Preparing my Heart for Africa

It's been close to a year since my last post and I am not surprised given the events of the year and the commitments, on so many levels, that I allowed to keep me from journaling and sharing here.  Yet, I am compelled to write as here I am again, on the verge of traveling again with Compassion International. This time to Rwanda!

Never ever would I have guessed that I would ever go to Africa. 

It's been a dream for a long long time.  Maybe it was planted as I watched the movie, "Out of Africa" as a teen, or followed the horrific events of the Rwandan genocide and the turmoil in Africa and found inspiration in Immaculee Ilibigizia. She is an amazing Rwandan, Catholic, faith filled woman and author of Left to Tell. Her story recounts how she survived the Rwandan genocide by hiding for months in a 3x5 bathroom with about 8 other women. She believes she was spared to tell her story and promote healing, forgiveness and love in her country and the world. 

Anyway, even hearing African music, especially the beautiful rich chants of African precious children stirs something in me. And now, I can't even imagine what it will be like to touch down in Kigali on September 19th, to walk though the crowds of children at the Compassion projects in Rwanda, play with the precious children there and ultimately meet our 6 year old sponsored little girl, Lilane. To me, she is our Compassion child and it's all hitting me today and I am humbly brought to tears that God would give me this gift and use me to serve Him there. 

So, today, the amazing story of how this all came to be will have to wait. It's too much. I am overwhelmed with thanks today that all has come together for this journey. I'm working on shopping for Liliane and her family. When a sponsor visits, it is the only time to bring and give gifts. Shopping for Liliane and her family brings such joy.

I picked up my malaria meds yesterday too and begin taking them in a few weeks. I guess that makes it even more real to me now too. I have at times, fretted about the details. I like to plan and organize and be ready. I've been thinking of: bed bugs (I heard our hotel has them), finding the best bags to pack to carry all my gifts, hoping they make it from Cincinnati to Chicago to Brussels to Kigali, and packing every imaginable medication or article I think I will need. I have had all my shots and am pretty much covered from any potential illness for the rest of my life. I have prayed and wondered about the call to leave my own family too for the longest time I have ever been away from them. My mother's heart will be heavy leaving my kiddos and I will miss Brendan. 

There are so many details and preparations to be ready, but today, I just kind of stopped in my tracks and realized more clearly, that God has it all planned. And really the best thing to prepare is my heart to be open to all He already has in store for me and through me. Really, it's not about me at all. 

Thinking back to finding out how I came to be on this trip, that I have literally been given this trip as a gift, I keep being reminded: Are not His plans always much much more than we could ever even imagine? Carrying that with me today, resting in His provision and humming some Rwandan tunes!