Date: 6/28/09
Time: 1:43 a.m.
Mood: Pensive yet Excited
Packing Status: Officially Done (as of 23 minutes ago)
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This is the day.
I leave in 7 1/2 hours to drive to the airport, to get on a plane (after PRAYING all of our individual luggage weighs no more than 50 lbs. each--more on that later), to step foot on the red dirt in what feels so close to being home--Uganda.
I can't believe it's been a year. A whole year has gone by since I was leaving to go for the first time to Uganda. I've been sitting here thinking about all of the thoughts and feelings that were running rampant through me this time last year. There was fear of the unknown and unexpected, excitement for newness and change, expectancy for God's faithfulness, and an eager somewhat naive heart to embark on something the Lord had been preparing me for, for quite a while.
It's different in different ways this year.
I have no fear. None. Zippo. Zilch. Crazy, right? I don't think so. I serve a God that is of power and might, not of fear. That right here puts a smile to my face. What an amazing thing to be able to walk confidently knowing that we have no reason to fear--anything or anyone. Fear is crippling-down to the bones. I much rather live in the freedom provided abundantly to me. And while I have excitement, it's a calm inner excitement. It's hard to explain, really. I've had quite a number of people come up and ask me, "So are you extremely excited?!!" or , " I bet you are sooo excited!!" and right along with that their faces are lit up and their voices full of joy. Of course, I respond with a yes--because I am, but not the giddy, completely outward, kind of way.
This is purposeful. God is fulfilling His plan through my willingness to be obedient to His call for me in Uganda specifically for these next 2 weeks. Not that He wasn't last year, but this year I am so much more in tune with that. I'm focused, I have something, someone, someones to focus on. I can see individual faces, hear individual voices, and long to hug individual people--right now I might have left last year with it being personal, and having invested personally. This year I am going having already invested. That may not seem like a big difference, but it really is. It's a lot to grasp, and I don't pretend to be able to explain it in a way that makes any sense to those who haven't experienced it.
I have no idea what all the Lord has in store for us. I do know that the Lord has been continually speaking to me about His power and might. Over and over again I am finding myself reminded about just how powerful of a God we serve. That power resides in me. I never cease to be amazed by that.
So today (well, yesterday technically) was my 25Th birthday. Today was a pretty darn good day. I worked an annual event at work until about noon (with people that I truly am thankful for--I revived my first birthday donut with a birthday candle in it haha), ran some last minute errands (of course Wal-Mart being one of those), came home and took a nap, received lots of calls and texts from people that I love and cherish, packed, procrastinated, went to dinner at Olive Garden with my parents (where the OG employees joyfully sang their "well wishes for the days to come" to me) and packed some more. It was an overall good Birthday! :)
So let me tell you about my suitcase since I told you I would. So our suitcases can't be more than 50 lbs. You may be thinking, "How hard could that be?! That's a LOT--no one should need 50 lbs of stuff!" However, let me correct you. It is tricky. This is proven by Eric (one of the team members going to Uganda) calling me this afternoon asking me if there was room in the trunks we are taking with us because his was weighing 53 pounds! I laughed because he was one of the ones who thought there was no way it'd be a problem. He stood corrected! So I'm just loaded my suitcase up. My mom walks in and notices how full it's getting and I realize we should probably just do a mock weigh in on my scale. I'm sure you know where this is going. It was 57 stinking pounds. How in the world?!! 7 lbs, my friends, is a lot. So for about 20 minutes we moved around and took out and put back in and condensed until finallllyyyyy it was good to go. Bless my mom's heart she just looked at me like I was crazy. She's not the one going to Uganda for 2 weeks--I NEED MY WHEAT THINS!! haha. (seriously, though.)
Well, I hope to keep this updated. Check in and be a part of all that God wants to (and WILL) accomplish in Uganda. I don't always understand why God has allowed me to be the one to experience this with all the many, many blessings, but I will continue to go where He leads me. If that's Uganda, then Uganda here I come!!
Your prayers are appreciated and greatly needed!
Oh, one more thing. A good friend of mine, Josh Muse, is currently in Sudan serving the Lord and will be there for 2 months. You can go to his blog and keep up with all that he is doing to further the Kingdom! http://kawaja09.wordpress.com/
Uganda Bound,
Jessica
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