Rusty and Rachel are Separating

Separating for two and a half weeks that is! I'll be going to Ghana to work at the Village of Hope and some other places. Rachel will be staying in Memphis. This is the longest number of days (by two weeks) we've been apart since getting married more than five years ago! Crazy. So, Rachel can have a much deserved vacation from me :)

The White Station Youth Group has a website for the trip if you'd like to follow along: http://www.wsyginghana.blogspot.com/. I think it will be updated daily depending upon electricity availability. I just met the group I'm going with a couple nights ago and they look like a great group of mini-missionaries. Teenagers have a certain energy that is great to have around so there should be some fun and crazy times ahead!

Here are some random thoughts about the trip:

• Africa/Asia. This trip will be good in letting me balance my love for Asia with something else. I must admit I have been less interested in Africa because everyone and their mother in the Harding world talks about it. Not to mention the glaring imbalance of interest in Asia at the moment. So, this will give me a dose of Africa that I wouldn't have chosen otherwise but now am excited about having! While I'm certain this trip won't subtract from my Asian interests, it could give me a broader depth of interest and experience.
• Adoption. Rachel and I have already thought about this option along with having our own biological children in the future. I wonder what this will do to my mindset in that regard.
• Travel. I've gotten to travel more in the last two months than most have their whole lives. When we left Amsterdam from the Holy Lands trip I didn't expect to be back that way quite so soon. I'm sure my travel fix will be fulfilled by the end of this summer... for a while.

Hope you're all doing well. Grace and peace.