Getting Ready

Almost two years after first hearing about an organization called Global Volunteers along with their work in Tanzania, Africa, I'm getting ready to fly out of the U.S. in just a few days.

There are so many things that need to be done yet, the least of which is blogging, but blogging sounded like more fun than many of the other options. Let's see... There's packing, figuring out money and debit cards and credit cards, lining up the house-sitter, packing some more, shopping for the things I hadn't gotten earlier, trying to learn a bit more Swahili, getting the house moderately clean before I leave, and did I mention packing?

I can't take much with me -- a duffel bag in the checked luggage and a backpack for a carry-on. This coming from the person who fills her car to overflowing just for a weekend back home at my parents' house! But as I pack, I'm mindful of how materialistic I (and many Americans, for that matter) are.

We are encouraged to bring with us photos of home to share with the students at the school, but I don't know that I can bring myself to do that. I don't know how I can even begin to explain how I have a whole house and it's all just for me. I don't know how to explain how the car-to-people ratio is darn close to 1-to-1 in my town when there are only 5 or 6 motorized vehicles in all of Pommern (pop. about 3,000), one of which is the vehicle that transports the Global Volunteers to and from the capital city.

I could take pictures of my classroom at school, but how could I explain the immense amount of technology in each individual classroom in every school building in every school district in our whole state, not to mention much of the country? I complain about the condition of the student desks in my classroom, but they would look like thrones in the classrooms of Pommern.

And none of these details are to imply that the people of Africa or Tanzania or Pommern are downtrodden. From my previous travel experiences in Africa, they live just fine with what they have and are some of the happiest people I have ever met. From the gospel of Luke, Jesus said, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."

God has graced me with abundance, and I travel to Tanzania for the next three weeks to share a small bit of that gracious abundance with others. I go to teach, but I hope that I will be taught even more. Please pray for safe travels and rich experiences for myself and the others on our service team!

Playing with beach balls in Philipi, South Africa, in May 2006