Departure and Arrival

We are finally here! After 2 long days of flying we finally made it. Everyone is safe and feeling good, besides my cold that I caught 3 days before leaving I am A+. We had a very enjoyable lunch with everyone's friends and family at the Gazebo and then headed out!

A team picture!

All of our luggage which ended up costing us about $300 extra dollars, 150 due to one bag being 3 inches too big, and the other 200 due to a bag that was extra and overweight, it barely hit the 70lbs limit.

And finally we arrived! We were greeted by Susan and Lynda, it was nice to be 'home'

Departure!

It's time to say Goodbye to the beautiful mountains

Tomorrow I set out to spend the next 6 months of my life in Africa! I am both terrified and triumphant. Trusting that all comes together in God's hands. Going in confidence knowing that He is Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, and Christ above me.

In the morning I will arise through God's strength to direct me,
God's might to uphold me
God's wisdom to guide me
God's eye to look before m
God's ear to hear me
God's word to speak to me
God's hand to guard me
God's way to lie before me
God's shield to protect me
God's hosts to save me from snares of devils,
from temptations of vices,
from everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear,
alone and in a multitude. -Patrick's 'Breastplate'

Packing Progressions

Today began my very official day of packing, the 5,000 toothbrushes crammed nicely into 3 nearly 50lb. bags. It's exciting to open each of these suite cases and literally see thousands of toothbrushes in each. For something that weighs so little alone they sure do pack on the pounds when combined together in mass.

Apart from the toothbrushes I have been slowly starting the clothing pile that I only left one bag for, I am hoping for the best. (Mostly hoping that so many clothes can fit in such a small bag and still weigh under 50lbs.)

2 of my other bags contain hygeiene products, crafts, books, and Compassion gifts. I sponsor 2 little girls in Burkina both of which I will have a few opportunites to spend time with so I am bringing them some clothes and a few school supplies.

If you notice the orange bag on the end of this picture that bag is designated solely to food. Shopping for 6 months was quite an experience. I would walk through the isles and grab one pack of muffin mix, a pack of cookies, etc. and keep walking until it hit me that one pack of muffins would only make me muffins for one DAY, how in the world was I going to buy for 6 months? Well let's just say I won't run out of granola bars or cereal :)

Seeing as how this much progress has been made just today I have high hopes of what these next 2 weeks will hold in respect to the completion of my packing. At this point I am just begging other members on the team to agree to cart around one of these clonkers for me (if not 2) because my 2 per person bag quota was very quickly filled (as well was my sisters, she really had no say). I am however so very thankful that I am going with a group of people, and people who pack very lightly!

Garden Party

On Saturday we had the "Going Away Garden Party." It was a blast. Sherri Tomlin brought these beautiful sunflowers and this wonderful fruit bowl for everyone to enjoy.

My favorite 1 year olds were there of course and so was Maggie and Lauren, I was so glad the whole Bass family could come :)

Scott and Gouge were enthralled that Rob made a surprise apperance, they spent alot of time up close and personal.

Rob and Misty just before Conner would be born.

Oh How I miss him, but sure am glad he showed up.

A Glimpse

I had a small glimpse as to what life might be like in Burkina the other night. Taylor and I decided to save on gas and ride bikes to church from our Breanna Schultz's house. Taylor hops on the mountain bike and takes off up the hill, I hop on another mountain bike and the tires go completely flat in .2 seconds, well the only other bike there is the little girls bike, so what is a girl to do but hop on. It was quite a feat riding downhill with backwards pedal brakes and forget any uphill action (I had to get off and push) but it sure was an adventure. When we got to church Kevin said it was quite ironic that we decided to ride bikes on that day because he was going to talk about how burkinabe's ride bikes to get anywhere they want to go and he was going to ask us if we could imagine only having a bike to ride....Well let's just say we could imagine it after that long haul. I just hope that I won't have to ride a little girls bike (where the weight capacity is 100lbs.- far outdid that) in Burkina.

Scented Soap

These past few days have been quite a challenge for men and I have been doing almost anything to keep my mind off of the transition (ie. rearranging the living room furniture) I am about to make. Now don't get me wrong I am thrilled about moving to Africa but all of the necessary steps leading up to it seem to be too heavy for me to take some days. It's all quickly approaching though and I know that I need to get in gear over these last 2 weeks.
These past few days have not only been mentally challenging but spiritually challenging as well. The other night at church we were talking about James 5, where he is talking about accumulating wealth. I was challenged by looking at my life and determining what in my life was necessity and what was luxury. I went to the restroom and began washing my hands when the aroma of the soap hit me and I thought 'mhmmmm this smells good,' and then I realized that even the fact that I would spend $3 extra dollars to have scented soap is a luxury many cannot afford. I began tearing about the small areas of my life realizing that a lot of what I was living in was luxury compared to 3/4 of the world. I don't' want to "have spent my years on earth in luxury, satisfying my every desire." (James 5:5) I was challenged to hand even these areas of my life over to God and trust that He would provide exactly as I needed.
Now don't think I came home and threw away everything I had but I was quite challenged to stop living in such excess and begin living in simplicity knowing that the Lord will provide everything I need, but maybe not everything I want.

24 Days!

Everyday is one closer to the change that is about to take place in my world. I have been very thankful to hear from Lynda's perspective about life in Burkina. She often reminds me how sweltering hot it is there, so much so that her skin is 3 inches under her sweat, and I sit here now in my air conditioned house thinking 'wow I can't wait.' I am sure that in just a few weeks I will be wishing I could be back here.

Things have been beginning to get super busy around here, we have been jam packed with fundraisers from 2 garage sales to golf tournaments, to another garage sale, it just seems as if asking for money will never come to an end, and yet at the end of the day I still have so much money to raise. This week it has been somewhat defeating to think of all that I still need to do before I leave and obviously the days are dwindling down. I haven't even been able to go to the store and begin to get supplies for the next 6 months because every isle overwhelms me and so I just walk right back out thinking I will do it later. I still have so many people I want to sit and share my heart with about what God is allowing me to do while I am there and ask for their financial support as well as prayer support but life doesn't run around my fundraising and it's been difficult to find times to do so. I guess all I can do right now is cling to Christ's promises of His provision, knowing that He has called me to Go and He will supply my means of getting there.

A Few Random pictures from the Golf Tournament