Playing the Waiting Game...

In between things. Waiting. Preparing. Planning. Avoiding H1N1. Seeking God. This is what this time back home has consisted of as I prepare to leave Cape Town bound for Johannesburg and on to Benin in a little under four weeks time.

In a sense my whole family are waiting. Waiting for the new arrival in the family to arrive. My sister Shirley went to the maternity hospital for a check-up yesterday. She is pretty much full-term now. Baby is fine and could come out at anytime. Mother has a little high blood pressure, but is otherwise healthy. She went to the hospital again today and they checked her blood pressure again and have admitted her overnight and she will most probably have a C-Section sometime tomorrow (Friday) or on Saturday. (She had my first nephew, Rhyenn, by emergency C-Section in 2007 due to serious pre-clampsia.) Due to Baby's imminent arrival, we decided to celebrate Rhyenn's second birthday a couple weeks early this past Saturday. It was a really fun time for little Rhyenn, as the photos on this entry show.

And whilst the family wait, I also prepare. This past Friday I purchased two-years worth of travel and health insurance which will kick in on September 2nd. It worked out much cheaper (half the cost) to purchase travel insurance here in South Africa, than to go with an international (American) insurer. I've also gone to the Automobile Association (AA) of South Africa and bought an International Driving Permit. (In case of problems with driving in the Canary Islands on a South African driving licence.) This past Monday I also found a handy duffel-bag (on wheels and with a handle) which should be perfect for my travel needs.

And while I prepare to return, the news is inundating me with dire warnings about the spread of swine flu, more correctly termed H1N1. It has hit South Africa hard the last few weeks. For example, when I left South Africa bound for the USA just over seven weeks ago, there were no confirmed cases in South Africa. There are now approaching 1,000. My alma mater has twenty confirmed cases, and a school nearby had 250 students absent out of a total of 1,000 just yesterday. To make matters worse, there is a really virulent strain of normal flu going around this winter. And with SA's first death from H1N1 last week, people are panicking and are stockpiling Tamiflu. But I'm not too worried about it all, and I certainly won't allow myself to panic. Concerned, yes, but not worried. After all, God is in control.

But more importantly than any material needs or physical health, is the time I spend now with God. I've been challenged to seek first His kingdom, before I embark on this new adventure. And I've found that I am being prompted to do little acts of service in my daily life. It's a still small voice that tells me deep inside, "You should do that, Murray. Go, lend a helping hand." It's encouraging because I know that God is at work inside me. And if I am to reach the heights of my potential on that Mercy Ship, I need to listen to His voice in my heart everyday. That is most of all what I am trying to practice now. An awareness of God in my life - and following His prompting no matter where He may lead.

Stay posted for pictures of new Baby shortly!