The Countdown is On!

The airplane tickets are bought.

Pacsafes for our bags are ordered

Mosquito nets, flashlights, sleeping bags, and water bottles with filters are bought.
Passport and Visa's are ready to go.

The countdown is on.

18 Days until I leave for Uganda and Kenya!


I am so excited, but, I am also getting nervous. This will be the very first time that I have traveled more than a days worth of driving. I have never experienced culture shock, and homesickness. I have never been surrounded with people that don't speak english. I have no clue what to expect. I know that the Lord has called me to Africa, and that He will never give more than I can handle. I'm really praying that I can be prepared for the new things that I will see, eat, do, hear about, and experience.

I have a few things left to do on my to-do list. I need to pick up my perscription for my malaria pills, another memory card for my camera,  and do some clothing shopping. Other than that, I think I am ready.

To me it seems amazing how easily this trip has come together. I know that the Lord worked everything out. Even after going through rough times financially a few months ago, I came out of that time with stronger faith, and extra money that I didn't forsee. I had a full time job handed to me, one that I was able to save up enough money from, and one that I can take time off from. And I have been able to get involved with a few bible studies that will be supporting my friend and I in prayer, which is so good.

There have been learning curves and hurdles in the year of planning this trip, and now I can't believe that we leave in 18 days. I won't be able to blog while I am away. I'm not bringing a computer, but I will journal everything, and write about it all when I get home. And there will definitely be lots of pictures. I am so excited about taking pictures.

xoxo- Elizabeth

Isaiah 1:17

Saturday night - It was late, and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep. I was looking around my room and and saw my Bible. Something was nagging me to pick it up. I just wanted to sleep, but I knew that if I didn't, I would miss out of something.  I was just thumbing through it, and my fingers were flipping through Isaiah, and suddenly I felt compelled to go back a few pages, so I did, and I started reading. I was reading Isaiah 1: 10.

 ¹⁰ Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.”
      Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.”
 ¹¹ “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?”
      says the Lord.
   “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams
      and the fat of fattened cattle.
   I get no pleasure from the blood
      of bulls and lambs and goats.
 ¹² When you come to worship me,
      who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?
 ¹³ Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts;
      the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
   As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath
      and your special days for fasting—
   they are all sinful and false.
      I want no more of your pious meetings.
 ¹⁴ I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals.
      They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!
 ¹⁵ When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look.
      Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen,
      for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
 ¹⁶ Wash yourselves and be clean!
      Get your sins out of my sight.
      Give up your evil ways.
 

(Then comes the instructions and my favorite part)

 ¹⁷ Learn to do good.
      Seek justice.
   Help the oppressed.
      Defend the cause of orphans.
      Fight for the rights of widows.

Can it get any more clear?

 The instructions are so straightforward.

Faith without deeds is nothing.

 All these thoughts were swirling around my head as I finally put my bible down and went to sleep. God wants our actions, not all the religious things that we feel we have to do. He wants us to be His hands and feet. We have to carry out this task. If we don't, then, people who don't know the Lord will perish. I don't want to be responsible for people not knowing the Lord. There is still injustice, oppression, orphans, and widows.

 These instructions still apply to us.

It is up to us to carry them out.

Confirmation!!

On Friday, a friend and I went to see a concert. It was a free concert at one of the churches in town. We had no clue who the band was, but we went to have a good time. You can now add Zerbin to my list of favorite bands. They were fantastic, and have such a heart for God, and its resonating so strongly in their music. Their tour is called " The Sound of a Million" and the goal of the band is to raise $1 million dollars to give to an organization that wants to end modern day slavery. How cool is that!? Not only are they standing up for something they are passionate about, they are making other people aware of what is going on, and writing amazing music!! Whats not to love?!

http://www.zerbinmusic.com/

(Here us the most exciting part of the night)

At the end of the concert, my friend and I wanted to talk to the band, so we were at the merch table, buying Cd's, and waiting to talk to the guys. Finally it was our turn and I was asking Jason, the lead singer, about the organization they were supporting, and we got onto the subject of slavery. As we were talking he got this really odd look on his face, and all of a sudden he asked if I sing. The question was completely off topic and caught me off guard, but I thought about it, and I said "I sing all the time, just when no one is around". And he said that he had a picture in his head of me surrounded by babies, and singing my heart out to them!! I was completely shocked, but managed to tell him that in a month I was leaving to Kenya to volunteer in an orphanage. He, excitedly, said that was what he saw in the picture in his head.

It is amazing how God speaks to us through other people. I delight in knowing that God can use anyone to speak to someone. I can't stop thinking about it. It came has such a shock. And it was exciting!! It is just confirming that I am on the right path, that I am heading the right direction, and that God is pleased with my decision to follow this path.