After 50 some hours of travel my team and I have finally arrived in Africa; weary and dirty, but thrilled to be here none the less! Our journey began in Salt Lake City where we caught a plane to Chicago. Upon arriving in Chicago we learned Obama was also flying into the city around the same time and we might have to circle the runway several times to avoid landing at the same time as his. Thankfully the President’s plan did not interfere with ours, and we were able to land without event. =) After a quick layover in Chicago (which resulted in an unnamed team member losing a wallet; and no it wasn’t me!) we flew out for London. Other than the jet lag, our 8 hours in London was fantastic. We had a bit of a whirlwind tour of the city that included a meal of fish n’ chips and a stroll around the city while drinking tea in the rain. We then made the 8 hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda. As soon as we stepped off the plane, I was hit with a wave of humidity. Yay, this means my skin will be super moisturized and it will be easy to do my hair curly! =) This country is beautiful; full of lush green vegetation creating a stark contrast against the red dirt. The children and people are beautiful as well. Upon arriving, the 13 of us squished into an old van and drove about two hours to attend a church service. Church started at 9 and ended at 1:30; these Africans know how to do church!! Other than the service our agenda for the day includes showering and getting settled in to our new home. We will have dinner and “orientation” soon; followed by a time of sharing from two of the Next Generation staff members. Each evening we will be meeting with different local staff members to hear their stories and break bread together. So, thank you Jesus for getting us here safely!! Thank you for the adventure ahead. And thank all of YOU for your prayers! Pictures and more to follow…

P.S. Blogging quickly like this without really going over and refining what I’m writing drives me crazy, but I’d rather get some words out then worry about writing style, so bear with me here!

Just Journeying with Jesus

Sad as it is I am starting this blog because it is 1:30 AM, I can't sleep and I would like to do something more productive than watching TV and less intellectual than reading. (Truth be told, I have had intentions of blogging for awhile and am just now getting around to it).

Why do people blog? I love to keep journals and create photo albums or scrapbooks. When I look back over a year and consider how I spent my time, I feel better knowing there is concrete evidence that I was alive and well and had experiences and emotions significant enough to write about or take pictures of. Or sometimes it's just fun to relive an experience and cry or laugh all over again. What movie was it that said something about the human desire to have a witness to our lives? Maybe that's why we blog...as a way to create a witness to our lives.

Recently I have learned that Jesus is the witness to my life. He sees everything, knows everything and always loves me and is always proud. What better spectator is there? Except He doesn't just spectate like a fan in a sports stadium; He is actively involved and invested. He knows the very number of hairs on my head! (Luke 12:7) When you are that deeply invested in someone, you follow through on who that person is and what they are doing. Because of this great love, I can walk out of my door each morning with my head held high because I know something: He loves me. HE loves me!!! The knowledge of that one simple truth is enough to transform my life and the lives of others around me. Enough to make each day purposeful and fraught with meaning. I am in the lifelong process of grasping the depth and power of this truth.

He notices me and He sees me; and that is witness enough for me. So, here's to the journey and the musings along the way!