June 27th: Getting Ready to Leave

Books. Balls. Twenty boxes of pencils. Clothes. A gold necklace. Toys. Hundreds of pens. Love. All things to pack up and give away on our trip to Uganda. A few people have been so generous in their donations that I anticipate having to pay for the ability to carry extra suitcases--a small matter.

I am in a state of wonder, fantasy, and worry. I wonder what the next three weeks will hold. My mind has already created internal movies--not silent of course--about dinner with Savior, safari, refugee camps: contrasts of candlelight, wild animals....or a disappointing lack thereof due to the war in the north and the ravages of Amin's regime, and poverty unlike any I have seen in all of my travels.

From my desk in Collingswood, New Jersey, I imagine waking up on July 2nd, my first morning in Uganda. I look at the ceiling, then turn toward the patio doors. My feet trace the tile lines to the glass doors, and I sliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide them open. Breathing deeply, I scan my surroundings. I am in Africa, I think to myself.

Back at my desk, worry overwhelms me now and then; will we fall victim to malaria or bad water; will I be able to finish my book; will Doug and Elizabeth enjoy themselves? BUT. This trip is one of my K-2's to climb. I have been a long time getting here. Anticipation. Daunting. I will climb. But first, I must pack.