The Adventure Begins

It's been an interesting road we have traveled this year. Matthias and I have been planning our trip since last fall and we are very excited to be in the home stretch for our departure to Swaziland, Africa. As the clock winds down - there is much to do. Get the necessary shots, exchange money, make sure we have our converters/adapters, take along gifts and supplies for the children's homes, charge our ipods and pack enough Immodium to share with friends. But most of all, there's the matter of preparing our hearts for what lies ahead.

I don't know if it really is possible to 'prepare ones heart' for the experience of suffering. Matthias and I have had numerous conversations about what 'suffering' looks like, he has seen videos on YouTube and heard the stories of children that have been orphaned. Websters' Dictionary defines suffering as - To submit to or be forced to endure; pain. How does one submit to pain? It's really not something we talk about in our country. Who would want to be forced or submitted to pain in our own reality? It's something that most of us would run from. However, in Africa and Swaziland especially, there is nowhere to run. Life is what it is. You take the good and the bad, most of it bad and you make the best of it. How do I explain pain to my son? He is 17 and has had a fairly comfortable life. He has experienced the pain of loss and disappointment, but not to the degree that these people live in day to day. Death and disease is their world. The life expectancy is 29 in Swaziland due to the high level of AIDS/HIV impact. When Matthias read that, he gasped. He literally took that in and pondered what that meant. Soon, this will be a reality for his heart. It will be something that he touches and feels in the most raw and tangible way any human can. When he holds a child that has been orphaned by AIDS, he will feel suffering. He will know what it's like to look into their eyes and see the pain in their soul. The numbness that exists in a 6 or 8 or 9 year olds eyes - is life-altering. He will never be the same.

So how do I help my son prepare to have his heart messed with? I can't. The only thing I can do is be with him in the journey. We each have our own road to travel and for now, we get to share a part of that road together. An unforgettable experience that will forever alter who he is as a human being. And for that I am grateful. Grateful to be with him to process through the things that will shape who he is as a man as well as a person who has influence and the ability to make a difference on this planet.

I started this blog as a way to communicate and update our friends and family along the way. I hope you will check in from time to time and see the pictures and hear the stories. I will blog as frequently as I can. Not all stories are heartbreaking and sad. There are beautiful stories that inspire the heart and make us laugh. So stay tuned and see what unfolds as we make our way across the Atlantic to a far-away land.

Thank you for your support and love and prayers. We anticipate amazing things on the journey and look forward to sharing them all with you.
Until next time, Godspeed.