Almost there, but why am I going?

I can't believe that I am finally embarking on my much anticipated adventure! I leave on a jet plane tomorrow night at 6:50 pm. I suddenly don't feel ready. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I am excited about traveling somewhere new, about meeting new people, about going on this trip with my best friend, about visiting Africa again, about holding babies everyday for a month, about growing as a person, about growing closer to Jesus, about having the opportunity to witness miracles, about challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone, about learning new things, about sacrificing the things I love (comfort, time with family and friends, the things of home), and about doing what God has told me to do.

I am nervous about getting sick, about forgettng something important, about being away from my family, friends, and boyfriend for a month, about things changing at home while I am away (what will I come back to?), about feeling miserable without my comforts of home (running water, chiropractor, chocolate), about what I might have to eat, and about not having enough money to get by when I return.

When it comes down to it, though, knowing all of this and knowing that there is much more I can't possibly anticipate, I still choose to go to this exotic and possibly dangerous place. Some people have asked my why I'm going. They don't seem to understand why I would choose this life for a month when I could go to somewhere like Italy or Spain or England. I choose this because I desire to be challenged and I desire to grow as a person and a follower of Christ.

I know I am not of this world when I say that I am eager to give up everything I know and love to do something challenging and scary, possibly something that will make me very miserable in the process. Who knows what I will encounter? And yet, I do it because God has told me to pick up His cross and follow Him. Being comfortable is easy and I love it but the more comfortable I get, the more lazy I get and the more I miss out on in my limited time on this earth. I have felt called to Africa for some time now and when I chose to answer God's call, He made everything happen that I needed in order to get there. That is an answer to prayer and I can't deny that He wants me there. I feel blessed that he speaks to me this way and that he rewards me in huge ways when I listen.

I am eager to become a stronger, more compassionate person through this experience. Every time I do something like this, I learn so much about myself and I grow as a person. I don't know if you want to call them goals, but I do have a few personal things that I am eager to see happen while I am in Uganda:
1. I want to become closer to Raquel, my spiritual sister and one of my closest friends.
2. I want to grow closer to Jesus.
3. I want to be used to help the children and people we will meet.
4. I want my relationships back home to be bettered by who I am when I return and by the time we all have away from each other (this is always the true test of friendship).
5. I can't wait to see miracles first hand and God's amazing work in action! I want the stories I see to be a witness and encouragement to those at home, reading my blog every weeek.

The coolest thing about this list is that it mirrors Raquel's exactly. Yet another sign of how amazing God is and what He did to bring us together for our shared adventure. I can only become richer through what I will experience this next month. This is why I go.