In four days I am going to be frantically hoping that I have packed/prepared/paid/prayed everything necessary. I have jokingly been telling people that all the preparation work that goes into these trips means only one thing - that we get to go to the airport and will most likely get past security. After that, anything goes. This "joke" is a result of the vast experience of 2008 when God had an intervention with me about my control issues. How entertaining to have the very first flight canceled, causing all the months of preparation to unravel within moments, extending to headache filled hours of grasping at anything to get us back on track . Splitting the group, loosing two people in computer oblivion, Thrifty giving away our rentals, lost luggage, motels misplaced in the dark... Are you wondering how I managed to recruit another team? It turns out that all those things, although great anecdotes, are not very significant.

Yes, in four days I will be checking off the final (and possibly irrelevant) list. Tonight I will check off the item: create blog.

Right now, I have my head wrapped, making sure that this new scarf will work as a head covering for church in Swaziland. Thanks to technology, earlier today the new CD recorded by the choir of Kukhany'okusha Zion Church was transferred to me over Skype and I am now listening to a beautiful rendition of "It is well with my soul..."

This is the perfect atmosphere for my first blog.

Where should I begin?

Probably with this warning to those of you who will follow this journey via blog. I have no idea how well I will do with this. So let's keep the bar of anticipation low.

In 2004, the first mission journey of this kind, Babe (Baa-bay) Bishop told me, "We need people to get to know us." The ground had already been prepared, and that was the seed being planted. His words declared the impetus of this mission.

Getting to know the people of Swaziland means recognizing how HIV has devastated their country, exasperating extreme poverty and lack of food security, crumbling an already cracked infrastructure.

Getting to know the people of Swaziland also means being welcomed home into the body of Christ. We learn so much from them about faith, hope and the audacity of love. Isn't audacity a great word? Daring, insolent heedlessness of restraints, fearless, bold. Combine that with Love and Shazaam! - Out of the dark night comes a new dawn. A NEW dawn made of NEW Light.

Stay tuned...