Tara in Vanga

Tara has been preparing and waiting to go to Vanga for over a year now. She heard God nudging, knocking, calling for many months. She contacted the Short-Term Mission office, completed the necessary paperwork, processed her background check, received financial support from family, friends, churches to pursue her medical ministry call, purchased her airline ticket and received the IM insurance card. She spoke extensively with Kathy & Tim about life in Vanga, expectations, her needs, wants and God’s provision. Tara prayed and stepped out in faith.

On April 24, 2018, Tara left the known city of St. Louis for the long journey to the unknown village of Vanga, in The Congo, to assist our global servants, Kathy & Tim Rice, in medical care/community health/midwifery. The journey took her from St Louis to Newark, then Lome, Kinshasa and finally Vanga.

Let us hear from Tara: “Tim and Kathy will be joining me shortly at Newark airport, and we will be on the same flights for the duration of our travel.  We will arrive in Kinshasa April 25th in the evening and then leave for Vanga on Thursday April 26th in the morning. I am hoping to be able to sleep for at least half of the 12 hour flight from Newark to Lome. I would appreciate prayers for continued safe travels and for my health while traveling and adjusting to life in Vanga.  
Would you also be praying for the following things?

+ Adjustment: Would you be praying as I adjust to life in Vanga and settle in over the next week?  I am excited to finally be on my way, but I am a little nervous about settling in to a new place, especially when I am unfamiliar with the culture and do not speak the language yet.

+ Health: Every time I have traveled in the past, I have spent the first week or so a little sick as I’ve adjusted to the new place and recovered from traveling.  Would you be praying for me to stay healthy as I adjust to life in Vanga?

+ Language:  I will begin learning French in the next week so that I can start working and teaching.  I learned a very small amount of French in past travels,  but I currently speak no French.  Would you be praying that I can learn the language quickly so that I can start working soon?”

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Might you be called to short-term mission? If so, feel free to contact volunteers@internationalministries.org and we will gladly walk you through the process.