Come Away With Me

I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting to tell you all this.

And yesterday I finally received this in the mail, so now I can.

I’ve been invited to go to Zimbabwe with World Vision and a small team in November for a week long Vision Trip. To see and learn about World Vision’s work about the largest global killer of children under age 5 today, and one of the largest contributors to the cycle of global poverty: maternal, newborn and child health.

I am – floored. To go and learn about their work to improve the wellbeing of mothers and children in context with the extreme need and loss – what else could my story and heartache serve a better purpose for? I may not understand the desperation of the situations the Zimbabwe women face on a daily basis, but I will deeply understand their loss and sorrow. The average life expectancy there is 37 YEARS. Nearly 1 out of 10 children die before the age of 5.

It was a complete shock to receive their email. I actually almost skipped reading it, thinking it was just an update for our account on our two sponsored kids – I went to save it for later and realized that the tone was fairly personal. Then I started reading, and I just sat on my chair in shock and read it again, then out loud to Sam as I cried, then sent it to my parents to read.

I have waited to share because – well, do we really even need an explanation at this point? I was afraid my passport wouldn’t make it in time to register (it expired last year), that someone might not be able to watch Bella and Charlie for that amount of time. But my amazing mom is coming down to take over, my passport made the deadline, and the Ebola virus isn’t there (yes, that’s on everyone’s mind).

This is what I am called to do. Right now. No matter what comes of it, I see and feel God’s hand on this trip in my life. A way to look another hurting mama in the eyes and tell her, “I know the pain of loss too, I’m so sorry,” and then do what I can to make sure that trauma is lessened where it can be.

I will be eternally (truly) grateful to the World Vision team for thinking of me for this. I know it will be life changing for me – and I want to make sure this work changes lives when I come home too. I invite each of you to stick around and follow this journey in a few weeks through Facebook, Instagram, and on here as I head to Zimbabwe.