All About Africa: 11

While in Amsterdam, we.....

rode the tram.....

 

ate the BEST breakfast ever.....

 Cappuccino and Bacon Crepe

saw beautiful architecture......

found lots of birds, but even more bicycles......

found a tattoo shop named for Peter and established in his birth year (randomly cool)......

did quite a bit of walking......

posed for group pictures......

sat around waiting at the airport (of which we became experts).

As you can tell we had a few fabulous hours in the Netherlands. So glad we added this city to our trip, even if we were jet-lagged and exhausted. 

Great time with precious friends is priceless!

All About Africa: 10

We said goodbye. It was harder than I thought it would be because after a few short days this land I could barely find on a map months before had taken a piece of my heart. We loaded onto a little plane (and I do mean little!) Don't believe me.......here is a shot of everyone on the ENTIRE plane.

Our group and about 4 other people :)

Just chillin' on the runway.....with the goats.....waiting for the baggage to be loaded.

Once in Entebbe, Uganda we had about 12 hours to wait until we boarded our plane for Amsterdam. Justin allowed us to spring for the VIP Lounge = best decision ever! So after 8 or so days, I had my first HOT shower, enjoyed the air conditioning, and sat on comfortable couches!!!! It was a fun way to spend our last day in Africa, but I would have traded it in a heartbeat to go back and see those sweet children again. 

We spent about 10ish hours on the flight to the Netherlands. Once again, sweet Rachel was my travel buddy. We always had seats by one another and I cherish the time we spent together......in between movies, that is ;).

Justin joined in on this pic.

Once we landed in Amsterdam we had about 6 hours to explore this city that none of us had been to before. It was awesome that Justin worked our schedule so that we could do some sight-seeing and add another country's stamp to our passport (the main thing that the girls wanted to do). Heck, we would have gone in and out of the airport simply to get that stamp, haha!

The next post will be full of pictures from my very short visit to a place that is in DESPERATE need of the saving power of the gospel!!!!

All About Africa: 9

5 days at the orphanage was definitely NOT long enough! Leaving those precious kiddos and widows was incredibly difficult, but we were blessed by our time there. The most moving and humbling experience of my life occurred on the last day. The ladies on my team and I were blessed by the privilege of washing the feet of the "Mothers" and cooks.

If you know me at all, you know that I am quite a germaphobe. So, the idea of washing someone's feet (mind you, the dirtiest feet you have ever seen) is not exactly an act you would equate with me. However, when this idea was mentioned in our pre-trip meetings I was beyond excited about pampering these very deserving women but also very nervous, for this was new ground.
Then I met them. I watched them work. I watched them clean. I watched them sweat over large pots of boiling food. I watched them sooth crying babies and sick children. I watched them walk shoeless on hard, hot, red dirt. I watched them serve. And I knew that I couldn't do anything but humble myself as my Sweet Savior had done for the disciples. John 13 tells of the most powerful, deserving, Holy being getting a basin of water and washing His' friend's feet. Why? Because He loved them. Because it was an outward symbol of the cleansing that His death would bring.
Christ calls us to serve one another and in doing this small act of washing these women's feet, I thought I was serving them. The truth was that I was actually the one being served. I was incredibly blessed by the surprised looks on their faces because a white girl knelt before them and washed their dirty, tired feet. I was blessed by their silent smiles. I was blessed by the happy chatter in a language I did not understand. I was blessed by the laughter that transcends all language barriers.
I WAS BLESSED when I thought I would be the one doing the blessing. The Lord works in mysterious ways and His ways are ALWAYS BIGGER than mine!

Jesus calls us to serve. It is not a choice......does not depend upon your mood......it is a command given by the One who so willing left His glorious home to serve you. 
"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:"   ~I Peter 4:10