Leaving, On a Jet Plane...

Saturday night, I looked across the table in my home church basement and told some friends, "See guys, if you want your family and friends to tell you how much they love you and throw you a big party, just move to the other side of the world!"  :)  Seriously though, I have been loved on by my community and prayer team over the past couple days in a way that I can't even fathom.  My friends threw me a huge going away party that was just perfect.  My youth made me cry multiple times by expressing their love and gratitude for me.  My family has been amazing.  I have savored every minute.

Tomorrow morning, I begin the long trip to Auckland!  I will be in a car for 3 hours and in the air for about 23.  Plus, I will also have a few hours in airports on layovers.  I'm bringing plenty of reading material and a stocked I-Pod for the journey. :)  I can't wait to see my Kiwi friends in person, move into my house, and start to get settled!  Land of the Long White Cloud, here I come!!!!!

Time to Process, Anyone?

Talk about a whirlwind.  It seems like it was just last week that I was praying for 75% funding.  Now, I'm fully funded, visa in hand, and flights booked!  In just a few days (Mon., Jan. 30th), I will leave from the Indianapolis airport, New Zealand bound.  I am so excited and ready to do this.  I've been waiting for four and a half years to realize the call to overseas service God placed on my heart.  Yet with all the waiting, it seems like these last few months have gone so fast.  Pieces have been put in place and processes set in motion at God-speed, and now I feel like I can't process it all!  I'm sure the next two years will bring valleys and mountaintops, moments of apparent defeat and seasons of fruit and contentment.  Some days it will feel like forever, but two years from now I'll wonder how it could already be over.

Jesus, You've led me by the hand since I fully surrendered my life to your call when I was twelve years old.  Holy Spirit, You have poured Yourself into me, empowering me to live the way You desire.  Father, you have been so faithful.  Please enable me to live out your heart for the Kiwi people.  Show me how to love students and leaders, how to move according to your vision for the Church in New Zealand, and how to keep Your kingdom first in every way.  God--You've done this.  Now I'm trusting You to use me and these two years in a way only You can.  Here we go!!!!!!

This is REAL!

Two major obstacles were overcome today on the journey to New Zealand.

1)  I received my Work Visa!  It came back RIDICULOUSLY fast--this is totally a Jesus thing!  Thank you all who have prayed.

2)  My NZ roommate, Jessica, and I officially found a house to rent in Auckland!  It's way nice for being within our budget and perfectly located for both of our commutes!

Today, I was driving around working on faxing some paperwork to Global Partners, weighing packed bags to make sure they weren't too heavy for airline regulations, etc., when it hit me.  This is REAL!  I'm ACTUALLY going to New Zealand for two years to do the ministry my heart has been designed for by God!  I can't even express the surreal nature of this revelation.  There's so much to do over the next few days--packing, cleaning house, putting things in storage, cleaning out my car to sell, booking flights... It's crazy and overwhelming and exciting and REAL!  I should know an exact departure date over the next couple days--my thoughts are that I will be in NZ around Feb. 1st.  I am in awe and majorly processing that this actually going to happen!  Praise Jesus!!!!!!

Praise/Prayer Blog Update

Enjoyed two great weekends with supporting churches, Medora Wesleyan and Faith Wesleyan, over the past two weeks. :)

Please pray for...
1) Really fast mail to come from NZ to IN so I can send in my visa application
2) Really fast processing of my visa application

Factoring the timing on paperwork, it's looking like the end of January/beginning of February for go-time. Please pray that God's perfect timing will be accomplished. My hope is that His timing will be sooner rather than later!

A New Year: New Beginning

I am filled with all kinds of emotions with the start of 2012 (partially because I watched 2012 with my parents last night--that may not have been a good idea! haha!).  It is incredible to think about the ways my life will change this year.  Just today, I was reading update newsletters from some friends who are serving as missionaries across the world.  They talked about their Christmas experiences this year, which of course, were very different than their Christmases had been in the States.  It is surreal to think that my journey will lead me to New Zealand THIS YEAR.  2012 will be an adventure, I am certain, filled with new faith challenges and new praises of God's work being accomplished.  I cannot wait to be among the Kiwi people in the Land of the Long White Cloud!

My New Year's was certainly fun-filled this year.  We had a New Year's Eve party at Grace Fellowship Wesleyan Church that rivaled all previous ones!  Below is a picture of me with some friends playing card games at one of the little kids' tables because all the adult tables were full!

We played games until well after midnight.  It was a blessing!  Then New Year's morning, my friend Mandy and I took off really early on hardly any sleep for Medora Wesleyan Church where I was able to reconnect with my partners there.  Then, we met up with a friend from I.W.U. after lunch before heading home.  All in all, it was a great New Year's, especially because I enjoyed all of it with the knowledge that I am fully funded!!!