Love you all!

Here we go, tomorrow is the big day. Here are a few questions people have asked.

1. Do you know where you are staying? No, we only know we are on the farm, the rest is a mystery. Think of it as pulling into a town after driving 8 to 10 hours and searching for a hotel. There are plenty of places to stay, but some are full, so you have to go some where else. Will you end up at the Marriott or at the Super 8? I'll let you know, either via post while I'm there, or via email when I get back.

2. Are you nervous? Yes, but mainly about the plane ride. My goal? Board the plane in Atlanta, watch a movie or two, sleep for 5 or 6 hours. A guy can dream can't he?

3. Are you ready? Two answers for that question. As for stuff at home, I'm more ready for this trip than any other trip I've been on. I must be forgetting something, because I actually have time to blog. As for mentally ready, I think so. I'm determined to focus on God and what He wants me to see and do. I'm open and ready to go.

I spoke with the president of my company the other day and he suggested that I put together a slide show of pictures, then he would cater a lunch in for the office and I could show them to everyone. Can't wait to share, but I suck at taking pictures. I told Chad, and the rest of the team will get the same story, no pressure, but I need pictures worthy of a free lunch. No shots of their back pocket, I all ready have several of those from the last time I tried to take pictures in Mexico. "This is the inside of my pocket getting out of the van. This is a picture of the inside of my pocket at the market. This is the inside of my pocket at the house." I know that sounds fascinating, but trust me, not worth the cost of developing it. I've taken my digital camera several times, which eliminated the pocket shots, but the quality of the other pictures didn't improve much.

I'm into a band that is new to me, called FM Static. The lead singer is also the lead singer of Thousand Foot Crutch (TFK), if you listen to Christian rock. One of their songs has lyrics that I seem to relate to, maybe you do as well.

What if I stumble? What if I fall?
When I'm on my way to You,
What if I need You? Who do I call?
How do I know I'll get through?
Because I don't wanna ride the fence anymore.
I wanna stand up, and shout it,
And let it be known

Not sure why these lyrics hit me so square, but they do. I think it's because I know I fail in living my life in all of the ways God wants me to live, that I still wonder if he hears my prayers, but through all of my questions/failures, I know God is there and I want to share the peace I have found in Him. I think that may be why I do these trips. I've talked about it in Mexico, that I honestly feel God has sent me to these places, and I want the people I serve to know, it's not me, it's Him. Trust me, if I tried to do this trip on my own, I'd be sitting in my basement with a map of South Africa thinking, what if? But because I asked God for help, I'm not asking what if?, I'm freaking going. The people I was lead to send my letters to, answered, for what ever reason, and made this possible. I don't know if they sent money because they love me, believe in the ministry I'm working with, needed the tax credit, or all of the above, but regardless of their motivation, they moved. I can only say that those that donated money, did more than get me to SA, you'll just have to trust me in that. Your kindness and generosity goes deeper than me, you are a bigger part of this trip than you know. Now as I board this plane tomorrow, let these be my last US soil words to you, and I get them from a MercyMe song. These are words that I carry in my wallet to remember, always.

Whom shall I send
Who will go for me
To the ends of the earth
Who will rise up for the King
Here am I, send me
Here am I, send me