Africa Bound

Go. Be. Love.  Three simple, yet powerful words that has driven me to move for the last four months and will be my sole existence for the next two weeks.  In a few short hours I will be on a plane destined for Africa.  I am leaving my comfortable lifestyle, my beautiful family, my job, everything to embark on a journey that I have been led to.  Four months ago I didn't know what Visiting Orphans was.  Four months ago I didn't know I was going to go to Africa tomorrow.  Four months ago I was questioning God, "Do you really want me to do this?  Really?  Are you sure?"  Once I said "Well.....okay" and took the first leap of faith by signing up for this trip and making the first $200 payment, not having any clue how I was going to come up with the rest of the money in such a short time, I have been on a wild ride.  What a difference those four months have made in my life.  


I have had so much encouragement from near and far when I decided I needed to do this.  My husband didn't even hesitate to tell me to go when I told him the insane idea I had of leaving him and our girls for two weeks to go on a mission trip.  My parents, who are without a doubt my inspiration to how I hope to parent my girls, were the first to donate and have supported me along the way. My amazing mom is even staying here to help with the girls while I'm away.  (I really would still be packing tomorrow morning if it wasn't without her here too!)  My in-laws opened their home to fund raise and have been a prayer anchor telling all they know to pray for me on this trip.  Family members I have never met have sent me donations.  Family members who I rarely see have supported the trip through encouragement, prayer and donations. My small group class as supported me.  Everyone at work has encouraged me to do this.  Friends from high school I haven't talked to in ages have supported me.  I'm just blown away. 


So tomorrow, with the help of everyone I mentioned above and many more on my Facebook community that has been such a source of encouragement, I embark on this two week trip with Visiting Orphans to Uganda and Ethiopia. I will be living out their mission:  To awaken the body of Christ to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the 163 million orphans by visiting them, loving them, and sharing the Father's heart.  


I am so excited to be given this opportunity!  Thank you to everyone who has supported me through these last four months.  I could not have gotten this far without you.  I love each and every one of you!  I will use this blog to post about my trip while I'm there and when I return. I hope you enjoy the ride with me!  




Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  James 1:27 NIV