It's Set!

This is probably the most exciting week I've had for my upcoming trip. As always, chronological order is best.

Hold please... Note to self, never write anything when the Cubs are clinching the Division. It doesn't bode well for keeping your mind in check.

Anyway, Sunday's fundraiser was a great success. Not only did we raise awareness of the work we want to accomplish while we are in Liberia, but we were able to raise quite a bit towards our trip costs. The money was a great dent for the four people planning to travel to Africa starting Nov. 4th, but became an even higher dent the next night.


As I just mentioned, there were four people planning on taking this trip, two women and two men. Then, on Monday night, I received an e-mail from the coordinator from our church to tell me that I need to send some information to the mission director and that the two women had to back out for personal reasons.

I go about my day on Tuesday when I received an e-mail saying I need to call the church as soon as possible. Calling in, I find out that the other person also had to back out. The coordinator wanted to know if I was still willing to go alone. I did take a thought to see if I should still go, but the more I thought about it, the more I excited I got out of this prospect.

So, I just said "I think there is still a benefit for me going." I truly believe there is a benefit, as I can still gain a lot of experience from working on this trip and I can contribute to the lives of these children, who don't live the lives we do, who don't plan because there is little reason to, but, more importantly, who have renewed hope in the world. I get to represent my church as we work to provide an education and a future to the many children who attend these schools.

There was a building excitement as I knew the check had been written, the funds for the trip there and back have been raised and it was only a matter of time until things were finalized. And then last night it happened.

I get home after a trying evening (well, a trying hour but the rest of the evening was enjoyable) to find an e-mail from the mission director with the confirmation information for my trip.

Now it's official. I'm leaving on Nov. 4 to Monrovia and the start of a whole new adventure, one that I didn't even think about six months ago and now about to actually undertake. I'm excited and I hope you all will get to read more about my excitement as time draws near. Right now, I need to go celebrate a Cubs victory, but I will lay out more details about the trip in the coming week and more information about my thoughts and emotions as we draw closer to my new adventure.