Just Another Dinner Conversation

 Kara:  Okay guys, if it is God's plan for us to go to Africa after residency, how are we going to get there?  What is our plan?  Where are we going to go and how are we going to serve there?

Maida: It would totally be fun to drive, but I think taking an airplane would be faster.

Kara:  Yeah, we would have to because it's across the ocean, so we couldn't drive even if we tried.  What I meant was like, what are we going to do with our stuff and how are we going to afford our trip?



Skogen:  Did you say across the OCEAN?!!  Oh, I love to watch fish in the ocean!

Klaasen:  I like to watch sharks, too.  I saw them at the Mall of America one time.

Maida:  We couldn't bring our stuff to Africa.

Klaasen:  We couldn't bring bring Barkley! to Africa because we couldn't bring him.  He have to stay here and and and other people have to live here with Barkley!.



Maida:  No, I don't want to leave Barkley! here!

Skogen:  We should just ask if we could just bring him and say he's really calm.

Maida:  But what if he barks on the plane?

Skogen:  He won't.

Maida:  Ummm, Skogen, dogs have to bark sometimes.  I'm thinking we could have our stuff shipped to us or we could just give it away to the poor people.  Like, if anyone needs anything.

Skogen:  Yeah, good idea.

Maida:  In Africa I would probably help the poor and stuff like that.  I would probably...

Skogen:  Give them money?

Maida:  Yeah.

Skogen:  Take care of them?

Maida:  No, Skogen, what I'm saying is that I would feed them and bring them in my house and let them sleep in my bed.

Skogen:  Ahhh Maida, your bed is gonna stink!!




Maida:  I don't care if my bed stinks!

 

Skogen:  You would smell it and say pee-you this bed stinks!  I need a new bed!

Maida:  Skogen stop making up funny stuff like that.  I would never do that to a poor person.

Skogen:  I would just um um ahhhhh.  Um.  I don't know what I would do in Africa.

Klaasen:  I would just take care of the people and tell Dad to take them to the doctor if they were broken and bleeding.  And I would tell Dad to get surgery on them and that is all my things that I would tell them.

Maida:  But Klaasen, what if all your things don't turn out right?  Like, what if they don't really need surgery?

Klaasen:  Well, then I would just fly them on the a-plane [airplane] to get them back where they were.

Maida:  But what if they live in Africa, Klaasen?

Klaasen:  Then I would just tell them to go back home.  I would build a mosquito net in a tree for me to sleep in.  If the mosquitoes jumped on the net, they would hit it and fall back and get themselves hurt.  I really just want to live in a dinosaur home.

Skogen:  Yeah, we want a dinosaur home.

Kara:  There are no dinosaurs in Africa, boys.  I love all your ideas, though.  What is our family going to do for God in Africa?

Maida:  I would love to teach people about God there.

Skogen:  Teach them a lesson in English!

Maida:  No,  I would learn all the words in Africa and I would preach in the church and tell them about God.  I would tell them that God can do everything and you can pray and sometimes you'll get something better, or sometimes he'll say, ''later," or he'll say, "sorry no."  Like, something like that.  This would make me happy, excited, and really excited that more people can learn about God.

Klaasen:  I would just talk about God.  Pray with them.  I would tell them about God and Jesus sitting on the cross and He died for our fringe [sins].

Kara:  I think those are all really important things to tell people about!  I'm so proud of you guys and your little hearts for Jesus.

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As the scripture says, “Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.” But how can they call to him for help if they have not believed?  And how can they believe if they have not heard the message?  And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed?  And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out?  As the scripture says how wonderful is the coming of the messengers who bring good news!  

Romans 10:13-15