Saying See Ya Later

So it is here... the day I leave the United States for the first time and head to Beijing, China. I have known this day was coming for a good 6 weeks but I still feel like it snuck up on me. I am excited for this adventure I am on and I am excited to see how God moves and uses me. It's going to be so awesome!

So for the past couple weeks I have been saying my goodbyes. However I don't say goodbye, I say see ya later. Goodbye just sounds so final like we are never going to see each again and I am going to see everyone again (in a year!). And there is never enough time to say see ya later and get all your hugs in for the year. I am going to miss everyone so much!

So I haven't cried yet, I mean I have but I am sure there are many many many more tears coming. God has been allowing me to enjoy the time with my amazing friends and family and not harp on the leaving part of my adventure. I am saving these tears for my super long flight from Chicago to Beijing. Whoever is sitting next to me won't know what to do! 

Saying see ya later has been so hard. Realizing that these were the last times I would be able to hug people for a year was so hard. I am so glad God allowed these thoughts to come at the end of my time with my friends. That way I didn't harp on the sad part of leaving, instead I was able to enjoy spending time with the people I love. 

I also had to say bye to my kiddos. There are 5 kids I watch regularly who are interwoven into my life. I love these kids and I am so sad that I won't be able to watch and play with them for at least a year! They are all going to be a year older and a year smarter. Ugghhh. I better get tons of updates and pictures from their parents! (You know who you are!)

I also had to say see ya later to some of my best friends all week. I am going to miss them all so much! It's going to be so weird not talking to these important people everyday :(. I am going to miss everyone so much. But I know that this is where God wants me and I am so glad that they all support me! 

Last night I was making final packing arrangements and I was just praying that everything would go smoothly at the airport (luggage exactly or under 50lbs each, fast security, etc). So today we got to the airport I started getting anxious! I went to weigh my luggage and each of my 2 checked bags weighed 50lbs. Yes that is heavy but I didn't have to pay for excess weight! Praise The Lord! And then security had no line and I was through in less than 10 minutes. Even in the small things God provides. I can't wait to see what He does in China and how He uses me. It's going to be amazing!!!

So now I am sitting at the Louisville airport with Kristoff waiting for the flight to Chicago to board. I am so excited, anxious, nervous, and all the other emotions. I am truly excited about this adventure. Letting Jesus lead! 

One Week Left

So today marks the official one week til I leave for China countdown! It is so hard to imagine that in technically less than a week I will be heading to the airport to leave the USA behind and start my year in China. Yep that still hasn't sunk in yet. My mind has a thousand plus things racing across it, things I need to get, things I need to pack, bank accounts, etc. I don't really feel ready to up an move to another country. But then there is my heart. My heart is as calm as can be because I know that this is God's plan for my life. He has so much stuff planned for me I can't wait to see! My mind can't even comprehend what He has in store for me! How exciting is that?! I know that come next Thursday, God is going to surprise me in ways I am not even imagining. God has been with me through this entire process, orchestrating this whole thing. And someone recently said that I have barely scratched the surface of what God has planned. Isn't that super exciting!!!!!

So last weekend my aca-awesome friends threw me a going away party! It was so much fun to see my friends and family together and just hanging out. We ate some amazingly delicious food and played some funny games! We also went shooting! I shot 3 2-liter bottles with a 9mm (or was it a 22mm, hmmmm) and I shot an AR15. How cool is that? Oh my goodness it was so much fun! At the end of the night I was so happy to spend time with friends and that I didn't think about it possibly being the last time I would see some of them before I left for China. :( I'm glad I didn't fixate on that during the party, but let it hit me afterwards.

So this past week I have been spending time with friends. I am pretty sure I have had a busy day everyday this week. I haven't really stopped moving. I am so glad I have so many friends to spend time with, but I am sad because I am going to miss them so much!

The common thing everyone has said to me is...... Have you packed yet? And my answer every time is NO. How can I pack my clothes and toiletries when those are the items I use daily. So it looks like I am going to be packing last minute (as per usual). The other thing people like to remind me of is that I am leaving next week. Ummmm hello, I know this! I am trying not to think to much about it because then I start to get overwhelmed and freak out!

Last night some of my friends got together to pray over me and my trip to China. It was awesome! Being surrounded by so many people who love and care for me makes me cry and then on top of it they are praying over me, I should have been bawling. I have no idea how I kept it together. Just knowing that I have this amazing support group back home that is cheering me on and praying for me makes my heart smile. I don't think I could ever express how much I love all of them and how much I am going to miss them!

Then there is today! I am pretty sure I entered panic mode at 10:53am because I realized that in exactly one week I will be leaving on my flight from Louisville headed to Chicago then headed to China. In one week my entire world will change. Everything that I am familiar with will stay here in Kentucky and I am entering new (adventurous) territory. I am excited but I am also nervous. I am slowing comprehending that I am leaving everyone behind and going to China by myself. I feel so unprepared, I'm only 23. Although age has nothing to do with it. I think I am prepared for this amazing adventure ahead of me, but I still feel unprepared because there are so many things I need to get done. But I know they will get done because God is in control. He is amazing and is leading me on this journey. I can't wait!!!