This will be the last blog
that I post during my time in Africa. It’s hard to believe that our time here is
up. I’m both sad to leave and eager to
get home: it’s a weird mix of emotions.
Processing, as you have seen in a few of my blogs from this week, is
going to be a long, difficult process.
All I can say is that God is faithful, and I am grateful for His
provision. I know He will continue
teaching me about this time and the things I’ve seen here for a very long time.
One prayer request as we’re
finishing our time with packing and a party tomorrow before we head out for
Jinga on Sunday and the airport on Monday: 9 of the 11 of us currently have
malaria. That’s right, I decided to
complete the gauntlet of tropical African diseases with malaria in my last
three days here. I don’t feel too bad,
but there are several of my teammates who are not feeling well. I am just praying that everyone is feeling
better before we get on a plane for 48 straight hours of travel.
I will continue to post a
few blogs about the trip and my thoughts in retrospect once I return, so if you
would like to still receive those, please keep your eyes open. I will also be creating slide-shows for each
of the four places I’ve lived (Mexico,
Busia, Mbita, and Tororo) that I will post as blogs once I get home, complete
them, and have good internet access.
I would also like to note
that I don’t feel that my blogs, upon review, give a full or accurate picture
of all of my time here in Africa. Though I would apologize for that, I’m not
sure that a blog would every be able to accomplish such a purpose fully. I am glad however, that you have been able to
see some sort of picture from my perspective of this time. For those of you who I will see when I get
home, I look forward to filling in the gaps when I return. I will also be having a celebration time
sometime within the first month of my return.
I’ll have slide-shows, African food, copies of all of my blogs, and I
will share about my time. I’ll post the
details here when I know more. I hope
all of you can come.
I would like to end by
sharing the lyrics to two songs. Cheesy
though it may be, they both come from the “Chronicles of Narnia: Prince
Caspian” soundtrack. They have been
powerful the past few days in helping me think about this time and almost
prophetic, or at least very applicable to the circumstances of returning home
from a trip like this.
“The Call” by Regina Spektor:
It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word
And then that word grew louder and louder
‘Til it was a battle cry
I’ll come back
When you call me
No need to say goodbye
Just because everything’s changing
Doesn’t mean it’s never
Been this way before
All you can do is try to know
Who your friends are
As you head off to the war
Pick a star on the dark horizon
And follow the light
You’ll come back
When it’s over
No need to say good bye
You’ll come back
When it’s over
No need to say good bye
Now we’re back to the beginning
It’s just a feeling and no one knows yet
But just because they can’t feel it too
Doesn’t mean that you have to forget
Let your memories grow stronger and stronger
‘Til they’re before your eyes
You’ll come back
When they call you
No need to say good bye
You’ll come back
When they call you
No need to say good bye
“This is Home” by
Switchfoot:
I’ve got my memories
Always; Inside
of me
But I can’t go back
Back to how it was
I believe you now
I’ve come too far
No I can’t go back
Back to how it was
Created for a place
I’ve never known
This is home
Now I’m finally
Where I belong
Where I belong
Yeah, this is home
I’ve been searching
For a place of my own
Now I’ve found it
Maybe this is home
Yeah, this is home
Belief over misery
I’ve seen the enemy
And I won’t go back
Back to how it was
And I got my heart
Set on
What happens next
I got my eyes wide
It’s not over yet
We are miracles
And we’re not alone
This is home
Now I’m finally
Where I belong
Where I belong
Yeah, this is home
I’ve been searching
For a place of my own
Now I’ve found it
Maybe this is home
Yeah, this is home
And now after all
My searching
After all my questions
I’m gonna call it home
I got a brand new mindset
I can finally see
The sunset
I’m gonna call it home
This is home
Now I’m finally
Where I belong
Where I belong
Yeah, this is home
I’ve been searching
For a place of my own
Now I’ve found it
Maybe this is home
Yeah, this is home
Now I know
Yeah, this is home
I’ve come too far
And I won’t go back
Yeah, this is home
