I bought my ticket...

Today I bought a plane ticket to fly to Mozambique... no, not to stay and work for a year, not yet... this trip will be preparatory for that adventure. Today is the 354th day since I left the continent of Africa, and not a moment has passed since that trip that I have not longed to be back there... When I return next month, it will be two years (almost to the DAY!) since the first time I went. Since my son had been there before, and my parents had spent a year in another part of Africa, I thought I was well prepared for what I would find. I was prepared in some areas, but totally unprepared in other areas. I learned a lot from both trips, mostly that I have a LOT more to learn! So, I went to school, read books, talked to folks who have been there, and prayed - a lot! I still have a lot to learn, but now I think I am better prepared to learn it! What surprised me the most, I think, was how easy it was for me to love the children I came in contact with, and how easily they warmed up to me. Something that also surprised me was the depth of committment shown by the missionaries working in that difficult area. I am still wondering whether I have the "stuff" to do it, am I capable of that absolutely selfless devotion? I'll never know unless I try... God help me, I know I can't do it alone...