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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.

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