Mission Accomplished.....well, almost.

(The above pictures are of our family's reaction right after hearing our assignment)


I remember the first conversation I ever had with my husband in the fall of 1998. We were sitting at a football game at Liberty University, and I was listening intently as he told me of his childhood in South Africa. His eyes flashed and sparkled as he talked of a land so strange and foreign to me, but so known and familiar to himself. His love for this place and the earnestness and passion with which he talked about the topography, weather, and people were beautiful to watch. To fall in love with Richard Harrell was to fall in love with his Africa.

And fall in love I did, but I never knew that as much as Richard loves Africa, he loves missions. We had been married for nine years before I ever knew that he first committed his life to becoming a missionary when he was only 8-years-old. February 21, 1988 Richard came forward at a missions conference to publicly say, "Lord, send me. I will go." Even through all the years of training to be a missionary pilot he never told me that he had made this commitment. I believe, fully it was because he wanted the Lord to complete a work in me, unbiased by his own personal call.

Yesterday, July 19, 2011 over 23-years after that shy little boy stepped forward publicly, Richard accomplished his commitment. Today, he officially became a pilot/mechanic missionary with MAF. In the completion of this full circle moment Richard and I were also assigned to Africa. We do not know which country in Africa we will serve, but it does not matter.


Now we begin the ministry partnership portion of our journey to life among the African people. Please pray with us as we continue to navigate this difficult and winding path my husband set out on so long ago.

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philipians 1:6