Go Africa! The beginning of our journey...

     As you probably guessed, Matt and I are now back from our trip to Africa.  I have so many stories and photos to share, so I thought I'd blog about the trip "after the fact".  I'll start at the beginning and blog through the end, so keep checking back!

     Maybe some of you are wondering how (and why) we ended up traveling to Africa.  It's a good question, and the tale is long.  The condensed version begins in January, when we decided to begin attending Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV).  Shortly after calling CCV our new church home, we learned about the summer mission trip to Nairobi, Kenya.  For some reason, I felt a tug in my heart.  I actually thought, "That would be awesome!  Matt and I should go on that trip."  So, I talked to Matt.  We knew it was crazy from a logistics standpoint (who would watch the kids? could Matt take off work? Africa?), but we also KNOW we love and serve a God much bigger than any earthly obstacles.  SO, we spent over a month praying over it.  Should we go, God? Is this where you want to send us?  At the beginning of March, we attended the informational meeting on the trip.  As we drove home, I asked Matt what he thought.  He looked at me and said, "I think God wants us to go to Africa."
     So, we obeyed.  We didn't know how things would fall in place, but we watched in wonder as God ordered every piece.  My parents offered to stay with the girls.  Matt got permission and time off from work.  Our vaccinations were donated.  And, God provided every bit of the funds we needed, down to the last penny!  (Thanks to all of our faithful supporters, and may God continue to bless you!)
     My mom (Gram) flew in the weekend before we left for Africa.  We spent a few short days helping her acclimate to life in the Russell household.  Audrey and Claire took right up with Gram, and we knew our little blessings would be in the best of hands.  We packed, and on Tuesday, July 5th, we went to the airport.  Our goodbyes were extremely hard.  I cried, Claire looked confused, and Audrey was distraught.  Her tears tore through my heart.  We prayed over our daughters, and I left them in God's hands.  His peace permeated my heart as Matt and I walked into the airport, and He directed my eyes toward Him.
     Our flight left Phoenix around 7:30pm and flew direct to London Heathrow International.  We had a ten hour flight, and Matt and I were able to sleep for a large chunk of it.  When we arrived in London, it was around 1pm local time, Wednesday, July 6th.  Our entire group (32 individuals from CCV and 6 individuals from First Christian Church, Phoenix) spent the night in London.  Our flight to Nairobi did not leave until mid-morning July 7th.  After getting through customs and riding a very crowded bus to our London hotel, we were free to explore London!
     Matt and I joined a smaller group of friends, took the train to Paddington Station, and hopped on the Tube to Picadilly Circus.  We emerged from the underground to the hustle and bustle of downtown London.  Our group walked for the next six hours, seeing as much of the sights as we could.  We walked past Trafalgar Square and saw the Harry Potter movie die-hards camping out for the July 7th London Premiere.  We strolled past Downing Street (home of the Prime Minister), past cabinet offices, Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace.  We looped through gorgeous gardens until we found ourselves at a British Pub.  By now, we're exhausted and starving, so my fish and chips tasted amazing!  When we came out from dinner, it was nearly 9:30pm local time.  We traveled back to our hotel, managed a quick skype with the girls back in Arizona, and fell fast asleep!
     This was my first time in London, and I loved having the opportunity to see some of the more famous landmarks.  We also had time to get to know some of our teammates better, which was invaluable!  Next stop...Nairobi!