Issue #88
May 8, 2001

Dear Friends and Family,
It has been quite awhile since I have written. It has been a busy month. I have been on two different trips during this time and taught a little bit in between.

While we were on break from school, I attended the International Christian Educators Conference in Budapest. It was a great conference, and I learned many new things while I was there. I also did some traveling with a group from ICA before and after the conference. We all learned how God provides and protects us during those days of traveling. We had many interesting and humorous adventures. If you haven't heard the details of that trip and would like to, just email me and let me know.

I was back at ICA for less than a week. I arrived back on campus Monday, got my classroom ready on Tuesday, and started teaching on Wednesday. I also had to get everything ready for a sub for the two weeks I would be gone. (God provided me a wonderful sub, Amy. I was going to wait last to ask her because I knew how busy she was. I just mentioned it to her one day that I was going to be gone and needed a sub, and she said she would be interested in doing it. When I came back, everything was in good order, and I'm already almost caught up.) I left on Saturday to go back to Abidjan to fly out Sunday. I was going to the conference that Free Will Baptist was having for all the missionaries. I spent a few days at home before I went to the conference. Again, God provided great timing. My grandmother was seriously ill in the hospital. I was able to visit her twice before I went to Atlanta for the conference. The conference was great. It was wonderful to have a chance to visit with other missionaries from all over the world and to spend time with former missionaries, the board members, and the office staff. The seminars were good, and the speakers were very motivating. My grandma passed away while I was at the conference. Her funeral was scheduled for the one day I was going to be home after the conference. God provides even in those details.

One other way God provided was in my plane travel from Atlanta to Oklahoma. I wasn't scheduled to leave Atlanta until 6:30 p.m. and land in Oklahoma at 10:40 p.m. I found out from the Holland's and Bryan's that there was an earlier flight arriving in Tulsa at 6:30 p.m. I tried to change my tickets earlier, but it was going to cost more money than my ticket cost in the first place. I wanted to get home early so I could go buy the things I was supposed to take back to people in Africa. I wasn't going to have time on Friday to do it because of the funeral. I had given up on changing my tickets. I ended up arriving at the Atlanta airport at 3:00 p.m. because of the shuttle schedule. I went to check in and found out my flight wasn't until 7:30 p.m. As I let out a loud sigh, the lady said why didn't we see if there was an earlier flight. I told her there was, but the problem was getting on the Memphis-Tulsa flight. She went ahead and put me on the Atlanta-Memphis flight and then put me on standby for the next one. I had to hurry a bit to make it to the plane in time. Then in Memphis I was on standby, but I made it on the plane. Then I had to call and find someone to pick me up at the airport. Neither my parents nor my brother and sister-in-law were home. My sister's phone hadn't been working, but I decided to try it anyway. Thankfully, it was working, and they could come get me. I was able to get some of the things done that night.

I met up with Shane Davison and the Eagleton's in Amsterdam on our way back. We were able to get taxis to get back to the guest house. We were the first missionaries back so there wasn't anyone to pick us up at the airport. For the first time in quite awhile, I had a completely uneventful trip back to Bouake. First, we all got all of our luggage. Also, the car didn't break down. I didn't get stopped by the police or hassled at any police stops. Most of the potholes were filled in, and I was able to dodge the rest, so I didn't have any flat tires. As I said before, God does provide.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and support. God continues to provide for me each and every day in more ways than I can even tell you. It is hard to believe I only have nine weeks left in Africa, but I'm sure they will be great ones.

In Christ,
Traci Epps