Adventures in Variety

After uneventful flights and transfers (although long indeed), I’ve made it to Entebbe. Finally got a good night’s rest last night and woke up refreshed. Took what I expect was my last hot shower for a month. Should be leaving mid-day to drive to Mbale for the night, then on to Nakaale on Saturday.

After being in northern climates and air conditioned airplanes, it was quite different walking off the plane into 75F and humidity in the 70% range. Definitely not the 20s (F) and low humidity like home! It’s also startling, in a good way, to see so much green, and not conifers.

All my bags are packed and I’m ready to go! As usual, finishing with a late-night packing spree. I normally pack light for my travels, so it’s a bit unusual for me to have two checked bags, but it’s not like I can just pop over to the store and get things I forgot! But, the checklist says I’m good to go.

I board tomorrow morning in Salt Lake City for an exciting 25 hours of travel to Entebbe.

And to answer a question I’ve been getting for weeks now: Am I nervous? No. Excited? Yes!

The next update will likely not be until I’m all the way to Karamoja, and even then it may be a couple of days. I expect to arrive in Nakaale (Karamoja) on Saturday evening.

As those who have been around me for the last eight years know, God has tugged me towards missions. Specifically, using my engineering background to be a missionary. Until 2006, I didn’t even know it was a combination that existed. The 2006 Urbana student missions conference changed that perception, and by 2009, when I went for the second time, I knew that missions was to what I was called. It’s even why I ended up choosing industrial engineering as my major, believe it or not.

Fast forward to 2015. I finally have the opportunity to put my plan into action: use my vacation time for short-term work work as I figure out where I can best fit in as a missionary before transitioning to full-time missionary. In less than two weeks, I’ll be headed to Uganda with my denomination (the OPC) for a month, working with the missionaries in the Karamoja region. To say that I’m looking forward to it is an understatement. :)

There remains much packing and gathering/finishing a few things (amazing how deadlines can push deferred projects to the front, like sewing a couple of pairs of pants and shorts) as the time draws near. For a while, it seemed a ways off, but then, all of a sudden in January, it switched to “oh, wow, that’s soon!”. Always something to keep me out of trouble, right?

I’ll use this blog to keep y’all apprised of my progress. You’re welcome to follow along! Also, if you want to receive e-mails with specific prayer requests, use the contact form and I’ll add you to my list.

Welcome to yet another attempt at a blog. I think it’s my third and I shut down my last one in 2010. But, lately I’ve thought it might be useful for a few things, so here it goes. I’m keeping it simple this time. :)