Oh By The Way

Did I mention I'm going to Africa?

I'm really excited.

I'm going to Ethiopia more specifically.

And if you must know even more specifically than that I'm going to a little village called Garmaam.

Just in case you didn't catch that the first time around and also because I want to say it twice Garmaam is in Ethiopia which is in Africa and I'm really excited.

I will be going with this group.

A little over a year ago our family committed to sponsoring this small village.

Giving just a bit each month together with 99 other families who also give just a bit will hopefully do great things for this small village.

A year ago an opportunity came up to sponsor a different small village and I missed it. I saw it just a few hours too late and it already had it's 100 sponsors.So I waited and watched carefully and when Garmaam went up for sponsorship I signed us on up.

Something about the photos I saw of the village of Garmaam captivated me. I just thought to myself how those people looked like someone I could know or maybe they just looked like people I wanted to know. And those babies. Chubby,bald and bright eyed they reminded me of my own babies.Whatever it was about them we were sponsoring them and I was happy to do it.

Recently an opportunity came up for the sponsors,if they so wished, to actually travel to and visit with the people of Garmaam.Shiloh and I talked about finances and timing and such and it was decided that he could bring in enough extra work at the shop to pay for me to go.

Now I am ironing out all the details and there are many details to be ironed. Normally I don't iron. But I thought it unwise to toss all of this into the dryer and wait to see if it comes out smooth.

Pshhhhhhh who are we kidding? I don't toss things into the dryer to de-wrinkle. We just wash and wear around here. Sometimes we fold and sometimes we just wear clothes out of a big ole pile. And that's good enough for us.

I digress.

On the phone interview with one of the organizers of this trip I was asked what my agenda was. What did I want to do or see while there.I don't know much about the area and I felt a little silly answering what I really wanted to do but I did.

I just want to connect with these people. Just kind of hang out with them.

I want to show myself that while there are certainly cultural differences and language barriers that somehow we are the same. And there isn't really anything to be afraid of.

I want my children to be inspired to dream big.

I want to make this world seem a little smaller to me.

I want to prove to myself that seeing it is possible.

I want to go to Africa and tell you all about it.

Wont you come along?