Final Plans

Excuse the long silence in between posts. I am READY to go!!! It has officially hit me that two months is a long time, but I am sooooo ready!

I finished up finals at Emory (YAH!!!), moved home, worked, hung out with family, and worked hard hard hard on my travel plans.

I officially got my visa! YAH!

I got all my shots! YAH!

I got all my paperwork done! YAH!

I have all my travel plans done! YAH!

I got commissioned by my Church! YAH!!

I have bought ALL my supplies! YAH! (Except razors because I forgot to buy them...random, I know :) )

I have my "phone tree" made for Zambia.

I took a three day class at Emory for the "Advanced Summer Con Ed Internship" which was amazing. I am getting class credit for going to Zambia. The class was amazing. It helped me think about ministry, missions, and congregations. I am studying and reflecting on how the church can have a holistic view of missions. Some questions I hope to be answering this summer are...
-What is the best way to do missions?
-How can we encourage people in local congregations to do missions?
-What are the best ways to do partnerships?
-How do we do local and worldwide missions?


I got an email from an amazing girl at the Orphanage and I wanted to share it with you...Dear Visitors,I greet you in the name of our Lord and I say how are you?I am a Zambian girl by the name of Lizzy Kaonga aged 18 years, born on 12th May 1992. I am doing my simple grade 11.On behalf of my fellow brothers and sisters at Front Porch Orphanage, I am writing this letter to you because I heard that you are planning to come and visit us for the first time. We will be very pleased to see you coming here at Front Porch Orphanage of Zambezi in Zambia.We shall appreciate if you will come here to help us in everything. Please our visitors, come and see Front Porch Orphanage, come and help us in our education because it is the only important thing that we are fighting for in this place so that we shall become somebody in future.Come and help us in clothing and food. God will bless you and your entire family of yours when you will come and help us. As the Bible says that help orphans and you will succeed in your entire life.Please come because we need your help.From Lizzy Kaonga, Front Porch Orphanage girl.

Doesnt she sound amazing? I cant wait to meet her! She sounds like a beautiful daughter of God!!!

Shots

Here is my first post about my trip to Africa. Its getting late so Im not going to share much tonight. There is much to share at a later date.

Tomorrow is my final appointment to get shots before my trip. Last week I had to get 4 shots and tomorrow another 3. Fun, Fun! I am also going to be starting to take Malaria pills soon and going to switch my allergy medicine. I got a clean bill of health from my doctor so the only thing left to do after tomorrow to prepare medically is buy a first aid kit! At least one thing on my giant "to do" list is done

I never would have guessed planning a mission trip would have been this much work. While I love doing it, there is only so many hours in a day! :)