Go Do.

I woke up this morning and thought, "Hey! Let's go to Africa today!?" Actually, I woke up and began to sing Shakira's Waka Waka, which main verse is, "It's time for Africa!!" :) haha...

PS- if you havn't yet, click PLAY on the song above..

Pretty surreal the way it's all worked out, but I am off for an adventure of a lifetime today. I have lots of last minute errands to run this morning, and then I'm off to the airport around noon with my sister and parents for them to send me off and hug them one last time before I see them again this summer.

If you're a person of prayer and faith, I have a favor to ask, and it's that you keep me in you prayers today and the next few days. If you are a person of good thoughts, send them my way. It's going to be 26 hours or so of transit (through Amsterdam, layover in Khartoum, Sudan, and then finally to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) and I'm sure many emotions over the full day of traveling will arise. My bags are all packed- 2 items to be checked...both of which we weighed a million times to get under 50lbs each! Then I have my carry on, plus my backpack so needless to say, it's going to be interesting trying to manage it all myself once I get into Addis. Let's hope there are carts available!

I truly am feeling good about it and the sense of excitment has finally hit me instead of nerves (or maybe just in addition to nerves...) Last night, I had my closest girlfriends over for dinner and to hug them goodbye. It was hard to watch them go, not because I won't see them again or because I'm afraid I'll lose touch with them, but because it's hard knowing I can't be a part of their lives in the same medium I have been for the next 10 months. Whether it's Alex and Annie who tell me their daily happenings down to what they ate for breakfast, or if it's Chloe and Bekah when we get together and have quality time, or if it's my sister whose just irreplaceable in my life. It's going to be hard for me to not hold that same place that I have, but I'll be back in July. I'm just so thankful to have such amazing people in my life, that's for dang sure.

The song above (which I hope you clicked before you read this) is called "Go Do" by Jonsi. It just may be my new favorite song and my mantra for this trip. I plan to listen to it on repeat today...

I keep reminding myself that God calls us to live life in abundance, and I have every intention of living mine out to the fullest. Pretty sure this 10 month venture to Africa is a step in the right direction.

Well, my sister just woke up and got me some coffee so I'm going to drink my last cup of coffee in the Rath house for a while (In a mug that read "I LOVE MY DAD") and spend some quality time with the sister. Then it's off for a busy next day or 2 :)

I'll be using this blog again as I live, work, learn, teach and serve in Ethiopia so please follow me on here. I'll most likely post another blog as I sit in Amsterdam 12 or so hours from now :)

God Bless!

<3