The Trip

Tomorrow morning I will drive to Blair High School and meet nearly two hundred students that I will be required to work with over the next ten months.  The sentiments and adrenaline that surge through me at this point in time resemble the emotions and energy that move through me before any adventurous trip I take, like my most recent journey to Africa, for example.

When I prepare to leave my home for an extended length of time, I strive to cover every detail of my absence.  I organize bills, prepare all necessities for pets, clean my house completely, call loved ones and remind them of my love for them.  I feel as if all "loose ends" need to be tied so that I leave sort of a legacy of peace.

I suppose my preparations for students cause a similar sensation.  I strive to have an inviting classroom, designed comfortably and aesthetically so that students feel excited and welcomed as they walk through the door.  I organize my grading system, my curriculum, my thoughts and emotions so that I can meet the needs of my students, academically and as a fellow human being.

Now, I prepare for bed after a long day, decorating, cleaning, photocopying, planning and preparing.  As I see it, I am hours away from my next journey, a journey into the hearts and minds and lives of amazing young people who have dreams and hopes even though they may live in cultures and worlds that feel foreign to me.  What an honor to go on this trip!

Surf's Up

I have been home from Africa for a week and a half and the showers of blessing overwhelm me.  I constantly gaze at my wedding finger and the beautiful ring that adorns it.  It excites me to be officially "loved," for lack of a better description.  I realize that many plans have to be made and I will need to focus some attention on a celebration for family and friends to share with us.  I have received many congratulations from friends of old along with requests to "catch" up.  Mind you, these are not just Facebook "friends" but people who hold permanent places in my heart and in the formation of who I am.  Therefore, the catching up is obligatory and important.  In addition, my beloved family from up north came to visit, their presence beckoning me to spend time with them.  All of this creates a sensation of busyness, which is something I strive to avoid.

Don'tt misunderstand me, work, plans, friends and family are all critical pieces to my existence and daily routines.  However, I desire to stay balanced each day.  I pray that I ride the waves of busyness as opposed  to getting wiped out by them.  I know there is a way.  The definition is found in many scriptures one of which is Psalm 46:10.  This verse says, "Be still and know that I am God."  When I remember that He is in control of everything, chaotic waves become an opportunity for a ride, an exhilarating, beautiful, and supernaturally enjoyable ride.  Surf's up!

Photos at Last

Innocent, an amazing young man who has gone from rags to riches as he serves the Lord and works hard, hoping to become a doctor; Dana is in the middle, treating her two kids to ice cream in Uganda, and Barbra, a stunning 10 year old who is growing into the grace and knowledge of God!

Kids in their uniforms for school.  Otino Waa is amazing, not only providing homes for Ugandan children but a family system, a safe refuge of hope and joy and in addition to all of this, an education of the highest caliber!

And this is Kudzi, my child in Zimbabwe.  He lives with his mom and little brother in a remote village.  World Vision brought him to me, a two day journey, to spend the day in Harare.  He and his mom had never been in a car before.  Imagine.  Both of us have been changed forever by our encounter!

Home

I am in the US again, home, enjoying a shower with amazing water pressure, resting in the arms of the man I love, walking with my gorgeous dog and settling into my routine.  However, I pray that my routine is anything but normal.

I just spent a month embracing kids that I am financially and prayerfully responsible for; a month meeting people from around the world who love Africa and her people like I do.  My feet trod the same soil as herds of elephants and giraffe, and my lungs soaked in the air and breath of a continent I cherish.  This has shaken and awakened me, refreshed my vision and strengthened my purpose.  My prayer is that this passion infuses itself more than ever into my routine, daily, as I pray for my kids and their peers, for their futures, for their hopes, for their very life breath.  I pray that all of my encounters and delights in Africa this past month actually permeate my home and my life, helping others to have even a small glimpse of the supernatural moments I have been blessed with.  May these sacred moments in fact be "home."

Preparing for home

I began planning my trip to Africa over a year and a half ago.  I began with prayer, which lead to researching my options and then contacting the missionaries and organizations that I hoped to work with.  Then I had to save funds and plan strategically about what I needed, what I would pack, and so many other minute but vital details.  This happened to be part of the fun.

Then I had to leave home, the man I love, the home I enjoy, the dog and cat I cherish.  That was bitter sweet, knowing I would be without their comforts and yet longing for a land and people that reside in my heart.  Africa.

Here in Africa, I have now had the honor of meeting three of my sponsored kids who are stunning and miraculous.  I have sung songs with them and embraced them and etched their features in my memory so that I can close my eyes and see them.  I can see Innocent's dark features and Jesus shining from behind his eyes, lifting the corners of his mouth to a serious smile.  Barbra's hazel-green eyes sparkle with a grin sort of lighting up her face.  And Kudzunai cautiously stares at me to ensure my reality.  He tries to be as serious as possible but when I smile he raises his eyebrows and a smile lifts his cheeks from ear to ear.  This is my Africa.

Now, I find myself with a day of rest preparing to leave for the US in less than twenty-four hours.  I am excited to return to people and pets that I love and yet there is a hollow longing that weighs on my heart, a longing for my real home where LOVE in all of its purity and glory will utterly surround me and those I love.  I long for my heavenly home, where the man and family I adore as well as "my Africa" will be united for eternity.  That is a pleasant thought and for now it will carry me through my flight to Duarte, CA until Africa and I meet again.

Camping out in Afrcia

So, I spent my first ten days or so traveling through Uganda and Zimbabwe meeting orphans that I sponsor.  I am not certain if words can articulate the sensations that gripped me during those days and moments; such joy and deep contentment knowing that my investments in humanity are well rewarded and gratefully appreciated.  After bidding farewell, however, I found myself alone, journeying to Victoria Falls, perpetuating ever new emotions.  My purpose became a bit foggy and unsteady as I had no particular person to encounter, only unknown adventures lay ahead.

I landed safely in Vic Falls, took a taxi to the rest camp I had been registered at, and unloaded my bags in a security room until I could check in.  I then began to walk the small town in search of the actual waterfall.  As soon as I exited the rest camp gates, vendors accosted me with their wares and their pleas, following side by side as I continued walking.  Honestly, my home decor is quite African so some of the items appealed to me.  However, my momentary purpose had become clear, "Look at the waterfall."

Unfortunately, I was born at a time when wild, "National Geographic Society" exploration has come to a significant halt.  Instead, I had to pay $30 to enter the park and begin my stroll along with many other individuals and families.  The power and glory of this waterfall, though, outweighed the initial commercialism I encountered.  The falls are so vast, so enormous and so exquisite.  Water sprays everywhere, cooling you off as you walk.  Again, words fail to express the enormous exhilaration that sort of encompass a person as she gazes on this wonder. It was good.  And to top it off, I had the opportunity to feel "alone" as I walked about a mile from one end of the park to the point from which I had entered.  I turned a corner and saw a large, grey body by the bush; quickly realized it was a wart hog, smiled, shot a photo and continued my journey, unharmed.  

After that adventure, I made my way to the rest camp again in order to meet with the group that I would be camping with for eleven days.  I discovered that two Canadian families, four Australian families, one Scottish, and one South African family were to become my traveling companions.  Up to this point, we have journeyed from Vic Falls to Botswana and even spent three days on a remote camp site in the Delta.   We did several walking safaris and saw dung of every animal that lives in Botswana.  Unfortunately, we saw very few of the actual animals, though.  Fortunately, each day allowed me encounters with giraffe, coming as close to one as about thirty feet and then seeing an entire herd of over forty journeying together.  That is amazing! And that is a wrap for now.

Vic Falls

So, My summer trip to Africa was primarily to meet my three sponsored children.  And I have been saturated with amazing joy having now met all three.  It is wonderful to know that only God could have brought our worlds together and joined us as family.

I have been in Zimbabwe for several days now and had the honor of meeting my Kudzunai and his mom, Patricia.  Due to political unrest because of upcoming elections, I was unable to travel north to his village.  So, World Vision brought him to me in Harare.  Imagine being twelve years old and just riding in a car for the first time.  I got to teach him how to roll down the window and, no, they were not electric.  I introduced him to pizza and then a soccer ball was his chosen purchase. a grin smeared his face with joy for our entire visit.  He speaks limited English so we did have a translator, speaking Shona.  If he had a positive answer, he would smooch out his lips and then raise his eyebrows.  I loved it!  a tickle broke through his pleasant grin and burst into a full toothed smile which I will post when I have the capacity to do so.  Internet here in Zimbabwe has been hit and miss.

But before I close, let me say that I landed in Victoria Falls this morning, stowed my luggage in a security room as I could not check into my cabin yet.  hen I strolled to Victoria Falls, the mile long waterfall.  "It is known as the smoke that thunders."  It is sheer power and gloriously magical.  I walked the entire guided path and enjoyed a perpetual cool mist .  My return journey lead me around a corner and lo and behold, there was a wart hog.  Further along the way, baboons.  they just looked at me and carried on with their business as if they had seen me a million times, after all, people are people.  But this "people" doesn't think that a baboon is just a baboon.  or me it was too cool!