Flying High

I did it. It's official. I purchased my plane ticket today. Up until this point, this trip was just something that might happen...that could happen...simply a possibility. But with my bank account about $1,000 lighter than it was yesterday, things just got VERY real lol.

I received notification about the plane ticket because there was a special taking place that I could only have if I purchased immediately. I was hesitant, but something in me said to go forward. I had the money for it (barely), so not paying for it was just a matter of me worrying about "what if" i'd need those funds for something else later. But to let "what ifs" sway me, would be to embrace doubt. And to embrace doubt, is to block out faith. And if I don't have faith ...then what good am I to the children I will be attempting to help? 

That ticket was bigger than a purchase. It was an act of bravery. It was a belief. A belief that I can go to South Africa and make a difference in the lives of orphaned children. A belief that even though i'm struggling financially, God will provide the money, the resources, and the support for me to do it. It was a belief that anything is possible. I can do this. I WILL do this ...I just have to keep believing.

Video of friends who went on a previous trip to volunteer in South Africa. Images like this is what inspires me.

It's Time

I've wanted to go to Africa for quite some time. Not just to visit & vacation, but to make a difference. When I was in school at Howard Univerisity, friends of mine when to South Africa for a service trip. I didn't go for a variety of reasons...or maybe I should called them "excuses". I was too busy...I probably wouldn't have been able to raise enough money...and the list goes on and on. But there's a quote that I knew all too well from years ago that states...

"Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, built on monuments of nothingness, and bridges that lead to nowhere. Those who use excuses seldom amount to anything"

But there I was...5 years later, still making excuses. I heard about mission trip to South Africa was coming up with my church, but I claimed I couldn't go because of work, because I didn't have the time, or because funds were tight. Yes, I was told I could raise all of my money....but of course I had this fear that I'd still need to have enough money saved "just in case" I'd had to pay for the trip myself.

This year, I was presented with yet another opportunity to go on a mission trip to South Africa. But this time? I had NO excuses...even if I wanted to. I had just gotten a promotion and was making significantly more than I had been previously. The trip just so happened to fall during the time that my job would be closed for Spring Break. Everything was aligning perfectly! Am I still nervous about raising enough money? Of course. Am I anxious about everything that will happen on the trip? Sure. But my desire to serve, and my will to make a difference far outweighs my fears.

It's time.