When I went to Swaziland with Children's HopeChest in 2008, I kept a travel diary, and after about a year, I typed up all the entries here at MUSINGS FROM GRACELAND. And last year, when I journeyed to Swaziland, this time with Jim and Anna, I kept another travel journal and intended to type up all my entries here also. I thought that surely this time, since my re-entry wasn't as painful and emotionally tumultuous as last time, it wouldn't take a full year to get them up here.
Wrong.
Here it is, a full year later and I've not even started the process.
So here goes, today I start transcribing the account of our Swaziland adventure. Because if I don't do it soon, we'll have made our family trip in 2012 and then I'll really find myself in hot, bloggy water.
But before I start averting that mini-blogger crisis, let me announce the winner of the pumpkin cheesecake auction. For after all, this person is just one of our many friends and family members who through their financial support, are making it easier for us to go to Swaziland next year. Linda W. is the winner with a $50 bid. Linda is a long-time friend who we've known since before we started having kids. In fact, during our early years of friendship, Linda was the one jetting off on mission trips as she served with YOUTH WITH A MISSION. Now she's a nurse anesthetist blessing lots of people with painless bliss while we jet off with all of our kids. Wonder if she might can find a way for us to have some painless bliss during that long plane flight over to Africa?
So thank you, Linda, for your bid; and thank you, Brooke, for your cheesecake; and thank you all who have supported us during past mission trips and during future mission adventures. Your prayers, gifts, words of encouragement, and acts of service make all the difference and are a true blessing from the Lord.
Now on to the first entry from last year's trip:
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September 18, 2010
After 2.5 years, I am blessed to be returning to my beloved Africa, especially Swaziland.
Over one year ago, Jim and I felt that God was leading us to make this trip together. God has provided abundantly thru friends and the fire insurance. He gave us enough money for the both of us to go, and Anna, and our good friend, Kelly Leggett.
The purpose of our trip is two-fold.
First, to minister God's love to the children and community of the Bheveni Community --- the carepoint where our two sponsored girls are fed and loved.
Second, to seek God's will concerning our future and if He is leading us to begin a new life in Africa.
There is actually a third reason as well, for Jim to be able to share this very important area of my life. I look forward to introducing him to my friends and showing him places dear to me.
It is already late as I write this and I am very, very tired so I will keep the rest of this entry to the point.
+I've barely slept the last few nights. Wednesday and Thursday nite I only had 3 or 4 hours of sleep due to the excitement of the upcoming trip. In fact, last night I did not even go to bed but stayed up finishing with packing, getting dressed, etc.
+Today I have napped for a total of about an hour and a half in the plane to Memphis and airport in Memphis.
Rundown of day ----4:00 a.m. Chad Wallace arrived at house to take us to airport
-4:30 a.m. Left home
-5:00 a.m. Arrive at airport
-6:30 a.m. Fly to Memphis
-7:30 a.m. Landed in Memphis
-12:00 p.m. Left for Atlanta
-2:30 p.m. Arrived in Atlanta. Met up with our team: Kelly, Erica Zeiller, Mike & Danielle Brower
-7:00 p.m. Left Atlanta
We are now over the ocean flying toward the rising sun and Africa.
My heart is full of joy despite the exhaustion.
Tomorrow I will be back home --- my African home is calling me.
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