africa-day 2

july 17, 2010

weird to think it's now day two and i am still on the plane. the plane ride is tooo long. i was not meant to sit still for this long. we are staying in johanesburg for the night and the hotel is beautiful. we are eating pizza tonight and sleeping. tomorrow we will leave for swaziland. i can't wait to get there. as i sit here and write this i am so thankful for everything i have. i take advantage of the fact i can sit in a warm/safe building (it is cold here) and eat great food. i am so blessed. i haven't even seen poverty and i can honestly say i have never needed anything. my life is so great. we leave tomorrow morning at 6:30. we have a five hour bus ride :( oh well. it will be soo worth it.

africa-day one

july 16, 2010

leaving home wasn't too hard. i knew i would have contact with my mom and i was so excited to get there. i spent the night with britt so we wouldn't have to get up so early. saying "bye" was much easier than i expected. the plane to d.c. is TINY. i am setting next to this adorable girl! of course, i don't meet a stranger so we started talking.  she is a flight medic which was so interesting to learn about. she definitely inspired me.  we got to talk for a while. it definitely helped calm my nerves (if you are reading, thank you). while talking she old me she wanted to go to africa so i got to share what heart for africa is all about.  it was great! i gave her my blog address so she could read my journal entries, so if you are reading hope you are doing great! after arriving in d.c. britt and i ate at chipotle and goofed around for a few hours until our plane started boarding. as i got on the plane "freaking out" would be an understatement. i am sitting right above the wing. the plane is huge. i mean, big as africa huge. even though i am freaking out, i am definitely excited. i have always loved the traveling, airport, plane feeling. i love feeling like a jetsetter. ridiculous? maybe, but i am okay with it. 

missing africa.

i am home. it was definitely a bittersweet trip. i could have stayed for 10 more weeks. i have so much to share and i can't wait to upload, but at this point i am experiencing a case of jet-lag. hope everyone is doing great. i am going to take the night to start the processing. i will start tomorrow! talk to you soon!

home sweet africa.

one trip down, one to go! i can't believe my first trip is already over! i have a limited amount of internet access and i just wanted to check in! i can't wait to start posting my pics and my journey! hope all is going well! here is a little picture to describe how i feel so far!

Hello from Africa!!

I had Mom be my messenger to let everyone know I made it safely since I didn't know about the Internet situation here!  I made it safely! Yes, and I survived (including everyone else) sitting in the SAME seat for 16 hours!!  Impressive, huh?  I thought so!  I'm so pumped to be the hands and feet of my Savior for 20 days!!  Can't wait to share with everyone.  Hope you are all great.  Sending my LOVE from all the way across the world!!

packing for 20 days

i feel crazy with all the things i need/want to pack, but 20 days is a long time! it's not like i am going to be able to run out and grab something at the local walmart. my suitcases are sitting in the hallway and my room is a disaster (just the way my mom likes it). i am definitely a person who likes to pack last minute because i might need some of the things i packed, again. oh well. i started last night and as i look thru my door to the hallway, they are starting to fill up. pray i don't forget anything essential! haha. all joking aside, that really would be awful! lol.

i have so much to get done today! some last minute thank-you notes, packing, probably another run to the store, the bank, ahhh so much to do so little time to do it! i better get off of here! just trying to start my journey early so when i get back i can remember how much i stressed and for no reason at all....i hope:)

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." 2 corinthians 4:8-10

mixed emotions.

i have said many times before how much i adore the blogging world. i love keeping in touch with the ones i love as well as finding new blogs and making great friends. i am excited today for a whole different reason. i am so glad that i am going to have this blog to track my every thought and emotion as i embark on the trip of a lifetime. i can't believe it's here. africa. i have waited for what seems like years, and tomorrow i will drive to st. louis and i will fly out bright and early on friday. i have my journal and pen in hand. i am ready to write everything down not only so i can remember every detail, but so i can share my experience with the whole world (or atleast my little part of it anyways).

i can honestly say, that today i am nervous. don't get me wrong, i am excited, but the feeling of nervousness (if that's even a word) has taken over. i will be gone for 20 days. i have never been away from "home" for that amount of time and i am freaking out a little. i know God is going to take over completely as He has already done, but my human flesh is psyching my mind out a little.
  
 things i am nervous about:

•  being away from home (that's a problem, right? ha)
• the food
• not having a cell phone or internet (i know, ridiculous.)
• not connecting with people
• the three days i will be there "by myself" during the transition period (in between the two trips)
• many more. i could go on forever. 

i hope as i look back on this post i will see that God prevailed thru all of those "issues," which i know He will. 

i have so much to get done before i leave. i have been working this week and i underestimated the time i would need to get all my errands done. of course i have ran out of everything i need to take, so a walmart trip is a must (boy, do i dislike that place).  as far as packing goes, i have lots of clothes to pack. i need an outfit for everyday because i won't have a facility to wash clothes in. i am sure i will re-wear a lot of my clothes, but i want to make sure i have plenty. i plan to leave my clothes in africa, so that will make the packing for the way back much easier! 

well i will start my journey tomorrow! i can't wait to share with everyone! i may not be able to write on here while i am there, but be excited for when i get back! (i will be atleast! ha) i will have my camera and flip camera in hand at all times, so there will be many memories to be shared! 

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." acts 20:24