where I'm going in 6 weeks

For ten days in July, I'll be in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

And you have absolutely no idea how excited I am.

If you know me very well, or read my blog regularly, then you probably know that we plan to adopt from Ethiopia. I feel and have felt for some time now that this country holds something special for me. I can't describe it, and I can't wait long enough to get there.

I will be going with a group of volunteers through an organization called Ordinary Hero, and we are partnering with another organization called Visiting Orphans. Our mission for this trip is to serve the orphan. We will be spending time in 4 different orphanages as well as time in the capital city holding clothing and shoe drives, as well as soccer camps for the street kids. Imagining myself there gives me butterflies and chills and depending on the day, even makes me a little weepy. Remember when I told you that July could fulfill a lifelong dream of mine? This is it. It's really happening. As long as I can remember, LONG before I thought I would adopt from there, I have wanted to step foot on the continent of Africa. In July I will do just that, in a country I already love.

Sadly, I will leave my husband and babies behind. It will be so hard. When I'm daydreaming about this trip, the blissful feeling goes away when I envision the days leading up to departure, when I'll be just flat out sick about leaving them. It will be so hard. I'm a big baby about this stuff, alright. It will be BY FAR the longest we have ever been separated. It will almost kill me, but I'm praying (really) that when I arrive in Addis, I will know I'm where I'm supposed to be. They will be in good hands. I struggled with this aspect for a few agonizing weeks before I came to terms with it. In the end, I convinced myself that one reason I'm going (among MANY) is to give some of this mother love to kids who don't have it, maybe have never had it or don't remember it, and may never have it in their young lives. Doesn't that break your heart? My kids on the other hand, are practically loved to death every day of their lives. They will miss me, they might resent me a little when I get home, but they will forgive me, because they love me too. Now, my husband, my sweet sweet husband... he might resent me a little too when he works an 11 hour day and then has to do the babies alone all evening and night. But he will forgive me too, right honey? Given the ages of my kids, John's work schedule, the fact that I had to choose between this trip and Girls Camp (that was SO hard for me), the cost (all volunteers pay their own way), the arrangements that will have to be made for my kids - the burden I will be on family and friends, SACRIFICES will be made all around! But, I'm confident it will be worth it. I'm praying it's more than worth it. To top it off, after I signed up to go on this trip alone, my awesome friend decided to go too! We are going to have the time of our lives... and now I have someone to cry with me (she has 2 young ones too) our whole 24 hours of flights across the world.

So maybe you think I'm crazy. Maybe you think it's great. Maybe you wish you were coming! Maybe you will get so sick of me writing/talking/blogging/facebooking about this trip you won't want to be my friend anymore. But you better believe this won't be the last you hear about it.