Mother and son and god's 'signs'

Swaziland, Africa, is not usually on a 12-year-old boy's list of places to travel during Thanksgiving. However, that was precisely the choice Parker Lipke made this year. He and his mother, Ashley, part of a Heart for Africa team, left the comforts of America and spent 10 days on a mission trip. Their plan was to be a blessing, but both received much more than they gave -- and Parker, for one, cannot wait to return.

Parker, whose father is Judge Scott Lipke of Cape Girardeau, had considered a mission trip for two years, and when events unfolded, neither he nor his mother could deny the "signs" that it was the time, and Swaziland was the place.

Ashley received a text message from Raelenna Ferguson, Heart for Africa team leader, asking if she had been praying about going to Swaziland; her answer was a succinct "no." Raelenna then asked if she had a passport. The first sign that this mission was part of God's plan was that Ashley "just happened" to be filling out -- that very moment -- passport application paperwork for her and her husband; they were planning a trip to Jamaica to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary. When Raelenna mentioned the possibility of Parker also going to Africa, the family noticed that Judge Lipke had inadvertently picked up not two passport applications, but three. There "just happened" to be an extra one for Parker. Raeleena said, "Pray about it, talk to Parker, and get back to me."

Immediate connection

Parker looked at pictures of a home in El-Roi, where they care for babies, and said, "That's where I'm supposed to go."

Ashley Lipke called her recent mission trip to Africa "a humbling experience." (Submitted photo)

"He immediately connected with their faces," said Ashley.

The Lipkes felt it was evident at once this was a God-orchestrated trip. It certainly was not something Ashley would have chosen. Her mission field, she said, was her own community. Going to Africa was, she asserted, "outside my comfort zone" in many ways: she's a planner, and planning time was short; she is no fan of flying; and the Ebola scare was gaining traction. Even after recognizing the signs and agreeing to go, Ashley still did not see the full picture.

"I said the whole time I was there for the ride. I was there for my son because I was not about to let him go by himself, but God had a bigger plan," she said.

Parker, too, admitted the experience stretched him beyond his comfort zone, but Ebola was not one of his concerns. He knew Swaziland was not in the infected area, but apparently, his classmates didn't share his knowledge of geography. Unfortunately, some peers have responded with negativity and name-calling, rather than learn from Parker's experience. "A lot of people talked bad about it," he lamented. And though that hurts, he focuses on the experience itself and plans his return. "For sure," he said, when asked if he will go back. Choking up, he added, "God has called me there."

He readily admitted it is "not meant for everyone," as "most kids aren't as deep in their faith as they should be." As for him, Swaziland has caused him to grow spiritually.

Heart for children

Parker already had a heart for children who are hurting, but his heart has grown exponentially. The 12-year-old misses the children most. For 10 days, he played with them, helped feed them and "made them happy." The most difficult aspect of the mission was its end. "The hardest part was leaving the kids because kids were my favorite part," he said. "Caleb was my favorite kid down there. He has been diagnosed with AIDS, and he's probably the happiest kid there," Parker relayed in tears.

Ashley said Parker was like a "rock star there." The children "were all over him." These are "typical little kids," she said. "They just want love and attention." They received plenty.

Ashley struggled to put everything into words, her emotions often taking over. "I'm wrecked," she said. "Parker and I always tried to keep Christmas centered around the birth of Jesus, but this year ... we've seen people who literally have nothing, and we've seen the faces of children who actually have hope and a place to live now because of Heart for Africa. It's been a humbling experience."

Baby Shirley

One humbling aspect of the mission is the story of Baby Shirley, a story that received national attention and was covered locally. The 2-month-old girl whose mother set her on fire and left her for dead garnered unprecedented permission to travel with Heart for Africa to Cape Girardeau and then to New York to receive surgery necessary to save her life. Swaziland does not allow American adoptions and would not generally allow babies to travel outside the country. Baby Shirley was the miraculous exception.

Ashley is a registered nurse, which aided in the team's receiving permission to bring Baby Shirley to America -- yet another sign that the Lipkes were precisely where they were supposed to be at the right time. Here in America, the infant has already had one surgery. She will eventually return to Swaziland and grow up there.

The team also worked with young women who sell jewelry and live in a safe, beautiful place called Project Canaan, helped distribute TOMS shoes, delivered Feed My Starving Children MannaPacks to homesteads, which was especially touching for Ashley and Parker, who helped pack these meals here in their own community.

Team mission

Though the Lipkes have been changed forever, Ashley stressed this was a team mission, not wanting to focus only on Parker and herself. "God had a specific purpose for each person who was on that team," she stated, adding, "This was way bigger than just the two of us."

The only thing on Parker's Christmas wish list is a return to Swaziland, yet he has no desire to just sit around and wait for it to happen. He worked hard to earn money to go the first time, doing things like ripping up carpeting. He is willing to work even harder now: shoveling snow, housework, baby-sitting and mowing lawns. "I want to do any job I can to go back." Anyone interested in hiring Parker to help send him back to the place to which he feels called may contact the Lipkes at 573-243-1691 or email Ashley at ashleylipke@charter.net.