Brief Update

Here's just a brief update on when I'm leaving and things like that.

I am leaving August 25th from Dulles Airport, and will fly to Rome, Italy where I have a stop over (though I don't know for how long). Then from Italy on to Ethiopia and to Tchad. I think that my flight is scheduled to be in the capital city of Tchad by 12:15 AM on August 27th. So, it's going to be a long flight... Thankfully, there is another student missionary who will be with me on the flight over, so I won't be alone.

I'm beginning to get a little more scared about going because I don't feel that I am very prepared. I know that working at a hospital in Africa will be very different from working on a cancer floor here in the states. Not to mention the language barrier. I took a French class earlier this summer, but that feels so far away from now, and I'm afraid I haven't kept it up as I should have. I reassure myself with the thought that I will pick it up quickly once I'm surrounded by people who speak it.

But despite all my fears, I am still happy to be going. I just need to remind myself that I will not be alone and God will give me strength.

"The Lord replied, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'" ~Exodus 33:14

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." ~Psalm 18:32

The Beginning

As you probably know if you're looking at this blog, I will soon be headed to Africa for 10 months. I feel that God has called me to serve Him in Chad, and so to Chad I go. I will be keeping this blog updated (with the help of Kelsey) before and during my travels to Africa. I want you all to be able to keep up with what's going on in my life while I'm gone and to see how God is at work.

I chose the title "Desert Journey" mainly because of the verse that is found in Hosea 2:14. It says, "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." I chose this as my theme because, as I said before, I feel that God has called me to service in Africa. While, I'm excited about the experience I will have, I have not been fooled into thinking that it will be all roses and sunshine while I'm there. It's going to be emotionally, spiritually, and physically rough. But I know that God will be with me and will speak His comforting words of peace to my soul. My mission is service, but I also believe that God is going to use this experience to draw me even closer to Him, to help me fall deeper in love with Him.

Here are some of the details of the plan so far:
When: End of August 2008 - End of June 2009
Where: Beré Hospital in Chad, Africa
What: Serve as a nurse

More details will follow as they fall into place... Please pray for me.