lives will bring, but I know that our faith, trust, and dependence on God must grow to survive. And in the end…its worth the risks to be in the center of God’s will.
photo by James Greenelsh
Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
(Mark 10:29-31 ESV)
teammonson 
Awesome perspective to have, and so glad God gave you reassurance in those two MAF families. Your blog states it well, and God is the source of our strength each day as we face the unknowns with the “well known God”! God bless you guys!