AFRICA OR BUST!

(If this is your first time on this page, welcome! Stay a while, browse around, read old posts, etc. Friends and family, this is the best place to stay up to speed on what the Lord is doing while I'm in Africa. If all goes as planned, you'll be able to find updates here DAILY. I'm so thankful that you have invested in this trip. Your prayers and gracious giving are sending me out and I need you to stay connected for the rest of the journey! As you partner with me, I'd also love it if you'd leave comments or email me about what's going on with you. Have fun reading... )

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Well, y'all, it's that time! I can't believe its finally here. In my peripheral vision I see 2 huge suitcases (and by huge I mean they will get the dreaded 'heavy' tag tomorrow and have to go in that special section of the airplane.. i can't help it). They are all zipped up and only need a few more items before they are loaded up in the car. How exciting! How absolutely terrifying..

I've been thinking about this blog all day and how I would articulate all the things I really wanted to say... but of course, I have major writers block. Maybe its because my mind is on information overload, but I'm really at a loss for words (shocking, yes!).

This time last year, I was already in Africa with my team and I was giving little pieces of my heart to all the beautiful children and adults that I met. Some got more of my heart than others, and I'm sure you guys are worn out from hearing all the stories. I feel like I left so much of myself in Swaziland and Johannesburg last summer. I would try to write some poetic letter about how "now its time to go get it back".. but that wouldn't really be true.... I guess its really just time to go and give more. Actually, thats not true either. It's really just time to go and GET more. I didn't give half (ok, if we are getting technical, 'I' didn't give anything.. He did through me.. but I digress) of what I got. Those people left so much of themselves in me. They left forever footprints, marking their presence on my life. "They rocked my world", as my cousin says. I'm so ready to see them and let them do it again.

I was thinking in my car today, "Why in the world do I want to do this?" (I'm sure my mom will call me when she reads that and give me an answer to that question in an effort to keep me here.. too bad I'll already be on my way!) But seriously, why am I going? Me, Lord? REALLY? Do you know me? I'm a wreck. I'm lost and confused and definitely not worthy of such a calling. I don't have the strength to stand on my own two feet, much less run boldly into this radical place called AFRICA.

Through that mystery question "ME, LORD? REALLY? ARE YOU SURE? DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH..??", I have found a spring of hope that gives me answers. The truth is, THIS IS THE BEAUTY OF THE CROSS. The Lord never chose the ones who had it all together. I know for some of you, this seems obvious and more like a Sunday School lesson, but for me, its a truth that needed reiteration for my feeble little brain.

I mean, look to the Word.....

Before becoming a great Christian evangelist spreading the word of Christ, the apostle Paul was called Saul and he traveled around trying to destroy Christianity (Acts 8). Abrahm lied telling one king that his beautiful wife Sarai was his sister, because he didn’t trust God to protect him. He was afraid they would kill him to take Sarai for themselves. (Genesis 12:10-20) Later Abrahm was Abraham and he told yet another king the same lie about his wife Sarah, again not trusting God to protect him. (Genesis 20) Peter was able to walk on water until he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the wind and waves instead. (Matthew 14:25-31) Peter also denied Christ three times. Moses killed a man and you know how God used him.

There are so many more.. Jonah, Rahab.

I certainly don't have it all together.. but I'm finding that thats such a great place to be. In my brokenness and lifelessness, I get to surrender myself to the foot of the cross. When I'm empty, HE gets more room in my life. When my pieces fall apart, HE gets to put them back together. When I'm a loser and make bad decisions, He gets to be the superhero that rescues me.

In all of that, HE GETS ALL THE CREDIT. ALL THE GLORY GOES TO HIM.. JUST AS HE DESERVES.

I want these next 6 weeks to be NOTHING about me. NOTHING AT ALL.

{I want more of You, and less of me. Jesus move through me. Empty me out and push me aside so that you can stand front and center.. so you can SHINE!}

My prayer is that I'd give up any expectations or desires I have for this journey and surrender to His perfect plan. If I could do that, I can ONLY IMAGINE what's going to happen.

I'd love it if you'd pray too.

I want to write more, but I'm exhausted and have to be up SO early in the morning. I'm going to leave you with a prayer list. I hope you'll bookmark this post, print it out, put it on your fridge, whatever.. we NEED your prayers and CANNOT survive without them.

Would you Pray for:

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***I fly out at 7:30 tomorrow night. Please pray that we make it to Atlanta on time.. our family loves to be late.

****I'll be meeting Theresa in Chicago, with only 45 minutes between flights. I can't wait to dominate the O'hare Airport!

*** We'll fly to Frankfurt then onto Johannesburg. Please pray that those flights are safe and that we don't encounter any issues on our way there. You could also pray that 2 business class seats free up so that my little surgery wound can have more room for 18+ hours in the air... that would be AMAZING.

****PLEASE PLEASE PRAY that our hosts pick us up on time in Johannesburg. This airport is the most dangerous in the world (sorry mom) and we don't want to have to stick around any longer than we have to :)

****Pray for the staff that will host us for the next few days. We have some logistics to work out when we get there.. I'll fill in with more details later.

*****Pray for Theresa and I's families. Theresa is going to be gone for a YEAR, so tommorrow will be a hard day for her.

****Pray for our bodies. The next few days are gonna be crazy and my body will probably hate me.

****Pray that our luggage makes it. Jo'Burg is FAMOUS for "losing" luggage. AH! THAT WOULD BE A NIGHTMARE!

****Pray for the Creel's and the McCallister's as they endure a long day of waiting for baby Emma to arrive!

****Protection

****Ministry Opportunities

****You can also pray that my transcripts get transfered by 10 am tomorrow.. if not, there will be a whole new list of prayer requests :)

****Pray against any complications on our flights, in customs..

****pray for our hearts and minds, and that we would be unified as a team. Pray also that we'd be wise and would lean on Him when we're tired or frustrated (airports can bring out the worst in people!

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Ok, I think I've about covered it.

HOW CAN I PRAY FOR YOU???

I'll write more tomorrow from the airport (hopefully).. Keep looking out.

I LOVE YOU GUYS AND IM SO EXCITED FOR US TO TAKE THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER. Here we go......

LeeGrayson