About 4 weeks ago I was sitting in church, looking at the Brotherhood Beacon, which happened to have articles on this year's REACH teams. I had been looking for quite some time for someplace to go serve, but my time frame kept changing and nothing seemed to be happening with all the applications I had put in to different mission agencies. quite frustrating actually. But I saw an article in there about the South Africa team, led by Betsy Fisher. She was my pen pal for a couple years when I was little, we would hang out at conference, and then we went to Rosedale together, she's great. I really like her so much. I had talked to her about a year ago about maybe joining her in South Africa and working in the clinic they were going to help out at, but hadn't really thought about it since. One of those things that seem nice, but probably wouldn't work out and so you forget about them. But now it seemed like the perfect place to go.  
And it has all worked out. I'm leaving a week from today for Johannesburg, South Africa. I'll be working in a little town, called Refilwe, about an hour north of Johannesburg. Betsy and her team are going to be next door, and I'll work in a clinic that deals with alot of AIDS people. God has worked everything out perfectly.
My boss let me switch to an 'as needed' position at work and is holding my job for me when I get back.
I won't be held back waiting for a visa (or a passport =) because I don't need one to travel to SA.
I'll be working around other Christians, and not just that, but people who are really wanting to know God.
I'll be doing nursing work, which I love!
It's like God has just dropped this in my lap 'Surprise!' and what an amazing surprise it is.
I'll be in South Africa for about 3 months, and after that I'll be flying to Costa Rica, where I'll be working with a team under DeLynn Hoover, with youth groups that come down from the states to do Bible schools etc with the churches down there. And, to make it even better, Nathan is going to meet me down there! And we'll be able to work together with the youth groups that come down--it should be amazing! I'll be back in Albuquerque by August 18th.
God is so so good to me! I'm constantly amazed at these good gifts He's given to me. Even better than I could ask or imagine!

I was reading The Pursuit of Man by A.W.Tozer last nite and he was talking about really knowing God and spending hours in prayer every day...and I was thinking, 'holy cow! that's a looonngg time. I don't think I'd even want to pray for that long every day...'
Don't get me wrong, I want to see people thru the eyes of Jesus. I want to be passionate about the things God is passionate about. I really want to know God. But am I dying to know God? And I think this difference between really wanting and dying is a burning contradiction in my life.
I know God is the Creator of the universe, the Lover of my soul, the Almighty, the most Holy, and my friend. If I'm not really dying to know God--to spend the time in prayer, meditation, and reading the Bible--do I even really truly believe this?
This isn't who I want to be. And it makes me so frustrated with myself. But how do I change this? maybe just prayer...