After a few hours of sleep, my sister hauled me to the MARTA station. It was one of those mornings where I knew I was way too tired and shouldn’t be up. If it weren’t for the tight graffiti along the rail line, I probably would have gone to sleep on the train. I hustled through the airport to find my beautiful family of friends waiting for me. Everyone was so excited about our trip. Bags were packed so neatly and backpacks were full of entertainment for the plane trip. We hopped on the plane en route to El Paso, Texas. We were excited about helping those in need, growing as a family, and growing spiritually.During our layover in Houston, I spoke to some folks at Bunim-Murray about the Real World/Road Rules Challenge 2000. They wanted to know if I was interested in joining the team. I paused, looked around at the teens eagerly waiting for the next plane–I like this reality better. I told Bunim-Murray thanks and that I appreciated their interest, but that I was happy where I am. I slipped my phone back in my pocket, confident that I was where I needed to be.

A friend of a friend invited our group over for dinner at his farm. We drove through fields of chili peppers, pecan trees, and palms and arrived at the cutest home. The walls were stucco, the roof Spanish tile. The side yard was roofed with a canopy of flowers and vines weaving through an overhead terrace. I followed the brick sidewalk to the patio behind the house. The table was set and dinner was almost done. At the edge of the patio was kidney bean-shaped pond stocked with fish. I showed my city-slicker friends how to cast a line (a country boy can survive.) The home was so perfect with the arid, earthy, and mountainous western backdrop.

Over dinner of exceptional local Tex-Mex, Laura (a teen from our group) and I compared lion stories in Africa. I told her about my safaris in southern Africa. My biggest thrill was a daddy lion awakening to find a truck full of cameramen parked at his feet. He let out a roar. I thought that was pretty cool. Her tales were better. When she was five, lions jumped up onto the deck where she and her brother were sleeping. I don’t remember what she said happened then. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention. Then she told me that her cousin and his girlfriend were hopping from rock to rock crossing a river. In between two rocks a crocodile sprung from the water and bit a chunk out of the girl’s leg. Her cousin had to sew her up right there on the riverbank. I think the next time I tell this story, I will make me the boyfriend-yeah that would be cooler.

After dinner a group of us took a walk down the dusty roads that bordered the green and brown striped fields. In the distance we saw a lightning storm moving closer towards us. Its wind blew the dust from our heals. We stopped to snap some pictures in front of the sunset. It was such a Kodak moment…one of those times/places I was glad I was there to experience. It was getting dark, so we headed back to the house through the lines of pecan trees.

On the ride back home Michaela, Laura, and I talked about trusting God and knowing that He will take care of us. They are both such interesting people; I can’t wait to spend the rest of the week with them, getting to know them more.

I am sitting in the corner of a church hall, typing on Tony’s laptop. Dozens of lunchroom tables and orange chairs fill the room. The teens are blow-drying their hair, inflating their mats, and cuddling into their sleeping bags.

Life is so much fun.