5-Merry Early Christmas

I had a wonderful early Christmas yesterday, thrown before my departure to Bolivia. We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, that orange stuff my mom makes, and a table full of goodness. I recieved gifts of shoes, sandles, and money which will go towards the mission. I am blessed with such great friends and family.

I've been keeping busy with the psycologically well aquainted date fastly approching, though still I've had a fair ammount of time to give to a social life and whatnot. I've realized that I've been consentrating a lot on going to Bolivia (which is good, and I wouldn't get there if I didn't work towards it), but what I'm doing right now is life too, and as thankful as I am to go to Bolivia and to be busy with volunteering in an orphanage and working with Ken's boys, I'm thankful now as well for the time I've been given to prepare for the future. I'm so thankful for the friends I've been rekindling relationships with-even faces I haven't seen in 11 years have become common. I'm thankful for the people I only met in late August but will miss when I leave. It's so amazing to just walk back into town and make 20 new friends. Friends who challenge and build. I'm thankful for lifetime friends. I suppose this paragraph is appropriate for the season of American Thanksgiving in the air.

So...

I recieved an e-mail earlier today which simply stated that the tickets for the flight had not yet been purchased. I am hoping it isn't to late to get them, as airplanes do have a max. So it would be good to be in prayer about that.

Prayer Requests:
-Pray for my family, as they will have one less voice in the house.
-Ask God to help me leave my friends and family once again as I head off.
-Pray that everything will work out for me to catch this flight on Friday, or whatever His will is, to be done.
-Pray that I will be at ease about whatever happens.

4-Thanks!

Wow. Thanks so much to my supporters. I am over half way percentage of finances wise, and more is in the mail. So that means that right now, I've got about $336 after the ticket purchase. Now that's not quite enough to live off of for 5 months, but we're doing well, and I have rights to be thankful!

With everything coming together for my missions trip, it's becoming more and more of a reality to me that I'm actually going. Now I've known I would go back basicly since I left. I was reading my travel journal the other week and is said, "I can't wait to come back." Now I did end up waiting. I waited for 2 years! Now that's not long, but when you're 20, that's a 10th of your life! Man I feel young right now. The thought is to drive up (maybe Greyhound but hopefully not) to Saskatoon on December 2nd, and stay the night at Mike's. He hasen't confirmed yet, but since our flight will be at 6am, that's probably going to be the best option.

I hope to include pictures on my blog in the future. God blessed me with a camera, and I think I'll get some good use of it down in Bolivia... That is if my computer will cooperate and go on the internet. I've had that computer for about 6 or so years, and Acer is not a name with duribility behind it. For whatever reason, it says that it has a great internet signal, but when I enter a browser, it says I don't have a signal! A little frusterating. I'll blog in an internet cafe if I really can't get it to work, but it'd be nice to not have to pay a boliviano for every 15 minutos I'm on the computer.

6 more days, and I'll be lathering on the sunscreen and fixing to make a Godly impression on young adults and orphans.

3-Almost Ready

Well I'm happy to say that my seven minute speech last week went well, and my prayer and support team is growing. I made a group on facebook if you would like to join, if you are willing to pray for me and my mission and maybe even give financially to me. As of now, I have enough money to get there, and enough to fly back, but not enough to actually live there. I'm very excited about the future, whatever it looks like.

So now, I'm heading off to church, where I'm going to speak once again about Bolivia. I didn't have many coppies of my support letter, as my printer wasn't being kind to me. Not kind at all. But it looks like I'll have enough... I think. If you didn't get one, just facebook me, and I'll get one to you.

So any update on my departure?
Oh that question... knowing ahead of time is what Canadians are best at... most Canadians... I don't have a date set in stone still. I thought it would be the 5th that I would leave, but the 6th is Mike's birthday, and I'll be flying with him, and who wants to spend their birthday in an airport? So we might be leaving on the 3rd, or some other day around then. These are days in December I'm talking about, that is. So most things are all ready for the trip. Minus getting the tickets and having enough support to stay there, everything that can be done before going is done. I think. And that's exciting to say.

Snow! My brother, Nathan, left a warm winter coat here in Caronport, and I left my winter coat in Airdrie, thinking I'd be in Bolivia before the snow was on the ground and the air froze my latte to my coat... It's clean now though, Nathan!

I've kind of been feeling like I'm in transition right now. I've been getting a little involved with the Love Bus in Regina, and a tiny bit involved at Joe's Place in Moose Jaw, but I still feel like where God wants me is Bolivia, so I don't feel like it's fair to give myself to a misison in Saskatchewan. I'll be off soon! As soon as 12 days, and as late as 14 days... Wow! I'm so excited!