On The Eve of My Departure...

Tonight was perfect. My last meal with my family anyway.... We went to one of my favorite restaurants and I got to have some of my favorite food and enjoy the company of some of my favorite people. It was my going away party, but it was also a celebration of my birthday, since I won't be here for my actual birthday. God is so good and my family is so wonderful. Rocking Anastasia to sleep one last time, receiving kisses from Max, hugs from Ariel and taking pictures with Aurora... it was all so bittersweet. I didn't have to say goodbye tonight to everybody but Aurora, because she will be in school when I head to Detroit for my flight. After I hugged her goodbye and she was walking away, the tears I haven't shed all week just suddenly hit and I couldn't keep a few from escaping. I'm so terribly excited for the journey, but leaving my "family pod" is hard. The joy in the journey, is a choice to be made. I will take joy, even when my heart isn't so eager to say goodbye. Instead, I will say hello to my new family and embrace the calling God has on me. The next time I blog, it will be from London. What a strange thought. So....

HELLO LONDON!!!

The Quest

I’ve been rereading Elisabeth Elliot’s Quest For Love and rediscovered a quote that I love. “…Every freedom can be denied a man except the freedom to choose his attitude, and that suffering is not an obstacle to happiness but often the necessary means to it.” This quote is from Victor Frankl, a man who spent time in a concentration camp. If anybody should know anything about suffering, it is one who has spent time in a concentration camp. May I remember this, especially when time get difficult.

So many changes these days. So many “lasts.” So many sweet moments. :) I’m getting so excited, but a little pre-homesick. The next 6 days are going to be jammed packed and I have a feeling that it’s going to go by in a snap and the next time I look up, I’ll be boarding my airplane.

I have made friends with some of those going to the same DTS and I’m SUPER excited about how amazing everyone is and the heart connections that are going to happen. Continue to pray for raised funs and safe travels. I super appreciate the prayer covering I’m receiving.

On a side note: I want these shoes! Hehe.

The Excitement Beast

Let me tell you, this evening I was tired. My mom and I have this sort of ritual right now that every night that I'm home, we watch an episode or two of one of our favorite shows, or a movie together. It's an unspoken thing, but it's important. Some nights it's just enough we're sitting on the same couch and others I curl up next to her. I'm going to miss my mom.

Tonight, I was really tired and barely stayed awake through dinner (an extremely quick bite) and a 40 minute show. I went to bed late last night, then got an emergency phone call this morning at 7am to come watch a little boy, who was staying home, sick, from school. From the time I got up this morning, to when I got home at 9:30, I was pretty hopping. Why am I not asleep yet, you ask? Well, the only thing I can say to explain it is... The Excitement Beast. Or Christmas Eve Syndrome. I turned out the lights and was starting to drift off when... lo and behold it hit me, again, the excitement of the coming journey. And now I can't sleep. :) It's okay. Perhaps, I will deal with it by working on my mystery dinner party stuff. Yay for birthdays too!

Other than whining about my lack of sleep ;) tonight, I really wanted to get some prayer going. I know that not everybody in my DTS has received notification of their visas. Please, just lift that up would you? It's extremely important. Thanks. :)

Well, I think I'll go type out the next character, then I'm going to try this sleep thing all over again. We'll see how it works out for me. ;)

London Calling

Less than 17 days until I get on the airplane that will take me to London. In some ways, the time has eeked by and in others, it has flown. The last couple of weeks have been spent getting things done, buying things I'll need and getting a support letter out. It's been crazy! The other day Ariel, my five year old niece, was sitting on my lap and she asked me, "Auntie, how much longer til you leave?" I told her 19 days and she said, "Oh good. 19 days is such a long time." Oh the perspective of children. :)

As the time gets closer and as I land in London and hit the ground running, I'll continue to keep you updated. :)