As we move to Africa in 4 days, I’m excited...

To let our daughters experience growing up in another culture – they’ll realize that the world is bigger than Mama’s love of Gap matchy-matchy , Kraft macaroni and cheese (although I would argue that this heavenly delight of powdered, processed cheese should be revered by all cultures in all circumstances) , and soup in a can (it comes in a bag?)

To be obedient to what the Lord has called has called us to do – obedient to a call we have felt for 10 years now.

To live in community - sure it’s crazy to think about living in a house with 3-4 other families we haven’t met on a continent I’ve never been to – but more importantly I wonder how long it will it take them to notice …

· I am a chronic sentence-finisher (it’s unfortunate that I really do think you will feel more understood if I never let you finish a single thought independently)

· I like the temperature to be around 92 degrees (I use a floor heater even on the hottest of summer days)

· I spend the entire movie guessing potential plot-lines out loud (it’s amazing I have any friends at all)

To not be in the majority – half of our CPX training class will be made up of Africans (the other half is composed of people from all over the world) and only 9% South Africa's population is white.

To simplify – down to 2% of our former possessions – it’s good to de-clutter every aspect of our life. I can actually find something because I now know it exists (how many times have I purchased something, only to realize I already owned three?).

To embrace joy - when Karl visited Cap Town last summer, he was most struck by the joy of the African Christians. Just plain old joy. I want to embrace joy...instead of my annoyance in traffic, my rush to get there, my need to “check it off my list,” my gnawing feeling that that there is always too much to do with no time to do it. We have only one life. I want that life to be joyful.