The journey begins....

The kids were a lot more excited about the idea of my trip to Africa than they were about it actually happening!  They did a good job holding things together for this picture, but they did not want to let me go.  Abe went down for a nap right before this pic, but I made sure to let him know that he would be the man of the house while I'm gone.  I'm sure that he will rise to the occasion!  Allison and I had some prayer time with the kids and then I hit the road.

I am now at the gate for my flight to London... then on to Paris and my final destination Bamako, Mali.  Of note, the ticket agent in Atlanta had to ask me for the airport code for Bamako (BKO if you are interested) because it is such an unusual destination.  The next post and pics will likely be after I arrive in Africa.