Now 5 years later and quite a few more 'What nows' one would think that we would have it all figured out; but still after all of this time in Congo and 28 years of life I am reminded that in the grand scheme of things I'm just a rookie.

So Nick did this big trip down to South Africa a few weeks ago. Every few years our planes need to be painted to be able to maintain their structural integrity and cause you know, make them look pretty :-)

However this trip across several countries, fuel stops along the way, and extra plane permissions has only been done by 2 of our pilots over the last decade so Nick wanted to be able to go along so that if another plane needs to painted he would know the route and requirements needed.

Now on a much less exciting note, while Nick was traversing the continent, I was settling back in to our house after being away for 3 months. Ruth has this shelf in her room that I've wanted to buy baskets for to make the shelf more useful. So I sent off someone with the measurements and it took about a week to get them done. 

When they were brought back they were not quite the size I was looking for... I shortly realized that the fault was not in the man who made the baskets but my own. 

I wrote the measurements in Inches instead of centimetres.... Like really, I'm Canadian in a country that uses metric just like my own... And what did I do? I wrote it in inches. So my baskets that are supposed to be 12x18 inches are now 12x18 cm... Which is quite the difference lol. 

Now while I was realizing my measurement issue and figuring out how to fix it Nick was on his way out of Congo and realized something quite important... something that could hinder Nicks reentry back home. 
We have always known that when you come to Congo that there are 2 things that you don't travel without; your passport and your yellow fever card. When Nick left for South Africa and exited Congo I received a text saying I needed to send him a picture of his yellow fever card! He left for his week long flight just like he would for a flight within Congo where he doesn't need those important documents, luckily he did grab his passport but left that fancy yellow card here at home. 
In the end he was indeed able to get back into Congo with a photo of the yellow fever card and I was able to get the right sized baskets while also keeping the tiny ones, but the moral of the story is that it doesn't matter how long I have been alive or even how long I have been in Congo I am still and will always be a rookie. I will always have forgetful moments or those moments that come by where I just have no idea whats going on.


But I have always taken hope in the verse 1 Cor 1 27-31

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”"

Because through all my mistakes, it reminds me in my times that I think I am wise and strong that God is the only one that I can trust for true wisdom and strength and it is in my weakness that God truly shines.