south africa trip

our trip to South Africa is fast-approaching! here's our itinerary and also a few thoughts/hopes/prayers that I have for this trip.

itinerary:
Wednesday, Nov. 19: Depart KC around 11:00 am
Thursday, Nov. 20: Arrive in Johannesburg (5:30 pm); stay overnight
Friday, Nov. 21: a.m. depart Jo-burg; travel by bus to spend weekend in Mushagka and surrounding villages (northeastern South Africa); connect with a missionary named Nancy and visit several area church services, Mozambique refugee ministry, and a pre-school graduation!
Monday, Nov. 24: Spend day in Kruger National Park - wildlife preserve (and get my National-Geographic-photographer on!) http://www.ecoafrica.com/krugerpark/
Tuesday, Nov. 25: return to Jo-burg; spend a few days with Pastor Isaac in ministry around Jo-burg (including Soweto)
Thursday, Nov. 27: depart for Port St. John's/Port Elizabeth to visit Oceans of Mercy ministry (ministry to orphans affected by AIDS/HIV...Westside Family Church in KC is a local partner with this ministry) http://www.oceansofmercy.com/index.cfm
Saturday, Nov. 29: Return to Jo-burg (except Seth, who is staying an extra day with O of M...due to the fact that he accidentally purchased a ticket on the wrong return flight!) and catch our return flight to the U.S. (Seth will depart for U.S. on Sunday).
Sunday, Nov. 30: Arrive approximately 12:00 noon at KCI

Thoughts/Hopes/Prayers:

• Always, safety and smooth travel (there will be a lot of travel)
• the people we meet are giving us places to stay, food to eat, and transportation, so I hope that we can be a source of encouragement and joy to them!
  
• i am excited to learn from the people we meet about how to love well, how to serve. I
• recently read my friend Tim's blog and he shared some thoughts from a book about Compassion. I found these thoughts to be relevant: "compassion is not primarily making oneself "useful," but it is a kind of "entering in" which is intimately linked to a real presence. The natural result of this presence will be true solidarity. Human competition subverts this impulse and can only be overcome by the "new self" which is created in Christ. Therefore the first movement in compassion isn't achieving but receiving a new identity which is free from greedy competitive impulses. Only then can we enter into solidarity with the poor." From the beginning of planning this trip, I have tried to keep a close check on any attitude of "us" going over "there" to help "them", which has a bitter taste of condescension, but maintain a learner's heart and a servant's heart. More than any other purpose, I feel that our objective is to connect with people, to love, to establish friendships that will survive over time and distance. It is in these long-term relationships that we will be able to know how we might meet each others' needs (a reciprocal relationship).

p.s. note my new "my views" section to the right! i am posting a new photo each week and hoping for feedback from all of my creative friends...heck, at this point, i'll take feedback from my not-so-creative friends too as no one has posted a comment yet! come on people! i comment on all of your blogs! help me out here.