Africa, here I come!

Well, I figure it's about time I post about this. :) Many of you are aware, but I know some of you have no clue - but I am going to Africa in April. I am super excited and I can't wait to go! As of today - there are 28 more days and it's not soon enough! I am going on a mission trip with a couple of my friends - Steph and Sarah and then about 3 high school students. We will be traveling to South Africa and Mozambique. This is my first mission trip ever...and it's just been awesome seeing how everything is coming together. I have never had a "desire" to go on a mission's trip - it was something I knew I was not called for - but I was fine of just supporting people financially and being involved with missions that way. However, the past year or so God has really be doing some change of heart in that area. I was beginning to feel a desire to go somewhere and I knew the time was coming that I would be going - I just had no idea how it was going to happen or when. Well...a couple of days before I lost my job, my friend Steph called and asked me if I would like to be a part of this team - someone had apparently backed out so they had an opening. Before I could even think about it, I said "yes of course" and then next thing I knew I was talking to my supervisor about taking that time off. Well...then obviously I was given that time off so it became more clear to me that this is the perfect time. So now I have been planning and preparing for this trip.

I have realized after sending out support letters that either people are all about it and very supportive of me with this - or they completely disagree and think it's ridiculous that I'm going. Sure, maybe "logically" I shouldn't be going because I don't have a job right now and I should be looking for one, etc, etc. However, at the same time - why not go? What more of a perfect time in my life to be a part of something and more importantly - I know I need to be obedient to what God is directing me to do. I am excited because I feel as though this is a pivitol time in my life right now. It's a time where I believe God has something big planned - not sure what - but I feel as though something big is going to happen. So who knows. I can't really describe the assurance I have in my heart and everything else that I'm feeling at this time.

So anyways - after that little soapbox - let me talk about the trip! We will be primarily working with Jason and Rachel (Gross) Helm...IWU graduates if the names sound familiar! :) How fun is that?! I had no idea I was going to be able to see them until her dad came to talk to us about the trip and he was showing us a slideshow and this picture came up and he was like, "This is my daughter and her husband..." I was like, "I know her!" So I was very excited about that. And what's also cool about that - I met Rachel probably my sophomre year at IWU and we became acquaintances while at college - we didn't run into eachother a whole lot, but when we did - we always rememebered eachother. So I think - wow - isn't that cool that God allowed us to meet at IWU - so we would know eachother at this time in our lives...just another cool God moment. :) So anyways - they work with this Bible College in Mozambique so our team will be working with the children of the Bible College students - basically doing some VBS with them. I am in charge of doing some arts and crafts - so if anyone has some fun simple ideas - throw them this way! We will also be hopefully visiting an orphanage and maybe working with some AIDS patients...it is also hoped that we can help build a church and then be able to worship in it the next week. There are a ton of things planned and I am just excited about this opportunity. It will be great! I'm sure I'll do a ton of postings when I get back to share the experience.