two weeks two days

well, the volunteer group that came had a great trip. and every ounce of credit goes to the heavenly Father. He really took care of us and blessed us with His presence.
at one point me and the group of four with me were getting pelted with snowballs from some roma kids. they were just playing. it was pretty funny.
the group was a solid set of characters. they braved pick pockets, let me lead them through slushy muddy paths, walked in the line of fire (the snowballs), drank boza ... a really common drink but no one knows what's in it, ran to catch the bus, got in taxis with no interpreter... troopers man. i tell you what.

well it's official. i am going to get to return to east africa. i am so excited. i looked through some of my pictures from last year and could still remember every detail of the trip. the smells, the way the air felt, the paths through the village, the lizards in our room that pooped on us in our sleep, the spiritual warfare and its blatant presence in the physical, the warm yellow goat milk on our cereal in the mornings, the little twelve seater plane bumping through the heat waves before landing on the dirt strip in the village... pastor james and his accent when he called his broke-down truck his rocket, the little smiling kids dragging wagons they had made out of trash, cramming 13 people in the back of the landrover, the weight of the night sky with stars i'd never seen before, the distant drums beating all through the night, the sound of the voices singing songs in praise to God almighty, the sickness, the late night meals with brothers and sisters that shared one mind for Christ, the heart and endurance of the team i was on, the pet impalas roaming our camp site.... all of it. i can't believe it was a whole year ago.

I am so excited to see the friends there. to see what God has been doing. to see the friends from Austin.

i am having to talk my self out of packing this instant.