3 weeks = 21 days

3 weeks.

I have 3 weeks left in Africa. 21 days from now, I'll be packing my carry-on and trying to go to sleep for the last night in my room.

It still seems rather surreal, as it is not yet close enough to start panicking about the to-do list. Yes, the to-do list is there, but I got quite a few items checked off of it this weekend, so I'm feeling pretty good about it right now. (Of course, such lists have a tendency of growing very much in the last days.) I am trying to enjoy the bit of downtime with lots of reading, though, because I know I'm going to be terribly busy as soon as I get back to the States.

Oh, another thing. Where did all this stuff come from? I came here with two suitcases... how could I have possibly accumulated this much stuff in that time? I'm being ruthless with my clothing (it's all had a hard two-year term in Africa, anyway) but I'm having a hard time parting with my souvenirs from all our road trips. I have feathers from Zimbabwe, shells from Namibia, sand from South Africa, rocks from northern Botswana, rocks from western Botswana, rocks from eastern Botswana... okay, I'm not really a geologist, I promise. I just like interesting rocks and always find nice ones to pick up, just about everywhere I go. I guess you can see where most of that 'stuff' came from! :)

No worries, though... what I can't take with me will stay safely packed up here and can come back with someone else at another point - someone who isn't trying to travel with quite as much stuff as I am! (ie, someone who has room for a bag of rocks :)

I was reading Psalm 34 today and was struck by the list of promises that are given there. I've been thinking them over all day. What a blessing to know that we have such a kind God to give us such promises, a Father who has His eyes and ears attuned to our needs!

• The Lord heard me and delivered me from all my fears.
• There is no want to them that fear Him.
• Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.
• They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
• The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous.
• The ears of the Lord are open to their cry.
• The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.
• The Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants.
• None of them that trust in Him shall be desolate.