Forty things

I have 23 days left till I'm forty. It's no magical age. Just a fun milestone. It means I'm still really young. :)

The other day, as I've been working on photo and graphics projects for work, and found this silly photo. Danette wasn't really reading this book. We just saw it in a bookstore someday and decided to take a picture.

So, here are some things I'd love to do before/around the time when I turn forty:

1. Find a new job.
2. Write supporters about the journey which God has me on.
3. Pack up all my things in my home in Kipkaren.
4. Figure out how to ship stuff to my next destination.
5. Know where my next destination is...
6. Keep trusting God.
7. Try not to cry too hard when explaining to the children in Ilula that I'll be leaving.
8. Enjoy my last few mornings with prayer time on my favorite rock.
9. Enjoy the stars in the African sky.
10. Write supporters about the journey which God has me on.
11. Get back in the groove of doing crunches! (40/day by the time I'm 40 was the goal!)
12. Read the last book-and-a-half for my previous class.
    
13. Complete and turn in my latest paper (which, unfortunately, is overdue thanks to the major changes in my world.)
14. Complete last-minute ELI tasks.
15. Finish well.
    
16. Make arrangement for visiting several ministries from Nairobi.
17. Say good-bye at church.
18. Try not to cry too hard when saying good-bye to the children and to Flannel.
19. Find a new home for Flannel.
20. Move all furniture out of my home in Kipkaren.
21. Buy a cow to leave with the Sifunas so they'd have a source of income.
22. Take photos at Allison's wedding.
23. Make sure my car is in good enough shape to drive it to Nairobi!
24. Get goats for staff to cook as a good-bye gift.
25. Arrange another children's day event for the kids.
26. Buy a bull to be roasted for children's day.
27. Figure out where I'll be on my fortieth birthday...
28. Keep trusting God.
29. Be patient.
30. Celebrate Michelle's 29th birthday.
31. Go to Rondo for a retreat with God.
32. Set up an automated response to my ELI e-mail account.
33. Rest in the fact that God has our very best interests at heart.
    
34. Step out in faith.
35. Enjoy every moment of my last days in rural Africa.
36. Don't worry about the journey forward. Instead, stay focused on God who's calling me to follow him.
37. Live fully in the moment.
38. Make a list of all that still needs to be done.
39. Have chai at many people's homes as I say good-bye.
40. Keep trusting God.