Support for this trip to Tanzania has been overwhelming particularly from the church, and so today during the worship service Pastor James is taking some time to bless, dedicate, consecrate or just acknowledge the trip and its efforts. Then in four days we board the plan and turning is no longer an option.
We're packed, or at least far along enough in the packing process to know that all but one has hone their personal stuff down to one carry-on and one personal bag, except one traveler, and that we think we have about six team bags to check with stuff for the villages. Quite remarkable in the list for the villages are 3000 condoms and 6 laptops. There are also volleyballs, jump ropes, glasses, clothes, dental hygiene supplies, woodworking tools and several other odds and ends. All the tickets and itineraries are in a three-ring notebook and the crisp new $100 bills for buying visas are securely packaged.
One last walk through with the team and then with empty SD cards and full batteries, the adventure begins. It's about now that I wonder where all the adrenaline has gone as we compare the comfort of an Oregon summer in the comfort of our home against the unknowns and challenges of living and working in a country and lifestyle we have never experienced. Hindsight tells me that all will be great throughout the trip and especially when we return.
Enjoy the trip! We'll be thinking about you a lot and we'll be sending good thoughts your way!
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