1 Week

Did I really just type that! 1 week before we leave.

My life right now includes...sorting donations, attempting to fit all my stuff in 1 carry on suitcase, and making lists upon lists for our family taking care of our girls while we are gone

{which include the names and detailed descriptions of all my eldest daughters favorite stuffed animals that MUST be in her bed at night.}

Think I need to get some space bags.

The 4 big ones are donations & then we each have a backpack & a small suitcase for our stuff. 

Starting to get everything done on my list but next week will be a little nuts busy. My goal is to try and get everything I can done before Thursday so we can have a fun family day before we leave Friday morning. I really want to enjoy time with the girls before we leave and not just feel rushed. 10 days is 9 days longer than I have ever been away from them and I am starting to feel the weight of that. I know we are doing what God has called us to do and I know that He will care for them while we are gone but right now I am trying to truly believe it and live it. I don't want to waste any time we are gone fearing or worrying. I want to give it all to Him who knows all and trust that fully. 

Today I was looking at pictures with Evelyn that another group visiting "M" took and she asked if she could go too. She was specifically interested in pictures of one little girl and little boy. She picked out toys from the donation bag and said she wanted to go and take these to them. Her heart right then was so sweet and we stopped and prayed for them and the other children throughout Uganda who were in need. I also prayed that God would nurture that heart in her and that He would do mighty things through her someday for His kingdom. 

I know it will be hard on my girls and I know it will be hard on us to fly halfway across the world and be away from them for 10 days but we are called to GO. We are called to care for the orphaned and to visit them in their distress and I will not use the children God has entrusted to me here to be an excuse to why I can not go and love His children a world away. My girls will be cared for, they will have clean water and good food, they will sleep in comfortable beds and they will be loved while we are gone. The children we are visiting have none of these things, many of them have been abandoned or orphaned and the home that is their reality is a prison that honestly is in worse condition than where we send true criminals in our country. I want to be ready, I want to go and I will not let any lie this world throws at me to discourage me otherwise. 

How will you respond?