I'll be home for Christmas....but not for long.

I've safely arrived in the great state of Alabama to briefly celebrate the holidays before heading to South Africa. Crazy to think that just a few years ago I had been desperately trying to get to Africa for years and in just 3 years time I have been to Uganda four times, Nigeria and now South Africa....oh an a brief layover in Eygpt but I try to forget that one! I now loving refer to Africa as my favorite continent.

I will be serving with a team from the US and hosting a "summer camp" of sorts for the missionary kids in the southern region of Africa. I'm looking forward to it....I love all things camp and when you combine that with Africa and some fun people, I can't think of a better way to spend my Christmas holiday.

This will be the second time I have celebrated my birthday overseas....oddly enough the last time was a trip to Italy where the love of Africa was birthed in my heart after spending time with a Sudanese family in a refuge camp. It was through the family that the Lord began planting a seed for international adoption and now look how things are coming full circle!! And so...birthday number 35 will be brought in with my good friend Tommy McGregor whom I share a birthday with while we serve students together in South Africa. (shameless plug---I wont have internet but I do have unlimited incoming text messages so feel free to wish me a happy birthday on the 28th if you have my number)

On the drive home today I was listening to Phil Wickham and the words to this song just gripped me....this is my prayer for this trip and just for my life and ministry in general...but especially preparing spiritually for this trip:

ALL I AM

Take these hands, I know they're empty but with you they can be used for beauty in your perfect plan. All I am is yours.
Take these feet, I know they stumble but you use the weak, you use the humble so please use me. All I am is yours.

I give you all my life, I'm letting it go. A living sacrifice, no longer my own. All I am is yours. All I am is yours.

Take this heart, set it on fire, shine it in the dark. I wanna tell the world of who you are. All I am is yours.

I give you all my life, I'm letting it go. A living sacrifice, no longer my own. All I am is yours. All I am is yours. I give you everything, to you I belong. Every beat of my heart, the breath in my lungs. All I am is yours. All I am is yours.

I lift my hands up, God I surrender all I am for your glory, your honor, your fame. I lift my hands up, God I surrender to you.

I give you all my life, I'm letting it go. A living sacrifice, no longer my own. All I am is yours. All I am is yours. I give you everything, to you I belong. Every beat of my heart, the breath in my lungs. All I am is yours. All I am is yours.


I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior. Have a safe and happy new year! Feel free to prayer for our team while we're gone :)