As the leaves turn to yellow, the nights become cooler and the days grow shorter, we all know that the seasons are changing and that winter will soon be here. We would all like these beautiful autumn days to linger, but we know they won't. My life has been much like that of late. Our Dec. 16 departure for Sierra Leone is fast approaching, but there is so much to do before then, and often I wish I could slow the clock, make the days last a little longer - just to prolong this time of preparation.

As a Christian, I hold strongly to the idea that God is ultimately in control. I need to be assured that regardless of how today may go or whatever challenges I may face tomorrow, in the end it will all be ok. I've had to embrace that mindset even more strongly throughout this process of planning and anticipating our trip to and project in Sierra Leone. I've written about the challenges of raising money - now approaching $60,000. Our team has adjusted to losing two members while gaining three. And now today I must react to the disappointment that our plan to ship a container filled with plastic pipe, school supplies, sports equipment and Christmas gifts must be redrawn.

As I opened my email this morning I read with dismay that the container we hoped to load and send off next week, did not get loaded on a train in California yesterday. Therefore, it will arrive no sooner than late next week or even the week of Oct. 13. This most likely means that we will not make our late October shipping date from Houston, which means that there will be little chance that these materials will have arrived and have been cleared by the time we travel. And so, we must adjust, trusting that perhaps God has a different plan that in retrospect many months from now we will look back on and see was a much wiser plan than our own.

Nevertheless, these past months have been amazing! We have experienced incredible emotinal and financial support. Some has come from predictable places - family, friends, and our churches. Yet, we have also been supported by total strangers, a YourHub reader, REI, widows, small children. A campaign to "buy" small wooden cars assembled and supplied by a local organization, ToysforGodskids, has been wildly successful on all three of Denver Christian's campuses. Hundreds of DC students are wearing leather bracelets with three small blue, white and green beads - the national colors of Sierra Leone. The team members have worked together raising funds doing yard work all over the metro area and even in Grand Lake! At no point have we or anyone else questioned the fact that what we are doing is a worthwhile endeavor.

And so, we carry on. As I write, I am waiting for Doug Adams, the parent traveling with us to arrive with a load of plastic pipe. We will store it here at DCHS for a little longer than we expected. Tomorrow I will speak in a local church that is excited to support our project. And next week... ? I'll just have to patiently wait to see what God has in store.