Fair Warning and Freedom

Surprise, surprise...here I am.

I feel cliche-ish in saying that I always told myself I would never 'blog' because everyone seems to start out their first blog that way. Cliche or not--it's the truth. I also feel like I'm supposed to have some catchy title and a post filled with material that leaves you hanging on every word. Not to burst any one's bubble, but I hope you don't necessarily expect to find that here. What you will find, however, is:

• Updates while I am in Uganda, Africa (if I have Internet access that is)

***This is the motivation behind this whole 'thing'

• Amazing testimonies to an amazing and sovereign God
• Continuous ramblings most likely therapeutic for yours truly only
• Questions and Truth seeking
• A little insight into the undeserving life of mu ah. (is there an actual spelling for that?)
• Whatever these fingers of mine decide to put into words.
• A bit of the craziness that goes on in this mind...don't forget I warned you.

So, today reality hit me. (for the um-teenth) time. It tends to hit pretty hard when it comes my way. As I was sitting at my desk I just got the simple but powerful reminder that in 2 days I will be on my way to Africa. AFRICA! Just saying that is surreal. Then, I got an email from my big brother that put me to tears. (in a great way) Yes, sitting at my desk at work. Don't worry--they are all use to the emotional aspect of me. (Just ask my boss) It's an extreme thing--extremely frustrated/angry--cry, extremely joyful--cry, etc. Sometimes it has to work itself up and other times it's like BAM. (yeah, that's right) Tears really are a blessing from my point of view, but that's a whole other blog in and of itself.

I figured a great way to let everyone in on my adventure and mission to Africa would be to start at square one. Shall we begin?

It began (well, looking back- where I now realize it began--I imagine the Lord has always been preparing me)when I was in college. I was a junior in college to be precise. I called up a guy friend to see what he was doing one night and he mentioned to me he was going to a meeting about Invisible Children on campus. (www.invisiblechildren.com --check it out, you will be educated) It was like 15 minutes before the meeting starting. Oh a whim, I headed out the door. I could never have been prepared for what I watched that night. I watched a documentary about the Invisible Children in Sudan and Northern Uganda and the horrible, mortifying ongoing war over there. I was in awe--and not in a good way. My heart was burdened that night. I couldn't really explain it. I went there not knowing anyone but the one guy friend really and left there glad because I wanted to be by myself to process what I had just seen. It was heart wrenching and I was grieving for the lives involved and angry that such a thing could be going on and it's like everyone ignored it. I joined the campus organization 'League of Nations' that night to do my part to help raise awareness for the Invisible Children. I told everyone and I helped raise money and I attended meetings and I prayed. I told myself that's where my part ended. I can remember a number of times getting this inexpressible 'feeling'. I can remember coming home from college one weekend and a video just so happened to be shown at church about missionaries in Africa and I had that same 'feeling'. I told myself Africa isn't where I was going to be. I told myself that I would support others 100% but to actually go myself was out of the question. I was scared.

OK, I hate to keep you hangin' but the continuation will come in the next blog. Stay tuned! :)

I'll leave you with a sentence or two from the email my brother sent me today--"Take lots of pictures and never forget the faces you will meet and the lack of understanding and lack of overall knowledge that many of the communities face every minute of every day. That is what you are fighting for. One life at a time!"

Amen, A-men.