Departure

Well, for those of you who have not yet heard, I have my plane tickets. I will be leaving on Thursday, December 6. Knowing my departure date has created mixed feelings. I am excited about going and seeing what all God has in store for the year and I am excited to know when this adventure will officially start, but having a date also makes this real and the feelings I have about leaving home are slowly coming to the surface.

Now that I know when I am leaving, the good byes have started. Before, leaving was a day in the future that I could, in a sense, forget about and pretend it may not happen, but now that I have that date, I start to think about all the people I need and want to say goodbye to. Goodbyes are never easy, but knowing (or not knowing) what the future holds for the next year makes saying goodbye even harder in many ways. There are so many people I want to say goodbye to and there are some that I won't be able to, at least not in person.

My first goodbye happened while I was in Washington visiting Harlan and Josie. Mom, Dad, and I flew out to visit Harlan and Josie to see where they are living, where they are working, and meet some of the people they have come to know. It was so much fun to be able to see them again. Not only did we get to do the things I mentioned above, but we were able to do some "touristy" things like go the beach (although it was cold and the seagulls wanted to eat our food), walk through the Olympic Rainforest (which was incredibly beautiful), go to the Future of Flight (the Boeing factory where they make the Boeing 700 serie planes), and just spend time with Harlan and Josie. Overall, we had a great week and when it was time to go, it was hard saying goodbye even though we all know that what we are doing is what God wants us to be doing.

Time's Getting Closer

I am so thankful to everyone who has supported me financially, I am almost there!! I can hardly believe in a little over a month I will be leaving, it just doesn't seem possible.

As I was thinking, I realized that if I were to stay in the US, specifically MN, for the next year, I have some idea of what my life would look like. I obviously don't know what it would specifically look like, but I have the general idea. However, over the next year, my life in Costa Rica will be so different, I can't even begin to imagine what it will look like. And to be completely honest, that scares me a little, but it does make me realize that I have a God that does know what my life will look like and will watch over me as I step into the unknown, guiding my steps!!

Please pray for these unknowns and that I will trust God with them.


I am also very excited because tomorrow my parents and I are heading out to Washington to visit Harlan and Josie. This will be a great time of seeing where they have settled and starting the next step in their lives, however, this will be the beginning of my goodbyes, so that is always a bit difficult.

Preparation

I can hardly believe that in 2 months I could be in Costa Rica...this is SO hard to believe. So I am still in my "this isn't really happening" phase, but I know as time gets closer, when the plane tickets are purchased and the luggage starts to get packed, I will move into the somewhat "anxious" phase. I will definitely treasure the time I have with family and friends as I will be visiting them over the next couple weeks.

I am so thankful for the people God has brought into my life to encourage me and pray for me throughout my "planning" phase. I am also grateful for the people who have supported me through their financial giving. I am almost at my financial goal, so I am very encouraged as the time gets closer for my leaving! So thank you everyone!!