It's Time!!

Seven days from now: I will have bags packed and I'll be going to bed with a whirlwind of emotions. All the goodbyes will have been said except to my mom and my brother. (Although, let's be honest, some more byes will happen via text before that airplane door is pulled shut on the evening of the 15th.)

Currently, that week seems like it's not long enough. As much as I am ready to go, I feel like I will need just one more day or one more trip to the store or one more round of packing tetris or one more hug from a few people. The latter of that has already happened though. I think it is showing me that I need to already put all my trust, comfort, peace, and need for support in God. He will always be there. My friends and family will be there, but now they will be there from a distance. God is going to be right by my side through this whole process! Just like in the song, Whom Shall I Fear, the "God of angel armies is always by my side". He goes before me and stands behind me. He has done that throughout this whole process and He will continue for the rest of time.

There have been so many times that the major task at hand seemed daunting.

The interview.

The application.

The candidate week.

The support raising. (God totally showed off His amazingness here!!)

And now, well, now I must pack. It seems daunting, yet exciting. Overwhelming, yet l'm looking forward to it. It is like one gigantic game of tetris. Plus, now I get to start checking out some awesome new things that so many people have blessed me with the last few weeks. For example: I opened a flashlight that is solar and crank powered. No batteries needed AND it's waterproof! Then as I am playing with it, I find out that it has three settings. WIN!

The time has come. In July, I think I did most of my packing the morning of departure. It was my fifth short term trip and I had a pretty good handle on things. This time is a "little" different. Ha! Ha!

Last week I had planned to start the packing, but God wanted me to rest and that is what I did. Don't get me wrong - God and I didn't have some long conversation one night about when to pack. He didn't call me and tell me to wait a week. Nope! I got sick and was down for the count. (Sorry for not telling you sooner, Mom, but at least I told you eventually.) I hadn't been knocked down like that for years. When I was complaining to a good friend, she told me that, "You've been going nonstop and this is your body's (and God's) way of telling you to rest!" She couldn't have been more right. I had been going pretty hard for a few weeks and God knew it would take something like that to get me to be still for more than an hour, so He had me be still for a week. I think the stillness caused me to be more excited now. I'm not sure how, but I really think it did.

It's time. 

Join in the excitement.

(We can have our less excited "see you later" some other time.)

Now it's time to be thrilled about this new journey!

Some current prayer requests:

All lose ends are remembered and tied up in nice pretty bows

Wisdom to chose priorities in what to pack and what not to pack

Peace of mind for all involved as the goodbyes become real 

Continued thankfulness that God has provided so much

Time management to get the to-do list done AND savor moments

Good health for myself and my ministry partner

Katherine