In 24 hours I will be on my way to the airport. 24 hours of travel after that I will be on the ground in Tanzania.

I was hopeful that this last weekend at home would be filled with my friends and parents, but as timing would have it, work schedules of those that I love left me instead to finish the first season of 30 Rock in a day and a half between packing and cleaning.

It's been nice to have three weeks at home to wrap up the loose ends of the trip and spend time with everyone, but it also felt a little long. Not in the sense that I am tired of being here, but in the sense that I'm kind of sad to leave.

I don't really have a whole lot to say right now. Despite all the planning, when I travel I tend to do so without much expectation. I know big adventures await me, but I'm not entirely sure what they are, and if there's one thing God's been showing me this past year, it's that my plans often have little to do with His.

If there is one thing I would like prayers for right now, it's that I would learn to feel God's presence in solitude, and that being alone would feel less lonely and more full of God's peace.

This week I've been thinking about Philippians 4 quite a bit, I'm going to kind of reflect in my own prayer the things that Paul said there...

Lord, everything comes from your hands. Everything. Therefore, I will rejoice all the time about good and bad things in my life. Help me to remember that things are in your hands so that I can let go of them. The desires I have are important to you, Lord, and I know you they are close to your heart, too, but help me to remember not to let them become sources of anxiety. When I am anxious, Lord, it is because I am afraid to trust you, and if I don't trust you, I cannot receive your peace. So, even if it seems really hard to do, help me to trust you and experience the peace and protection that comes from believing you have a plan. Lord, I hope that my contentedness, comfort, and joy come from you and not from my circumstances, because they will change, but you are constant. I know that I am strong in you, and even in the places where I don't think I can make it, the strength you give me is more than enough. Every blessing comes from you, God. Your resources are unlimited and you love me! Your riches are glorious and you are a giver of great things. My desires are in good hands, and my needs are not my concern. You will provide, and I will praise you always.