Step 1...Complete

"Jesus looked hard at them and said, "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it."- Matthew 19:26 (The Message Bible)

The past several days have been filled with hundreds of emails and decisions, but the final decision was made today. My ticket to Africa was finally bought and paid for. In about three weeks I will be boarding an airplane with two 50lbs bags loaded with enough stuff to survive sufficiently for 10 months. This fact excites me but yet scares every cell in my body. The trip to Africa will take three days, two nights of flying and lots of airports and finding gates. The thing that scares me the most is that all of this most be done by myself; no parent, no friend to get me through the rough times, getting lost, being exhausted, and running across a huge foreign airport to make my flight. Now that I have an official date of departure the day seems to be screaming closer and I am beginning to realize the little and big things that I'll miss.

These last couple of months the trip has just felt like a dream to me, I've known I am going but it seemed far away and untouchable. The dream stage is gone though and reality has hit me hard. On August 16th at 6:30 pm I will march down the airport terminal in Spokane and wave goodbye to my parents, brother and friends for 10 months. But like I've said this is not all scary and unconceivable. I am going to AFRICA!! Its been a dream of mine to see Africa since I was little and for this to come true and for me to have this amazing experience and adventure is a miracle. God has blessed me with so many things and I too quickly forget all that He's done to get me to where I am today. In my head its easier to take on the worry and burdens myself and I forget that God is there and He has it planned out and taken care of I just have to TRUST. I have so many different emotions running through my head but I know without a doubt that I am suppose to be in Blantyre Malawi, and that it will be the best experience of my life and I will gain so much from every adventure, mishap, conflict and excitement that I encounter. God has got me under His arm and He will be beside me through each flight, airport, car and house that I will be in. So here we go its time to "Explore.Dream.Discover"

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain