Africa or bust!

For the past couple of years, I have been dying to go to Africa! Not only have I been wanting to experience this culture that is so different from my own, but I want to live, touch and see where my ancestors are from...CP stop!! Well, at lunch the other day I was talking with one of my new best friends/kindred spirit, Kate, about how much I wanted to go to Africa and would you know, she said, "My family is planning a mission trip there this summer!" WHAT! What are the odds of that?! Well me...not being shy about inviting myself places (UL!)...jumped right on the badgering bandwagon and asked Kate as many questions as I could about my next mission trip! I was so sure that I was going to go until...BOMBSHELL...Kate told me that it would be a 17 day trip. When I heard that, my ecstatic attitude turned to "Woe-is-me"/ "Why-Why" with hands on head in 0.2 seconds. I thought...there is no way that I will be able to take that much time off from my fancy new job...I'm too important to be gone for so long! (JK!)

With a somewhat disappointed disposition and a pout, I left Kate and went back to work. The whole time I was suppose to be working I was thinking about how this whole "Kim-will-never-get-to-go-to-Africa-Ha-Ha-trick" was not cool and getting way old! I starting thinking, "No, I'm going to do something about this. I feel called to go to Africa and by golly (yeah...I know...I just said/wrote "golly") I will make it happen." Not moments after having this somewhat encouraging and empowering thought, the sweet face of my old College Minister and great friend Angela popped into my head. Angela not only is the College Minister at my home church, but she is also head of Missions....and is Copper's mom/Scout's aunt/Ralph and Ragina's daughter/Matty's sister/Cotton's sister-in-law...you get the point! Anyway, with a dash and a flash I was off my chair and digging in my oh-so-cute new green clutch for my phone to call Angie...a shorten name my mom insists on calling her even though she HATES it! (HA!) After a few nail biting rings, sweet Angela answered the phone with her usual, "Hey girl!" "ANGELA," I said in an octave to high for office environment. "I really want to go to Africa. Are there any trips planned this summer to go?" (Insert God here) "Actually," said Angela, "we are are going to Ethiopia in July for 10 days!" "WHAT...REALLY...SHUT UP...ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" "Yes," Angela said with a laugh. "I take it you want to go?" "Go," I exclaimed, "Angela, I'm already there!"

And with that, I verbally committed to going on this trip and promised to leave my beloved blanky (there might have been an incident on another trip) at home, prepare my heart for non "lap-of-luxury" accommodations and have an open heart and mind because God was about to rock my world!

See where I am going by clicking---> HERE!