What do a box of cliff bars, a bunch of hand sanitizer, 100% deet insect repellent and 3 cell phones have in common??

Answer: Tomorrow they're all going to Africa in my suitcase. (Yes, I take 3 different cell phones when I travel. Doesn't everyone?).

So I leave for Uganda tomorrow. The Sixty Feet team has been planning this trip for months but somehow it really snuck up on us. And last night's terrorist attacks and bombings in Kampala have certainly added an unexpected twist and some stress for the wives staying at home.

Our little family and our close friends have spent much time in prayer over this trip. Terrorist attacks or not, we know this is the week God has called our team to be in Uganda.

Our children are truly excited about my return trip to serve the children of Mukisa. As a family, we've spent hours praying over these children, looking at their pictures and viewing video footage from the last trip.

We are praising God for the opportunity to teach Madeline and Davis about global mission work at such a young age. Through Sixty Feet, God has made a way for our family to commit our whole hearts to a specific cause and then run after it like crazy. This is not a casual commitment to just raise money or to participate in a mission trip once a year or so. It's literally becoming part of who we are now because it is one of those works God prepared for us in advance (Eph 2:10).

Speaking of that, earlier in the week we challenged our children to think of something they could give for me to take to two children at Mukisa who have become very dear to our family. We thought Madeline and Davis might draw them a picture or dig through their closets and find some toy they don't want anymore. They both shocked us with their responses -- our 4 year old especially. Davis came to us bearing his most treasured possession, his shiny silver and blue Lighting McQueen outfit (my son would literally wear this thing every single day if we allowed him) and announced that he'd like Daddy to take it to Uganda. We talked it over with him... "are you sure? If Daddy takes it, it's really gone." He would not relent. And tonight, he packed it himself in my suitcase.

May we all be so generous and joyful in the giving of our worldly "treasures." As Jim Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Amen to that.

Davis is excited for another little boy to wear this outfit

Packing like a pro

The sign you are finished packing is when it's too heavy to lift.