this will be the 4th time i've boarded a plane in newark and ended up in another
world on the opposite side of the ocean.  i am humbled and excited to be going,
again.  the thrill hasn't been diminished one bit.  nor the nerves.  on tuesday
i'll arrive in entebbe, uganda, and will meet up with our partners at compassion
corps.  theyve been there a week or so already, and have a medical team and a
lot of enthusiasm for new beginnings in uganda.  i am excited to pray thru the
opportunity to partner with them on the ground in Uganda, and will keep my eyes
peeled for what that can look like.  as always, i learn so much from jan and
beth, the compassion corps powerhouses.  i watch them closely and learn how to
lead a team, how to gently maneuver through cultural roadblocks, how to trust in
faith when it seems there is no way.   on saturday my teammate, ashley hughes
will meet me in kenya.  she has some time off from work and has given up her
thanksgiving holiday to galavant around kenya with me.  it was really her push
that lands us in africa again---- and it is her continued excitement and wonder
about COME UNITY that often drives me forward.  she has stood next to me
strongly as a partner i need to process and discern, dream big and be together
with someone on this wild adventure called COME UNITY.  we will spend the
following two weeks researching potential borehole projects and communities to
assist with our child sponsorship program.  we're looking for honesty. 
transparency, accountability, kindness, good communication skills, understanding
and a key on the ground person to be an overseer while we aren't around.   it is
not an easy task.  charles, and the good folks at help a child africa are
wonderful teachers.  they steer us and answer our questions in a way that is
open ended and un-biased, yet informative.  and we don't want to simply hear the
answers we're wanting to hear.  we want the hard truth.  how do we make a
difference in communities by teaching them to fish, not just giving them fish? 
how do we not create dependency on our aid?  what's the best way to run a
sponsorship program?  there aren't easy answers---- but the journey, though
challenging, shows us so much along the way.  we'll blog as much as we can, and
will share much more when we return.  thank you for your prayers and good
thoughts.  they carry us a long ways.