I can’t believe that October 12 is almost here. After months and months of preparation—planning, praying, working, packing—we’re finally going!

Tomorrow afternoon our team assembles at the church parking lot, luggage in tow. After piling into a 15-passenger church van, Pete will drive us to Denver International Airport, a bit over an hour away. Our first flight, to London, is scheduled to leave at 7:45 that evening. Somehow, in spite of our anticipation and excitement, we’re supposed to sleep on the plane. By the time we arrive at Heathrow it will be just after noon the next day (local time).

A few hours layover, and we again board a red-eye, this time to Johannesburg, South Africa. If I didn’t manage to sleep the first time, I really hope to conk out on this flight—because we land at 7 am Central African Time with a full day ahead of us.

From J-burg, we climb into another van for the five-and-a-half hour drive to Manzini, Swaziland, and the guest house where we’ll be staying.

I’m excited, eager, and (surprisingly) quite nervous about this trip. What if I don’t measure up? What if I complain the whole time I’m there? What if I offend someone with my camera? What if I’m not loving emough?

Thankfully, God is bigger than my “what if’s”! I have already admitted that I’m not “good enough” to go on this trip, but I’m the one God is sending, so He’s just going to have to work through me.

I know that my last two posts gave you a pile of prayer requests (and thank you for praying!), but I wanted to summarize one more time. My biggest request is that God so fills me with Himself that…

1. He overflows in love to those around me. Without His love, nothing else I do will matter.
2. My photos will reflect His perspective on these precious people.
3. I maintain a godly attitude in all circumstances.

Since our trip will take almost two weeks, I’ve left a few posts queued to appear while I’m gone. However—if the power is on, if the internet connection works, and if I somehow manage to find the time—I’m hoping to post some stories from Africa. If not, I’ll have plenty to write about when I get home.