Whatcha Ghana Do?

I have been so hesitant to blog about this, or even tell anyone, but because I am one month away I feel like I can confidently say it.

Drum roll please...

I'm going to Ghana, Africa in June! Freshman year of college I was planning to go to Toronto for a mission trip and then backed out to go to New Mexico instead. My senior year of college, I was planning to go to Nigeria and then it all fell through. After that I temporarily gave up on world travels. I knew I would go overseas someday, but I was tired of being broken hearted after plans changed. Bottom line: the Bible tells us over and over to have a heart for the nations, but it's really hard to have that kind of heart when in my mind, the word nations doesn't stretch further than the continental U.S.

I have sponsored Eugene through Compassion International since the summer of 2008 and this past November I received an email to inform me that Compassion was planning a sponsor trip to Ghana, where Eugene lives.

After a few months of going back and forth looking for a burning bush telling me to go or stay, in January I signed up for the trip.

Since January I have been so hesitant to mention my trip to anyone because deep down I believed it would probably all fall through just like it had with my previous two attempts. As of today, I have my passport, vaccinations and flights and I'm starting to believe this is actually going to happen. Plus, I am blogging about it. How much more official does it get?

I have enjoyed buying gifts for Eugene over the past few months knowing I will get to personally deliver them to him. I always have my eye out for things a 9 year old boy might enjoy. It has been a challenge because even though I love this little boy and he is one of the biggest joys of my life, I do not really know him. I have a few ideas, but the two most important gifts are already purchased.

There are probably a million things I should be worried about, especially since I am going to Africa with 20 people I have never met, but I have been surprisingly calm. I have just adopted the philosophy that stressing out isn't going to help or change one single thing.

Do not be too impressed though. I am not completely worry free. In fact, here are my top 3 fears in order of least to greatest: 

3) Getting Malaria - It turns out there is not a vaccine for Malaria. The best you can do is take preventative pills and try to dodge mosquitoes. It's kind of like birth control pills but if you miss a few you run the risk of getting a life-threatening disease instead of a baby - and like with birth control, even if you do everything right, you could still be that one in a million who gets a surprise. 

2) Not Connecting With Kids - I have said it a hundred times on this blog. I am not a kid person. I think kids are strange, little people who could bind together and overthrow us adults if they ever decided to get organized. This trip is going to be all about loving on kids and their families and I'm really nervous that I will be the one awkwardly standing in the corner for the entire trip.

3) Crying My Face Off - The only thing worse than crying is crying in front of other people, especially people you don't know. I hate crying. I just hate it! It does nothing for me except make me feel embarrassed and stupid. Unfortunately, one of the few things that makes me cry aside from a really emotionally charged football game, is human injustice. I sobbed through the entire second half of The Help and I still have no idea what happens in The Pianist. I can't make it past the first 30 minutes of the film. All of that to say, the chances of a complete emotional breakdown are frighteningly high and I am scared to death. I have decided though, that if someone dares to mock me for one of these breakdowns I will shout back, (between sobs) "Don't you think Jesus would be upset by this?" What now!

So there you have it, the countdown to Ghana has officially begun. Welcome to the journey.