I have watched the marked line on my wall calendar merge with the current week as the date for Kenya draws near. God has cleared my path to go, as I knew He would. My outstanding projects at work are nearly complete, my bags are basically packed, and my body is continuing to heal from a nasty bout of cold. Tomorrow night I will enjoy a nice dinner out with my ever-supportive husband. It warms my heart to know that he is already lamenting my absence. And I already feel a swell of emotion in contemplating saying good-bye until we meet again in a week and a half.

I also feel the prayers that have carried me along these past few weeks and the prayers that will continue to carry our team throughout our 10 days in Africa. In my prayers about our time in Kenya, the same two thoughts keep surfacing– that I would be diminished and that God would be increased, and that I may regard those I encounter in extreme poverty as my own flesh and blood. As to the first, I don’t want any part of this trip to be about me, whether it be selfish motivations, fulfilling my own agenda, comparing myself to others in the work they are doing, or feeling like I am not equipped to do certain things. Rather, I want to wholly submit to what the Holy Spirit asks of me or leads me to do. I desire my every thought, word, and/or action to be fully enveloped by the Spirit so that the outward manifestation is God alone. That He would shine brighter than me in all circumstances. (Interesting how so many prayers over us this weekend carried the theme of God’s light shining through us!)

As to the second, I pray that God would allow me to recognize and acknowledge the poverty in my own life, whether it be of faith, relationship, hope, etc., so that I may receive those that I encounter as no different than myself. In this, I can share in their stories and they can share mine in the way that God intended, as brothers and sisters, as children of the same Father. One family, one community.

I am blessed to bear the mark of my community of friends, my family, wherever I go, even to the other side of the world. I am confident that this spirit of true community will be reflected, through God’s work in me, to the new friends that I will meet in Africa. It is the Truth that cannot be suppressed. And yet I am also confident that through this experience, God will amaze and astound me even more than I can now comprehend. It is His essence. A friend said to me today that he hopes that this will not just be an “experience” for me in the vacation sense, but that I will return changed, that God will shake me to my core. I am counting on it!

This will likely be my last post before I leave. My Internet connection in Nairobi may be sporadic, but I will try to post if I am able. You can also follow our trip on the TPCC blog, http://www.servingtheworld.org. Otherwise, thank you in advance for your prayers– I know I will feel them. More stories to come….