Rapture

Ahem...

I got a tattoo last night. =)

There are currently no pictures yet because it is still very sore and red. I will probably do that in the near future though so all of you can see it.

I am going to take this opportunity to explain it though. I have been thinking about this one for quite a long time now and finally just went in and did it this week. It basically takes up my entire left side...up kind of high on my ribs.

There are three different parts. The biggest part is the outline of Africa. It's a turquoise color. And it's not the definite rigid outline. More of just a suggestion. But you can definitely tell that is what it is. It is really a ton of swirly black lines and where the outline of Africa is is the turquoise part. You will see in the picture. But because I have done missions there and am planning on going back, it just makes sense to me. Kind of making it a visual commitment...? Or something like that.

Inside Africa is a bird flying. A flying bird. A bird in flight. It's a picture from a journal that I have and I just love the way it looks. It is beautiful and free. And I have a weird fascination with flying. I love doing the ripcord at worlds of fun, I desperately want to try skydiving (and hopefully succeed....), and I LOVE flying in planes. I wanted to be a flight attendant for a while just so I could get paid to fly. Plus it makes sense with the tattoo and kind of ties the other two parts together.

The third and final part is the word "rapture". Rapture is a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion. I have always loved just the way that word sounds and the biblical sense of it. And then I recently looked it up in the dictionary and it struck me how much it makes sense with my experience in Africa. And I am sure my future experiences in Africa will bring much rapture as well.

So there you have it. Pictures to follow.

PS--homeward bound in t-minus 3 days-ish. Starting to sink in. I am really going to miss my friends and family here. But I talked to Mindy today and I am so ready to start life in Cowden. I am blessed.