My First Post

Well, this is my first attempt at keeping a blog. I am going to try to write regular (hopefully) updates so that you can share in this experience.

Here's a brief summary: Today, I am flying out of Detroit and will arrive in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia tomorrow afternoon around 12:00 ET - it's about a 7 hour time difference so it will be evening when I arrive. I am volunteering through an organization called Cherokee Gives Back. Having not been there I have very little in my mind of what to expect, but will be assigned to a project when I arrive. One thing I do know is that it is the rainy season; it will be raining most of my first week. I also know that it is 1999 over there so I will get to celebrate the millennium twice!

My priority is to honor God in this journey and to do right by the people of Ethiopia. I am so thankful for this opportunity and excited about the life changing experiences. This wouldn't be possible without the love and support of my friends and family. I am in awe of the generosity and interest people have expressed to me already. I especially want to thank my parents and sister for all that they have sacrificed to make this possible. I also want to thank the Aley UMC kids for raising $102 for school supplies and Sam Crowe and the Winchester little league for collecting hundreds of kids tee-shirts and sports equipment. Thank you to my uncles and aunts who have given support in so many ways. And my kind neighbors for donating yard sale items to help raise money. Many, many of you are praying and I thank you for that. Thank you for taking time to read this blog. I hope it will enable you to share in this amazing opportunity.