Preparing to Perform

I have learned a lot the last ten weeks about international travel.

First, you need this thing called a passport. I guess it's what gets you in and out of the country... or something like that. Oh, they also want to you to have a special picture taken for the passport. No family snapshots. Though I must say I look a lot better in those. In my passport picture, I look like a jailbird because of my shirt - black and tan horizontal stripes. (Not such a great idea!)

You need shots... if you want to lessen your risk of contracting a disease like Hepatitis.

Then there's the visa. The cost of room and food. Luggage - kinda important for all the Chinese loot I plan on bringing home. (Kinda ironic since most the stuff from Wal-Mart is made there anyway!) I needed more clothes since I can't plan on washing all ten days. Toilet paper - for the squatty-potties.

All this makes the sound of 'ching-ching' in my mind. I've learned it's not exactly cheap to head halfway across the word!

Thus tomorrow night, we are having a concert fundraiser to raise awareness of my trip and help people see what I'm gonna be doing and to ask people to pray... and, ahem, to ask people for money. (There's no nice way to say that.)

On the serious side, I most of all covet people's prayers. I can always work more hours, get other jobs, and stop buying chocolate to pay for my trip. But no amount of money can buy the Holy Spirit going with me over to China. That's really the most valuable thing!