Heading off to Rwanda tomorrow at 8am!

Well, the day is finally here! Our team - Deborah (team lead), Mark and I leave with two other teams tomorrow morning from LAX. 

We've packed all our supplies for the training and tonight, I'm sure we're all checking our personal luggage for those last minute items.  I don't think we'll sleep tonight because we're heading for LAX at 4 Thursday am.

We met last night with the teams that returned from Rwanda this weekend and the stories they shared with us were amazing! The Rwandans are so loving and welcoming! God is so awesome - how He works everything for good! Blessings abound - when you think you're going to help others, you're the one that's blessed them most!

This week I was asked by many if I was excited about going to Rwanda. I didn't really feel the excitement I usually feel about going on a "trip". Maybe because it has been so much going on for the past several months, I'm just tired! I've been really busy at work, last week we moved into our new house and this week - I'm going to Rwanda! When I tell people all that - they just look at me and say. "wow, you've got a lot going on!" and they're right!

Rwanda is 9 hours ahead of the west coast. We leave tomorrow at 8am, fly to Washington, DC, then on to Brussels and finally to Kigali, Rwanda, landing at 11:30am Friday morning (27 hrs). Lots of time to sleep, study, watch movies, read books, stare at the back of heads and just chill out (if I can remember how!).

I going to make every effort to blog from Rwanda so we can share this experience. If connectivity becomes an issue, I'll still blog offline and when I'm back in the states, I'll upload all the posts and pictures!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your thoughts, prayers, gifts for the Rwandans and financial support. I am physically going to Rwanda, but you are right there with me!

I love you!

Thank you!

Thank you all for sponsoring my trip to Rwanda June 16- July 3. I am really excited to see what God has planned for this trip and how he wants to use me for His purposes!

As you know our mission is to teach hygiene classes to community leaders through the local churches in Rwanda. Saddleback Church (www.saddleback.com) has been going to Rwanda on P.E.A.C.E. trips since 2007 and has heavily invested in Rwanda clean water initiatives - technology (purification systems) and hygiene (educating the community).  

Our team consists of 3 - Deborah (lead), Mark and me. Deborah and Mark have been to Rwanda before, so I am the newbie!  Another team of 3 (Skip (lead), Rita and John (mother and son) is going at the same time and we'll probably be together for the first week and then we'll see where we're needed.

Totally walking on faith! Is there any other way?

Lots of training and preparation have gone into this trip. Lots of team meetings, teaching and certification, etc. We'll be taking supplies and gifts over with us, which is why each of us has to take 2 large suitcases! 

I'll be taking lots of pictures and hope to be posting to this blog so you can experience this with me. I need to see what the internet connection is in Rwanda, hopefully, it won't be a major issue. 

I prayed for financial support for this trip because I really didn't know how it was going to happen financially - and then, you gave so generously.

Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. You are making this missions trip possible!