In Flight

We are currently thousands of miles in the air headed to Johannesburg South Africa! Here is what is outside of my window right now... A beautiful skyline and the wing of the plane! I am sharing a row with my friend Rachel, we are currently sprawled across three seats utilizing a tray table as a foot rest.
Our journey started this morning at 8:00am. We all met in the lobby of MSP international airport equipped with luggage and open hearts. We took a group photo, prayed and began our journey to Swaziland. Our first flight left at 11:15am and headed to Atlanta Georgia. See pics of the fun we had!!
Once we landed in Atlanta we headed to Chilies for some lunch and conversation. after a few laps around the airport we prepared for our 15hr flight to J-burg by stretching and doing yoga moves.
Our flight is pretty empty so we were all able to stretch out and get cozy! We have put our essential oils from Brit to use to cure head aches and nausea...

Many hours later......
We are still way up hi in the sky! The flight tracker on the back of the seat in front of me has the nose of our plane right over the western side of Africa. We have 2604 miles to go but have flown 5839 miles thus far. We are currently going 542 mph with an outside temp of -48 (just like being in MN)
Let me tell you it is awfully hard to get comfy on an airplane.... I have come to know my friend Rachel pretty well as both of us have been snuggled up with each other for the last few hrs. From my calculating we have been in the air for about 10hrs with a little over 5 to go. Our movies are in working order after some technical difficulties but every time I start one it puts me to sleep.
Dinner and snacks have been served and we are drinking as much water as possible to prevent nasty jet lag later.
It is so hard to be bitter about spending 15hrs on a plane when all I can think about is our final destination of Swaziland. We are going to be doing such amazing things that I can't hardly sleep because I just want to be there already!!!
I'm so ready for this experience and to really feel the Lord's presence working through me. Well I'm off to do some reading!

Landed!!
We have made it to our hotel in Johannesburg SA. Our missionary family the Prince's met us at the airport and got us to our hotel. We have have dinner waiting for us in about an hour, it's currently 5pm in J-Burg. This will be my last blog until we get home, but please continue to pray for our entire team!!!

Swazi {T-15days!!}

In 15 days I will be on an airplane headed to Africa. How surreal is that? I'm a little shocked at how quickly this trip has crept up on me but I am so ready! I am ready to have my world flipped upside down, I am ready to experience amazing things, and I am ready to watch the Lord transform my life and the lives of so many other people!! The packing has begun, or rather the piling of things has begun... Our once office is a combination of my stuff for Africa and all my textbooks for school. (I decided to go back this spring for my bachelors in nursing... long story... it was inevitable so I figured now would be a great time to start) I received a donation after I paid off my trip and decided to use it to buy some fun stuff for the kiddos in Swaziland! Volleyballs, parachutes, bubbles, puzzles etc! I am so thankful to have all of this support from my family and friends, it really blows my mind to think of all the people who have donated and prayed for this trip and it is finally happening!!!

The packing has begun!!

I have been doing a lot of praying and reflecting on how fortunate I am to be going on this trip, and have praying that the Lord will use me in whatever way he sees fit while I am there.  One of the big things our leaders have pushed is to not have any expectations and to be flexible. So that is what I am trying to do, I am expecting nothing but what HE has in store for me.  I have also been so blessed to have made some new friends in preparation for this trip and I ask that you will add them to your prayers as well! Emily, Rachel and I have conveniently managed to book our seats all next to each other on every plane ride, there will be 4 total. Lets hope we don't drive each other nuts, and my fear of flying goes away with my amazing plane buddies!!!

I have also been working on a fun backpack of goodies for Nompelo, or sponsor child! I pray daily that I get to meet her in person, but understand that things happen and nothing is a guarantee.  With the help of some friends I have compiled some of our favorite scriptures and have been surrounding her with them for weeks.  I know she cannot read English, and I most definitely don't speak SiSwati but I think just the presence of HIS words surrounding her is powerful.

There are many of us going on the trip that sponsor children and I know we would all appreciate your prayers that we get to share some time with the kids, for many they have been exchanging letters for years and for others like myself it has been just a few short months.  There is such potential for this to be an amazing experience, but like I said before things happen and it is all in HIS power!!

 Our flight leaves at 11:15am on February 19th, we will fly to Atlanta and have a 3hr layover to enjoy some dinner.  We will then embark on a 15hr flight to Johannesburg South Africa (they are 8hrs ahead of us here in MN), we should get there around 4:35pm on 2/20 (My Dads Birthday!!!). On Thursday morning 2/21 (My father in-laws Birthday!!!) we will head to Swaziland via coach bus.  Friday 2/22 (My buddy Cayden's 2nd Birthday!!!) we will spend the day working with the kiddos at the care points, and Saturday the second RVC Swazi team arrives. Sunday 2/24 is a BIG DAY!!! This is the day the River Valley Church Swaziland location officially launches!!! We will be worshiping and spreading his world all day long.  Monday and part of Tuesday will be spent on Safari, and Tuesday afternoon is the time slotted to meet our sponsor children.  Wed we will drive to J-Berg and head home around 8:00pm Africa time.  We should arrive in Atlanta around 6:00am on 2/28, putting us back home around 10:30am.  Now of course all of this could change in a heartbeat, but I thought you guys would like a glimpse of my trip!

I will try to do one more blog before I leave, and I can't wait to share this incredible experience will all of you when I get home!!!

Love, Hugs and God's Blessings

Gretch