Ready to leave?

Am I ready to leave? That's the number one question I have been asked over the last week. How do I answer such a complicated question? Am I ready to leave behind my family, my friends, my comfort zone, my sense of security, everything I know, my new friends, the food I`m use too? By no means am I ready for that, no one will ever be ready for that. But is that the question or is it, am I ready for a new adventure, ready to see God work in new ways and places, to make new friends, strengthen bonds with old friends, try new foods, see new places, learn to live a new way, and to discover new things about myself? How can I not be ready for that? How can I not be excited for this new journey.

As I wrote this the other day I was just a few hours from finding out that I will be leaving sooner than I had expected. Tomorrow evening (Thursday) I will leave, as opposed to leaving on Saturday morning. This has made me rush a lot of packing, planning, and meeting with friends. But it has also pushed me to focus and really get stuff done and stop procrastinating. It has also made me realize that I could be talking with everyone online like normal soon after I land or it could be a few days. Either way I know I have some great friends who are going to be there with me through this time of transition and I know that God will provide for me what ever I need, even if it gets rough.

Over the last few days home I have had a great time spending time with all my friends and keeping in touch with those from training. I have been in contact with most of my friends here at home and all of my family. Leaving and going to a time zone 7 hours a head of everyone I know will put a strain on communication but it will also show which relationship are strongest and will continues to grow. I am so thankful for this wonderful opportunity to go to Ukraine and expand my comfort zone and meet new and amazing people and have great experiences to tell everyone about...STAY TUNED FOR MORE ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE!!!

It's Closing Time

After 3 weeks of training we are coming up on our date of commissioning. It will be very bittersweet for many of us as we are going our separate ways into the world, some of us leaving very soon for our placement sites others having a few weeks home. Many of us will not see one another for at least eighteen months and for the US-2 and Mission Interns this could possibly be the last time we spend together as a completely whole group. It has been a great 3 weeks, we have had many trials, laughs, tears and smiles and hands down the best time I could have asked for from any group of people


As for me I will be departing Charlotte airport with a fellow Mission Intern Katie Steele on August 27th to begin my trek to Ukraine. It is a very exciting time that is filled with much nervousness as I look at what I should pack and who I need to visit before I depart. I know however that God is going to be with all of us through this journey into new cultures and new ideas about what Gods love really means.

Final food for thought: You can only begin to grasp Christianity when the most important people to you are the people you don’t know and my never know!

http://new.gbgm-umc.org/advanc​e/missionaries/biographies/ind​ex.cfm?action=details&code=302​1336

Training time!

Wow, here it comes. Less than twenty days until I am in the Ukraine. Training has been such a different experience. We have all learned so much and at times it is extremely overwhelming. It is such a different situation because we are all working on trying to make a balance of professional situation and intentional friendships and relationships to build up our support between one another.

We have such a great group and all of us have been able contribute to the growing dimensions of the group. As each day goes by we are challenging each other with different definitions of what it means to be a community, how are we representing ourselves and our programs, and what we can do to better who we are and live up to the community standards that we have set in place.

As the time comes closer I have began to feel a bit more nervous about my future. I have been working on trying to just figure out all the logistical things that are involved and learning the new terminologies that go along with a new place. During this time of focusing on this new information I have been forgetting to focus on what will be going on in a few weeks in Ukraine, or vis-versa, I try and focus on what is going to happen in the up coming weeks and forget to be present in the learning of what we are doing here.
Even through this small struggle I know things will be great and I am so excited to continue on this journey with all the support of my fellow missionaries and a family and friends.

Just for everyone who is interested I will keep posting my bio and how to support me and the others I will be working with.

http://new.gbgm-umc.org/work/missionaries/biographies/index.cfm?action=details&id=1372