Thursday, May 31, 2007

Less than 24 hours left in the states!

Well, after quite a bit of rearranging and stubbornness on my part, along with help from my parents, I've managed to squeeze all my personal stuff and the donated medical supplies into two suitcases fitting in the weight limits. (And I must give some credit to last summer's job with PASSPORTkids!, a traveling camp that packed up and moved every single week...I definitely learned the art of packing!) I'll pack the carry-on tomorrow...

Basic travel itenerary:
Richmond to Dulles to London (looooong layover) to Johannesburg
Leave: 7:40 pm, June 1, EST
Arrive: 6:50 am, June 3, Jo'burg time

I'm just a little bit excited :o) Next time...from Jo'burg!

Friday, May 25, 2007

The obligatory introductory post

Welcome to my summer blog! This is a little new for me; we'll see how it goes. I want to keep in touch with people while I am overseas, but since (a) I don't know how regularly I'll have internet, and (b) I don't want to flood your email boxes with mass emails, a blog seemed like the best choice.

I haven't left yet; right now I want to give you all the details:

Starting on June 1st, I will be spending two months in Johannesburg, South Africa. I will be volunteering at the Touch Life Centre, a ministry run through Troyeville Baptist Church (pastor: Cheryl Allen). The TLC offers low-cost childcare during the day for as many as 80 children at a time. It's a much-needed program, as 90-95% of the mothers who bring their children are single (no husbands or boyfriends), and this way they can work during the day and provide for their families. I'll be working with a variety of age groups, assisting in their normal activities and maybe coming up with a few programs of my own.

Beyond those details, I don't know much!

And yes, I am traveling/working with someone, so I guess I should introduce him since I'll probably be mentioning him a lot. My mission partner is Russell, who just graduated from UVA with a degree in engineering. This past year we both served on the State Council for Virginia Baptist Collegiate Ministries, so we already know each other a little.

The trip is through the Collegiate Missions Program run by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. It's an amazing opportunity, and I'm so excited about it!

To wrap up this post, I'll let you know this blog will be some combination of sharing stories, facts, and my own emotions while I'm away. However, in no way will it be the full story! And as far as pictures go, I don't know if I'll be able to upload them without the necessary software, but we'll see what happens

Thank you for your prayers and support as I have prepared for this journey!

Until next time...