Africa no. 2: Planning, Eden, and Anticipation

I bought my ticket for Africa today. It was about the most exciting thing I have done in the last week at least. So, it's very real now. I'm going. I'm ready to pack my bags.

I need a few things before I go. I'm debating on a new suitcase since the handle on the appropriately sized one that I do have is broken. :( I also need a good and sturdy camera bag for camera and lenses. Other than those two things, and the books for the class, I should be set.

I'm debating on the bird sitter. Craig hasn't taken care of Eden on his own but I guess he should get used to her. She wouldn't really be happy with my parents. She LOVES my dad but she HATES my mom and I honestly hate asking them, BUT they know what they're doing. So, I'm thinking of leaving her with Craig with LOTS of instructions and telling him to be in constant communication with my parents. I've never left her for two weeks and I'm very nervous about it. I am going to worry about her so much and I can't just pick up the phone and call to see how she is. We'll have e-mail. I think I'm going to leave Craig with my Nikon and computer chord so he can send me both pictures of him and of her. That'll make me feel better. Yea. (ugh). It'll be a learning experience, I'm sure.

I'm down to a week of class 'stuff' left. I'm sitting in my last class right now. I have a written final to finish. I have one in-class final. I have 2 papers to tweak. I can do this. And then.......SUMMER. I'll be working so it won't be all that great but I get to go home for conference and wedding dress shopping. I'm compiling all the JUNKIE books I want to read. I'm very ready for a break.

Keep me in your prayers this week!! Love you all!

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Africa no.1: The Decision to Go

Many of you may already know that I am attending the South Africa Evangelism Seminar in Johannesburg South Africa this coming August (13th-27th) with the World Methodist Evangelism Institute and the World Methodist Council. Words cannot express my excitement. The seminar will actually count for 3 hours of course credit toward my fall semester which is simply icing on the cake. As part of the coinciding 'course' we are supposed to turn in a journal that coincides with the event and that journal begins with our decision to go to Africa. I am a blogging fool, so naturally I decided to use this venue to journal. This will help keep my dearest friends (YOU!) informed as well.

So the decision starts about 4 years ago actually. I was at Cornerstone Music Festival somewhere in the middle of a corn field in Illinois. Someone gave a sermon one night that involved Africa and the AIDS in Africa campaign through World Vision. My heart was so heavy and burdened that night to go to Africa--not necessarily to venture into an AIDS filled world, lay hands, and heal it--I knew, though that I had some purpose in being there.

For a while I thought I would devote a serious part of my life to Africa. I haven't singled out that option. I'd love to serve in a missionary capacity there at some point (shhh! Don't tell my parents). But I am getting married next year and Craig and I want children at some point and I'm not so sure Eden (my 4 year old umbrella cockatoo) would fair too well. It seems like now would be the best time--the easiest time--the time that would be a little less selfish and inconvenience the smallest number of people and besides, the door opened.

I got the email notice about 2 months ago from Candler advertising the seminar. We get these kinda often. It's always so funny. So many of us would like to go on these international experiences but so many of us are also burdened by the debt of school. A lot of the students here can still just run to mom and dad and ask for the support--no problem. Even if my parents did have an extra 3000$ laying around, I couldn't ask them for that. They'd give it to me in a heartbeat, don't get me wrong, but I've always been pretty self-reliant and independent. There are so many opportunities to serve around the world, many of us simply cannot afford it.

So here I am poor and called. I can ignore the call a lot easier than I can find the funds. So, I hit delete on the e-mail.

About a week later I was knitting in the back of my evangelism class. I knit in evangelism because it is right after lunch and the last class of a very long day so the knitting helps me stay focused. Evangelism has become my favorite class this year. The readings are inspiring and the professor is passionate about his call to serve in a capacity that motivates us to be active in making a difference in the world. So, I'm knitting. This particular day Dr. Winston Worrell is our guest-speaker. I cannot remember what all he was talking about because at the beginning of his lecture, he plugged the Africa trip. My gears started spinning again. It was interesting. I couldn't get it out of my mind. I couldn't concentrate on anything else. I MESSED UP MY SCARF! I knew that I needed to talk to him about this trip.

I went up to him after class and told him flat out, "I want to go to Africa. I always have. I can't afford it." He very faithfully said that the Lord tends to make a way. I took an application with me, filled it out, and turned it back in. I knew that I wouldn't be sleeping unless I did.

We were told that there were 15 spots for the trip. After a couple of weeks we were called to an informational meeting. The whole time it's still not sinking in that I'm actually trying to do this incredible thing. 25 people showed up to the meeting. I got worried. What if I applied for this thing and it didn't happen? What would that mean about this call that I had been feeling for 4(ish) years? This was on a Thursday. We were told that we would know if we were going by the following Tuesday.

The weekend was an anxious one. I had already told my parents about the seminar. I had already dealt with some of my mother's nerves (not fun!). I even had Craig call her to ease her mind a little and assure her that he was supportive of me going. This was a big help. I had her hunting down my passport that I hadn't seen since I got back from Italy when I was 17. She 'conveniently' couldn't find it.

Monday rolled around. No word.

On Tuesday, before Evangelism, I approached Dr. deSouza to ask him, again, when we would know about Africa. (I'm kinda pushy). He smiled at me and said, a matter-of-factly, that I was going. I could barely contain myself through class. I sent Craig and my mom a text message letting them know. Craig was excited. Mom, not quite. Within an hour I was already trying to figure out how to raise the money.

God had opened this door. Dr. Worrell had said that the Lord will provide. Within 3 days I had 450$ donated. Within 3 weeks 800$. Just last Friday I had another 400$ come through--enough to buy my plane ticket tomorrow (when I can get it for 100$ cheaper!). I still need about 700$ and some spending money but Dr. Worrell was right. 4 years of being called to go to this place. The Lord is providing.

I'm already imagining what I will experience. Not only will I be with evangelists from all over the world and have the opportunity to glean from their experiences, but I will also get to encounter people and learn how to articulate my own experiences and to hear about their understanding of the Christ. I want to grow in my faith in ways that lead me to speak my heart-felt convictions about my savior. I want to know who this savior is to others in a context that I cannot begin to imagine. I want to bring back my experiences and share them with others. I can't wait to have this experience with the others who are going. Excited doesn't cover how I feel. I'm ready to pack. I'm ready to load my camera. I'm ready to journal and take notes. I'm ready to meet these incredible people. I am ready. The Lord is providing. The Lord is so good.

I still can't believe this is happening.

I solicit prayers. This is a long time coming and I only hope that what God has to show me in Africa will be obvious and wonderful. I pray for a change within myself that only this experience can bring. I am blessed; I am excited; I am ready!