Smile. I was pretty excited about y'alls comments because I have found this true love of talking or typing I suppose. So therefore, here I go.

I'm sitting in my airconditioned dorm room listening to Sufjan Stevens (if you havent heard him, do so) and reflecting on thoughts of Africa. I wrote a few keywords down in my journal upon arriving home within the first 24 hours. I would like to revisit a couple of those thoughts and feelings now if I can backtrack into that whole different gear of life.

Ha, ok first of all Heathrow was naturally crazy. That was an adventure all in itself. We were at a hotel and nice one at that, at about 8 pm the night before we leave for home and see on CNN that there has been crazy terrorist happenings and go on to cock our heads with purtruding lips (hope you can get a visual). Being an optimist I naturally thought well this will be the safest time to be at an airport ever. Long story short (yes I'm truely back in America using that phrase) after a couple restless hours sleeping on a terminal floor we made it back home safely. God is good.

When we fell into the arms of our families I recognized a very clear change. Brown, Red and Blue. Holt had changed from glasses to contacts and I could see straight into his brown eyes, that was cool. Next my eyes were red from exhaustion and all that jazz. The final kicker was Heather who had some how aquired blue eyes during my stay in Africa. So much had changed and happened in those two months. It's been incredibly interesting catching up, hearing the high points, passionate points and exciting points, but also the nothing happened points.

Another REALLY WEIRD aspect was falling asleep many various times before making back to Round Rock. Once I woke up and our plane apparently had taken off, landed and arrived at Houston without getting the OK from me. Another time was dozing in the car ride back home (while I was telling a story also). Many times where I would wake up and have NO CLUE where in the world I was. It's a crazy feeling, I would even add scary.

I also came up with a God, planes and automobiles theory. People love driving their cars even though it is statistcally more dangerous to travel in that fashion. This is because they are in control (ok maybe its cheaper too) but having your eyes doing the deciding and your hands controling the steering is so vital. In a plane people freak out and are ten million times more scared because they have lost control. Naturally, you can see the connection between God wanting to be our pilot and him asking us to give up control because he knows what he's doing even though we can't see what's going on. He knows there will be turbulance here and there, but it's going to be alright.

Last thing for this post . . . when I was in the shower that night I had trouble. I really really really did not want to wash my feet off. I did not want Africa to go away. I wanted it to be with me always, even if it was in the small crevisi (yeah new word) of my feet. So to your question, yes Africa and the people and God through this experience has changed my life forever. I also have yet to clean my shoes and love to take every opprotunity to say "man look at all this Africa on my shoes."

I think time is more precious than money in America, but if it is at all possible go to Africa. Go to South America. Go to a third world country. God will flip you upside down and teach you. Hopefully, it doesn't take going to a different place to learn from God, but I tell you what it is the excellerated track to finding out how much we need God and ways of living that seem so topsiturvie yet obviously perfect.