17 days and counting...

It finally happened.
I've gotten so much to the nearness of my trip that I've started a countdown.
I can't believe I will be on a plane in less than three weeks.
Here comes Africa.

But before we start advancing towards Africa I wanted to fill you in on a few things that have happened since March 27th, my last post.  A few things that went on:

Granddad's 95th birthday celebration
Reunion in Atlanta with old friends
Easter
Lunch with extended family
Made new friends
Growth in relationships here
Continued work at Chili's
Sozo Children's Adventure Race
Continued preparation for the trip
Family Vacation to Martha's Vineyard (finished the first two Hunger Games)
Sozo Beach Retreat in Florida
And now back into the swing of things here in Birmingham with work and life altogether.

It has been a pretty eventful April and I'm very thankful for that.  I've had the joy and opportunity to see old friends, make new friends, and continue to invest in the relationships that I've already created.

I'm continuing to be challenged daily when it comes to trusting the Lord wholeheartedly.  A huge area in my life that I am inserting a lot of doubt is in support raising.  For some reason it's so difficult for me to trust that God will provide what I need to do His work.  If it is His calling on my life, He will get me there.  And what amazes me even more is that this isn't my first time to raise support and it isn't my first time to doubt God's ability.  Time and time again He provides and shatters any thought of doubt I have in my mind, and yet it all comes rushing back as soon as I get the opportunity to take another trip.

I've talked a lot more with my friend Kristen who is on the World Race, which is an 11 month mission trip to 11 different countries.  She is now, or about to be, on her final month, her final country.  She has been blown away by God's faithfulness and His desire to show everyone just how much His children are in a desperate need of saving.  It has been so encouraging to talk with her and hear how this trip has impacted her life and her heart for the world.  Clearly I understand that my trip will not be the exact same, seeing as I'm only going to one country and it's for 3 months, but I don't doubt at all that God will work in ways that I can't even begin to fathom.  I also just started reading a book about a husband and wife who were living out the corporate, "American Dream," and knew it wasn't enough so they sold everything and begin a ministry in Portugal, that has thus spread to many other countries, including Sudan, where she has been saving the many orphaned people from the constant war that has continued to take place.  This story has encouraged me and challenged me in ways I never thought it would.  It has me thinking a lot about, "Am I strong enough or bold enough to live in another country, even if it means being alone for extended periods of time?"  "Do I have the faith to trust the Lord in every step to move overseas?" "Will I have the courage to tell the unknowing about our Known and Living Savior?"  I don't have the answers to all of these, but I pray I will have them revealed to me at some point as I begin the journey of taking this trip and figuring out my life from there.

The ever-increasing challenge of what's next is always running through my head.  I don't have an answer yet, and the more time I spend in Birmingham the harder it gets.  I broke down a few weeks ago to my roommates, and I'm not sure if it's because I was so overwhelmed with decisions, or if I just hadn't cried in a while, but I couldn't contain my tears.  I spilled out all of my thoughts on life and what I constantly have going through my head.  I miss Wilmington and the people there more than you could imagine, and since I've moved here I've always wanted to move back after August.  But the more and more time I spend in Birmingham the more I've fallen in love with this organization and the people here.  I told them that I feel as if my heart is being ripped in half.  Half of my heart is still in Wilmington with the students from Scott's Hill and my friends there, but the other half is continually being rooted and established in love for these people here.  And I can't even imagine what my heart will do once I fall in love with those kids in Uganda.  I haven't decided anything yet, but I fully believe this summer will give me a ton of time to think and process through everything and I trust that the Lord will provide me with direction.

So Africa is 17 days away.  I'm constantly trying to prepare myself for this adventure, but really how much preparation can you do before you leap into the unknown for 3 months.  I'll be going to Uganda and my duties will consist of, working in each of the three orphanages Sozo now has, as well as working with a partner orphanage we have in the local slum in Kampala.  It has been really difficult to mute my excitement for the past couple of weeks because all I want to do is get on a plane and get over there to see these kids and give them the love they never had the joy of receiving from their parents.  But I know that I should be living in the present, not just looking towards the future.  So I'm working on getting all of the resources I will need together as well as continuing to try to make, the little amount of money I'm getting from Chili's, last before my final day of work.

I want to thank all of you for taking the time to read this lengthy blog and I hope in some way it encourages you to "seek the Lord with all your heart" and "lean not on your own understanding" of what may occur in the world, or in your own life.  He's got that under control.  Something I could use prayer for is continued financial support.  Even though I leave in less than three weeks I still have to finish raising my support even while I'm gone, so prayers that the Lord will provide and that I will trust Him with that would be incredible.

Last thing, something really cool happened a few weeks ago.  I received a letter from someone I didn't know and she wrote in the letter that she had read my blog.  She went on to say that through my blog of my life (victories and struggles) she was encouraged and felt the urge to give.  Inside the letter was a check to support my trip this summer.  God always provides, even in ways you would never imagine.  So may this story encourage you to fully hear what the Lord is pressing upon you and support those who need it.

"Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils."
                                                                Isaiah 2:22

"The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.  All you have made will praise you, O Lord;"
                                                                Psalm 145:8-10

Carson