Leavin' for the LIB

I've been dreaming of this view alot this past week!

I feel like I should have something profound to say, but I don't. I have set a new personal-best, however, being that it's 11:30pm the night before I'm leaving for Liberia and my bag is closed and I'm in bed! I typically stay up until 3am the night before I leave for Liberia, playing the space-save/un-space-save game. So, maybe this is a sign for what's to come?

Other than a packed bag, and lots of butterflies (I always have butterflies when I head to Liberia), it honestly doesn't seem real. I think the butterflies are from excitement and anticipation, and then you add an extra flight for a standby passenger (which is always nerve-wracking), and I'm all jittery inside. And, for a moment of truth--I was brushing my teeth and I started thinking about the escape plan. I have felt so empowered, confident and filled these last few weeks...and as I was brushing my teeth, my mind began to wander. Going to Liberia tomorrow is like the first BIG step of this new adventure! Getting on that plane is saying yes. Do I really want to say yes?! I can easily just not show up at the airport tomorrow, right?

But, my heart yearns.

My heart yearns to fully trust God. My heart yearns to be obedient to what He's asked of me. My heart yearns for His presence, and to experience life to the full--because I've been invited on this journey, and this journey is incredible!

Lately I've been thinking [thanks, crazy brain of mine] alot about sacrifice. What it means to sacrifice. What sacrifice looks [and feels] like. Wondering if I'm sacrificing, and if so, am I sacrificing comfortably...or am I sacrificing until it hurts. Don't get me wrong, I love Liberia and the people there...but I also hate Liberia.

Liberia is sacrificing until it hurts.

And life has been pretty comfortable these last nine months. And I'm not so sure I'm ready for it to hurt again.

Actually, I don't want it to hurt. Nobody wants pain, right?

But I know it will hurt.

I'm trying to dance around and figure out how to best protect my fragile heart tonight. I haven't even stepped foot into that beautiful red-meets-green-meets-blue land, and my heart already hurts.

My heart hurts for Lucky. You can continue to pray for her, and that she would be found. I can't help but think over and over again about how He left the ninety-nine behind to find the one. I've been praying out of faith that Lucky is the one, but I've also selfishly been praying that I will see Lucky while I'm in Liberia.

My heart hurts for injustice, poverty, hunger, disease, lack of opportunity and the loss of hope.

But I believe in a living God who has already overcome! I have to cling tightly to that promise!

Tomorrow's journey begins the new journey. I don't know what the path looks like, and the footholds are unfamiliar. I am inviting you to join me on this next little adventure. For the next three weeks, I will be updating you all through the blog and through my Facebook. But, more than anything, I am asking you to please be praying for me over the next three weeks! You can pray for the following:

- Pray for travel mercies. I'm flying standby, and my biggest worry is getting out of Atlanta. Because Delta did away with the direct flight from Atlanta, I have to fly to New York. As of now, I should make it on the flight to NY...so just pray that nothing crazy happens with flights, the weather, etc. between now and then. I am scheduled to depart Atlanta at 3:40pm, and will depart JFK for Accra at 8:45. If everything goes smoothly, I should arrive in Monrovia on Thursday at 3:20pm (11:20am EST).

- You can also pray that my bag makes it!

- Pray for divine appointments...even at gates and on flights!

- Pray that I'm able to get some sleep on the flights...especially the long-haul (about 10.5 hours) from JFK to Accra.

- Pray for safety and good health.

- Pray that I will easily adjust to my new surroundings--the time difference, the heat, the noise, the hurt, etc. March/April is typically to hottest time of the year in Liberia, and the heat index has been well over 100 lately! I'm pretty acclimated back to America now [didn't even use my electric blanket this winter], so I'm worried that I'm going to be a wimp!

- I arrive on Thursday afternoon and Elena is leaving Liberia on Sunday afternoon. Pray for just sweet sweet time together before she leaves! (And pray for her winding up, saying goodbyes and departure!)

There are alot of initial things to pray for, and once I arrive in Liberia, I will share more prayer needs with you all! Overall, you can be praying for clarity, direction, divine appointments, wisdom and just a peace for me!

Love you all, and can't do this without you!