My senses are alive this morning as I am greeted by the cold
of the north

Georgia
Mountains.
It seems like the sun is touching your face during the day and then sprints
away from you in the early morning. I am thankful for the cool at night it
makes it easier to sleep.

For those of you unaware, we are in

Georgia
for our final round of training before we leave for
Africa
Wednesday. Honestly, we were not looking forward to this time. Thoughts of
sleeping outside for three weeks, port-o-potties, and bucket shower filled our
heads, and we were hoping it would pass quickly.

We arrived looking for the negative, but were soon
overwhelmed with the blessing of our Father. We feel community here that is
hard to describe. The best I can come up with would be that people here are
real. They don't leave their mess at home because they are going to a Christian
environment. "God makes life messy…so own it" is a common theme here.

We have met our team and they are amazing, but more on them
later.

It is hard for us to communicate what life is like right now,
and I struggle to find the words to tell you all about it. Here is an entry
from my journal on Tuesday. Maybe it will help you get a feel of what we are
going through.

"Jesus, today I'm so tired…so
broken…so confused…so at peace. My body is experiencing exhaustion and my
spirit Sabbaths with each breath. I feel like I am inhaling timidity and
exhaling music. Not a song, just a melody that we both enjoy.

As my body aches I begin to feel
your powerful hands rest on my shoulders and gently push me forward. Step by
slow, awkward step. Not to sure of the destination only the direction. I will
not take a step without you; I want to be present with you in every moment. I
am always trying to make it ahead of you. I feel like I see the way to fix
problems, to heal, to gain, to finish. I pursue it with passion like it is your
plan and you spoke it through some logic I cannot understand. But it's just my
own logic, my own desires. But they are good desires. I desire healing of your
children and justice for your orphans and your oppressed. I pray for theses
things, I fast for them, I know you have promised to rule in all of these."