(9) A trial, a blessing, or both

There are many days when we wonder how we will get to Ghana and do this work. The costs to get there, as I have said before, are better than I thought they would be for 8 of us, but there are days that $16,000 can feel almost suffocating. Reflecting on the miracles that have occurred so far bring peace and hope. They remind us that it is not only our efforts that are bringing all of this about. Trusting in our Heavenly Father with all our hearts and allowing Him to direct our path is especially important when events occur that appear to be roadblocks.
One detail that has been difficult to figure out has been what to do about Ben's employment while we are gone. How do we take a long enough leave to make the time, effort, and expenses worthwhile? What can he still do for work while we are there, while participating in this volunteer efforts we will be part of?  Is it time to make a career change? He has loved working for the same employer for the last 14 years. They provide a product we love and fully support; there have been great opportunities to grow and advance; and they have taken very good care of us. The answers to these questions have weighed  heavily on our minds in our ability to move forward.
Three days after we returned home from our family vacation, July 16th, could have been considered a roadblock. It was the next morning that my husband shared with me the events and information of the previous day. His most recent position has been the operations manager for the companies Member Services department. The company continues to grow and recently decided to outsource their customer support. As a result, his department is closing and he will be laid off. What does this mean for us? In 3 months, the beginning of November, we will be unemployed. Is this a trial, a blessing, or both?  When he told me I started crying. Maybe it's ironic but my tears were not because we would be unemployed but because I was humbled at how Heavenly Father is directing our path. The exponential blessings overwhelmed me: we have 3 months notice; we will be receiving a generous severance package; we have followed prophetic counsel to have a food and resource storage, stay out of debt, have money set aside for the unexpected, and to prepare for the future. Following the prophetic counsel has brought us peace and kept us out of trouble over the years, but now we are feeling an even greater impact from these blessings.
While we were on vacation a close friend of our family received his mission call to be a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We were able to watched him open and share this news, via a live video. The day or two after that I had a clear feeling and said to some of my children that we would be going after Jeremy left for his mission. He leaves October 31. This seemed impossible because that is such a busy time of year for Ben at work with the holidays approaching and a large family history conference that happens in February each year. In fact I don't like to admit this but I tried to rationalize this thought with, "well anything after October 31 is after Jeremy leaves, and its not likely we will go before he leaves". When Ben told me of the changes and what it meant for us he informed me that the anticipated end date was November 2. This was initially the main reason for my tears. That had been so clear and yet I had doubted it was possible.
Occasionally, there are times that $16, 000 for passports, immunizations, airline tickets to purchase, and visas feels impossible, but I trust that it is possible. A thought came to me on August 8th after we went to pick up Ethan's suit pants from being dry cleaned so that  they can be altered. When Ben went in to pick them up the clerk told him there was no charge. They don't know of what is happening in our lives nor our plans to go to Africa yet they blessed us with a free service. The thought was - we won't get $16,000 all at once or even in large sums, but the $8 here and the handfuls of change added to the coyote bank in the living room will add up. In addition to the dry cleaners, this week alone we had some friends send money for when they stayed at our home while we were gone. One of my dearest friends, Heidi, gave me a gift and then offered to return it and give us the money to go toward our service trip. With these and what we had left from the yard sale after paying for passport pictures we have just enough for the 5 children passports we need. It's only 4% of the total cost yet it's not just 5 passports it is 5 passports closer.
About that gift from Heidi. It wasn't my birthday or any special occasion she was being so thoughtful just for the sake of being thoughtful. I guess the day she gave it to me was a special occasion because it is rare that both of us are without our children at the same time for a length of time. We had enjoyed a movie together and being able to talk. Just before I was to leave she told me she had a gift for me. She let me know before I even received it that in light of everything before us that it was, in her words, "a silly worldly thing". She let me know that if I wanted to return it that she would be ok with it. I had no idea how hard that decision would be and felt silly myself as I struggled to decide. It was something I have wanted for years and something I wouldn't buy for myself. The thought crossed my mind about the dry cleaners and how just that morning Ben and I agreed that if any money came to us in savings or such that we would put it toward Africa. I decided the best thing to do was to return the gift, but it was hard to do. Heidi was SO understanding and supportive. She happened to have some cash at her home and gave it to me. It was rolled up so I didn't know how much it was. I read this to mean that I should look later. I hugged her and we said our goodbyes. When I got to the van I reached in my purse to get my phone so I could let them know I was on my way home. This was when I saw what she had given me. I'm confident it was much more that the original price of the gift. I couldn't help but cry tears of gratitude and humility.
Heavenly Father has put so many people in our lives or to cross our path that are making this path possible. So maybe this is a little bit of a trial but I would say it is definitely more of a blessing!