a long time on a plane.

Welcome to my main form of communication with friends and family for the next six weeks (except for those “hip” and addicted enough to have facebook).

For the past few years, I have journaled from recommendation of Jay Strother. I started doing this when I was a sophomore in high school and created the most horrible Blog on the face of the planet. No really, it’s embarrassing and I challenge any of you to find it and I will keep it online unlike some people….Kaitlin….

One of my friends at WKU recently said, “I cannot conceive the process to what goes on behind people’s minds when they write their thoughts for everyone else in the world to read.” Now, that is very paraphrased but as I sit here in the airport, already having bought my first two-dollar bottle of water, I want to start by letting you know why I’m going to South Africa.

The concept of going somewhere different this summer first started at the end of last summer. It was my 20th consecutive summer in the wonderful town of Franklin (that’s not sarcastic, I really do like Franklin) but I wanted to be somewhere different for a while. I’m also going to misquote Donald Miller right here, but just deal with it. I read in his book Through Painted Deserts something that sparked:

“We had to get out and get away from the city. Once you hang around buildings and Starbucks too long, you begin to think that’s all that God created.”

Living in the Bible Belt my whole life, that quote takes on a whole new meaning. I’ll switch it a little…once I hang around Christians and other Christians too much, I begin to think that’s all that there is. So, after various talks with family, friends, and college ministers outside of chicken restaurants, I decided that next summer I would spend time in another part of the world and by that I don’t just mean “East Nashville” (which might as well be….well…..nevermind….) I visited different ideas of where to go, but I hadn’t landed on a specific place. I had heard of South Africa because of BBC’s involvement, but thought about how far away it was--literally on the other side of the world….so I put it away for a while. I returned to Nashville one weekend during the school year at WKU and was still struggling and praying about what to do for summer. I was excited to hear Mike Glenn speak again at church because he is always a well of wisdom to draw from. There was a guest speaker. He had a british accent. His name was Pastor John Thomas from Cape Town and was speaking to the church on helping the poor and needy. The passage that he read out of was Isaiah 58. I’ll spare you quoting the whole chapter…because it is THAT good….but he spoke out of Isaiah 58. Bam. Read it….and that will explain a little better.

God continued to lead me in the direction of South Africa, doors begin to open, and after meeting with Mike Talley over coffee in Cool Springs, I told him that the next time I see him… it’ll be in Africa! My parents have been very patient, supportive and extremely helpful the whole journey, even up to yelling my name and waving like lunatics as I approached the security gate this afternoon. Seth has been kind enough to loan me some of his pricy video equipment even though if any of it breaks it would put both of us in a little trouble. I’ll try not get sand in anything or “clean it” like Carter did. I will be shooting video for various ministries involved with Fish Hoek Baptist Church, Living Hope Community Center, and the Masi Choir, and then while I’m not shooting or editing video, I’ll be helping out with a kids camp in the afternoons. A plane with a large mural of a lynx just drove by the window…

I’m excited to go. I’m almost done with my first over-priced food purchase, but then again…there’s something about chewing two-dollar gum that makes you feel like the trip you are taking is important. The number of people that have said that they will pray for me is fantastic. This is an opportunity for me to be salt (Matt. 5….remember, b.s. guys?) and to go to the ends of the earth (Acts 1).

A man just came over the intercom, “Will Sarah Thompson please come to the terminal and claim her cat.” ironic…..

Things you can pray about is that the videos that will be made down there will show God’s glory, trip safety, that my heart will be in the right place, and that it will be a growing experience.