4 Weeks! Yes, I'm Counting Down!

Well, the time is now down to 4 weeks.  28 days!  Yes, each passing hour has my excitement level increasing.  I keep thinking of all the preparation that still needs to be done.  I’m sure I’m repeating myself here, but I want everything to go as perfectly as possible.  I know this trip will have tons of surprises for all of us, but I’m hoping they are only good surprises.  I hope that the time spent sitting in the airports will bring us all closer together.  A shared “misery” as we head to a great joy.

I plan on taking my laptop with me as I have been told that there should be internet most places we stay at night.  So hopefully everyone will have a chance to post to this blog.  I hope to post some of the pictures that we all take, but not too many.  Have to leave some for us all to share when we return home.  I honestly expect us to take over 10,000 pictures.  But when you think about it, that’s only around 50 pictures a day per person.  That’s not that bad.  With all that will be new for us, 50 pictures might be nothing.

My son has been telling me all the things I need to remember to do while I’m in Kenya.  So far I think he’s up to 15 different things I need to remember for him.  But the best thing he said was, “Dad, you don’t need to bring me anything if you can spend that money to help a kid over there.”  THAT is why I want to do something like this.  So that he sees how much it affects everyone when we help someone.

Tony

30 Days!!

Well, we are less than a month away from that first flight to Kenya. It is really becoming hard to believe that the trip is approaching so quickly. Hard to believe that we first met last December to discuss going on this trip and in less than 7 months we had it all set. I have been awed and humbled by the people that are willing to help our cause in Kenya. I’ve been approached by people outside the Methodist church that feel compelled to help in some way. It makes me feel good about the heart of each of us.

I got asked again why I am not just going to help someone in Omaha or Lincoln or even in my hometown. We go where we are called. I think it is great that people help locally. Whether it be by working a soup kitchen or even volunteering their time in kids’ sports. I’ve done both, but ever since witnessing the genocide in Rwanda I have felt called to Africa. I honestly don’t know what I can do to help in Africa beyond pound in a few nails or play soccer with some kids, but I will do what I can.

So with that thought in mind, I wrote the following.

The world calls to us all, to dry the tears another cries

The world calls to us all, to comfort the living when another dies

The world calls to us all, to stand for justice when evil reigns

The world calls to us all, to help when another is in chains

The world calls to us all, to love our enemy as a friend

The world calls to us all, to be there until the end

The world calls to us all, to care for our home every day

The world calls to us all, to scream when no one listens to what we say

The world calls to us all, to fill another’s soul with hope

The world calls to us all, to hold another’s hand as they try to cope

The world calls to us all, in the silence we are asked to answer

The world calls to us all, and we are stronger when we answer together

Tony