Skip to main content

The novelty of preparing to travel further.

In a month I will be in Africa.

It seems very random, and in a way it is. Yet it’s also a trip that has been in my heart for some years, and materialising for some months. And it seems like a huge endeavour, and yet it’s only for two weeks. So in the big scheme of things, just small moment of time, which I anticipate will be packed with many impressions that will leave their mark for a lifetime.

I’ve had the desire to go to Mozambique for a while now. Ever since I realised it was a Portuguese speaking country, and heard about the amazing work of Iris Ministries, my interest has been stirred. In Kansas City I had a neighbour (now good friend) who had lived there, and when she shared at the start of the year she was heading back for a trip I wondered if I should go. And decided not to. Life was full of enough things to deal with, and trying to figure out finances and holiday from work was just too much to consider.

But a seed was sown in my heart, and as I got updates from her, and life quieted down a bit, I realised that it was actually doable to go. And that I could also visit South Africa in the same trip. Contemplating back and forth led me to the same decision: to go after all, and hence the preparation started.

Travelling further afield does require quite a bit of preparation; which if looked at as a whole can be overwhelming, but if tackled bit by bit is quite uncomplicated. In a sense the processes; of applying for a visa (and calling the Embassy and having to talk Portuguese) and filling in applications to come volunteer at the Iris base, and going to the doctor to get malaria medicine; are all such good processes.  Processes that bring a thoroughness to the time of preparation, which in turn fuels the anticipation of going. And it also launches me on many a wander down memory lane to when I was busy doing visa applications for Brazil, and the privilege of living there that the visa gave me. Not that I’m moving to Mozambique... I will only be there a few weeks, but remembering the good Brazil years is good for the soul.

My thoughts and prayers have frequently travelled there, and being very inexperienced with Africa and the culture, there are many “wonderings” and ponderings. And yet with all the unknowns comes the excitement of getting to discover something new. The challenge of entering a new culture becomes an invitation to get another glimpse of the heart of God and the amazing diversity He created in people and nations.

And so I sit here on my lovely veranda typing away. It feels like summer here in Norway, having been a week of temperatures around 25-28 degrees Celsius. Very unusual for September, and very welcome to those of us who thrive in the sunshine. Maybe yet another preparation for the climate I will meet in southern Africa... There are still lists to write and things to buy, but I am excited. And in a month I will be there; going on a mini mission adventure in the midst of a life which has transitioned out of full-time missions.

I think this will be good for my heart.

Popular posts from this blog

Getting to know the local culture.

Life is a strange thing. Last week went…not much happened, and then it was over. The weekend was quite calm without too many wild and exciting things happening. Except, of course, a wee outing to watch the National Championship for Veteran Ploughing. Now, like me, you might be sadly lacking an understanding of what this actually means. So I am delighted to be able to enlighten you in this respect. It’s basically (for the “farm-language-illiterate” like myself) a competition where you use old (hence the name “veteran”) tractors and ploughs, and plough up a stretch of field which is then evaluated and the one scoring the highest sum (accuracy, depth, how well the soil is turned is all given points) wins. I must admit that this information I got by eavesdropping on a conversation next to me where a man was explaining to some of my friends how it all works. So that was a fun adventure….although we only stayed for a bit. What is sort of occupying my mind at present is my upcoming travel abr...
Read more

Taking in the familiar and a heart connected.

Amsterdam. It still has that muggy feeling in Summer, and a constant flow of people which if you stop to think about it, it's quite amazing that there would even be space to accommodate them all. But then I guess they are not all staying. Just passing through on their way to or from somewhere. It's always good for the heart to visit somewhere that was once home. The familiarity of streets and customs makes it easier to embrace what might be new as well as the joy of being reacquainted with old friends. Friends. So many of them to be found in this city, ready with hugs and good words that are uttered when seeing someone who was away again. Friendship. A treasure that cannot be bought. Cobblestones trodden by many, including myself. Sitting on a bench. Praying. Remembering the first time I stumbled upon this area lined with windows with red lights and curtains. An area which has come to represent no longer windows, but people to me. Some still behind a window. Others who have ...
Read more

Romania- so much hope filling my heart for this nation.

As I sit down to write this, I am at the little table in a rented flat in the centre of Bucharest, Romania. It’s quiet. Strangely quiet considering we’re in the centre of a huge city. My feet are propped up on a worn fake-leather puff thing, and as I check the time I realize that I have been in the country less than 24 hours... and yet my heart is overflowing with impressions and emotion for a nation I barely know. It’s getting late, but I know I am too awake to sleep and so have made myself a cup of Earl Grey (with milk) and have sat down to try to capture at least a bit of what this day has been. As always, I write mostly for myself and the occasional other who desires to enter into the telling of my story. Driving from the airport last night, and getting the first glimpse of the city and seeing majestic buildings lit up towards the night sky, filled me with expectation. A beautiful city filled with so much history. I came wondering. Wondering what this nation I knew from w...
Read more