I've continued having a wonderful time at home.  I've gotten to go to a vineyard church that my friend Andy goes to. Last night I went to the homegroup and felt freedom and refreshing.  I left encouraged about my time in Nigeria that it wasn't waste.  I felt the Holy Spirit telling me that he is attracted to any level of desire in me.  Even the smallest flicker of a match or the a raging bonfire, both attract him as he can't deny any level of desire from us.  This encouraged my heart and I began to see the year in Nigeria and all of the times I was pushing in and trying to connect and trying to be with him. He encouraged me that this was a job well done.  And at the end they prayed for me and I one guy got a vision of me being a bow and arrow. the bow was being pulled back to be released and this year I've felt that the progress had been really slow and even seemed like I was going backward instead of forward but that God was going to be releasing it soon.  At one point there was a girl there would shared something on her heart because of a movie she had watched about South Africa and I felt that similar stir in my heart and this desperateness to return to Africa and this reconfirmation that I am called there and that no matter how much I love the freedom of America and the ease of the culture it probably is just for a season.  This was reassuring as I've not felt this passion for Africa for a while.  I'm excited for what God is doing and this church and homegroup has reassured me that the balance of the word and the spirit can be achieved.  I've been breathing deeply of this knowing I fully need to be restored and refreshed.

Mike comes to visit on Wednesday! I'm thrilled!  We will spend some time down here in Portland and then we will also be driving up North to Tacoma. I don't want to overwhelm him with new people and would rather he connect with those most important to me so I'm trying to arrange for a picnic at the waterfront with three of my favorite couples.  I know it will be magical.