How many bags does it take to move to Kenya?

Five checked bags and two excessively overweight carry-ons. 33% of you got it right! After purging again and again because I couldn't fit everything and refusing to go to six bags, it's all packed. I admit that four was my goal, but I was not at all successful at that. Fifty pounds per bag is a small amount! I could have easily fit 100 lbs in some of those bags, so 250 lbs (plus about 65 more pounds with my carry-ons) puts all my belongings at just over 300 pounds. I think that's pretty good for a three year venture. Hopefully they'll measure the same weight at the airport because there is no extra space to reposition things. We'll see. Wish me luck!

Two Days

I have two days left in America. It is becoming more real to me, yet it still seems like a dream. Leaving became very real while saying goodbye to Micah and Marla via Skype on Friday. That was the beginning of the tears, and the flood continues when I let myself think about the friends and community I'm leaving behind. Despite the headache my crying created, it doesn't take away the excitement. Moving abroad is such a bittersweet experience. I'm excited for all that God has planned for me in Kenya, how He will use me, what I will learn about Him, myself, and the people He created. There is adventure in my future, and that thrills me. But leaving crying friends makes me so sad because I know I'm the cause of their tears. There is a song that keeps popping in my head these days...

He gives and takes away.
He gives and takes away.
My heart will choose to say,
Lord blessed be your name.

And so I sing this over and over again thanking God for the awesome friendships He's given me and reminded that the sadness is worth it because it means that I have something very special in my friendships. So to all my dear people who I make cry these days, I'm so sorry. I love you so much!

What a Weekend!

All my belongings now fit in four or five suitcases (the exact number is yet to be determined) and six plastic totes. That's right - I'm free of belongings. This weekend was my big garage sale, and it was a great success. I sold all my big items, lots of little things, and made a bit of money to buy a few things in Kenya. Friends came to join the "fun" and helped hull all the left-overs to the local thrift store. Amber and John even found time for a little lego soccer match. Thank you friends for all the help and support! You made the work fun.

On Sunday we had an Alaska halibut fish fry. This was my final good-bye to several friends and a little emotional. I'm doing well with my emotional moments, aside from a couple times with the Macy women. :) I was so blessed by everyone who came. For those of you who couldn't make it, you were definitely missed. Here's a little snapshot of the day...



I have been extremely blessed by the support from family and friends. These past months I have been overwhelmed by God's blessing of community. You can never be replaced no matter where I live. I love you all, and thank you for lovin' me back!

Camping

My Fourth of July was spent doing something I love with people I love... Camping in Oregon with friends. Here's a summary of our weekend...

Checking out the river by our camp...
The gang biking around the camp...
(We were definitely the oldest "kids" with bikes at the camp ground.)

The girls chatting by the river...

Hanging out around the camp fire...

More hanging out by the camp fire and eating. Lots of eating!

It was a wonderful, lazy weekend, and I got lots of sleep (something I've been lacking at home). Thanks friends for the refreshing weekend!

Excited or Nervous?

I have recently been reading the blogs of my future co-workers, particularly woman my age who posted about their first year teaching in Kenya. As I read, I'm reminded of the difficulties of moving to a new country. And the truth is... I'm getting nervous. What about losing my independence sounds good? I'm going to be really bad at living life for the next few months. Everything will take me forever to figure out and do - simple things, such as buying groceries and transporting myself across town. I remember the sensation from previous experience - adult turned four year old with one 28 hour flight. These are things I don't look forward to. I have been so excited about living overseas "well" this time. It will be so different than when I was 22, right out of college, and had no clue how to live my life or teach in a classroom whether in America or abroad. So this time I feel like it should be so much better because I'm older, wiser (hopefully), and know who I am. But will it really be easier? In some ways, no. This realization is beginning to hit me these days.

Right now it's 6:00 in the morning. I've already been up for an hour, which means I got four hours of sleep since I stayed up too late looking at those blogs. I don't sleep well these days. My mind starts wondering to my new home, new life, and new "family". Will they like me? Of course they will, you say. But will I truly find community? I'm leaving a pretty dang good one behind!

Please don't get me wrong... I'm super excited to go. I'm so ready. I know this is what God has spent the last several years preparing me for. I know it's exactly what I should be doing. But doses of reality are seeping into my expectations, and it's a good thing. Unmet expectations, ones that aren't realistic, cause stress and frustration. So I'll take the spoonful of reality I'm being served and praise God that He is going to do amazing things in me and through me in the next months, year, and years to come. That makes all the anxiety worth it. For sure!

So please pray for me... Sleep filled nights, realistic expectations, and keeping my mind in the present would be nice additions to my last few days in America. And please don't be discouraged by this email. All the emotions and concerns are normal, healthy, and good. It's part of the journey!