The time is near

I'm starting to get very nervous about getting everything done. I want to see like 100 people and spend one more fun time with each of them before I leave, but my to-do list is a mile long. But I've been here before. Going off to college and then graduating from college were both so difficult for me. Leaving is always the hardest part. And it's never the places, it's always the people that I hate to leave behind.

I had such a nice time last night playing Spades with my aunts Carol and Laura and my grandma. We laughed and joked and ate candy corn and peanuts mixed together. It's times like that where I just thank God for the wonderful family he has given me. I wish many of them lived in Wisconsin instead of Colorado and Georgia.. you know who you are... because I just love spending time with them!

Yesterday morning I gave the chapel message at my old elementary school! The kindergarteners through fifth graders were there, and I realized it's been 17 years since I was in kindergarten. woah. I told them all about how some children in the world don't have food or clothes, and don't have parents to protect them from bad people in the world. I told them how the Abraham Project in Costa Rica helps children by feeding them, clothing them, educating them, sheltering them, and teaching them about Jesus. I had a slide show of pictures to show them how scrap wood donated to the project is used to make beautiful buildings for the children. The kids seemed to really like it and there were tons of hands up for questions at the end!

After I was done speaking, the principal (my 8th grade algebra teacher) went up and told the kids how my brother Mark had gone on one of the mission trips with me, and how my mom was currently in South Dakota for her 10th time chaparoning the annual 8th grade trip there. He stated that Mark and I had learned to serve others from our mom's example. It's completely true. My mom has always been a fantastic example of service in my life. Whenever I run into people at church, they always tell me "your mom has such a good heart." It's a consensus among her peers and I see it so clearly in her. I always think of Proberbs 31:10-31, "the wife of noble character." Check it out.

Many of my elementary school teachers are still teaching and they all came up to hug me and tell me that they're so proud of what I'm doing. I never thought of what I'm doing as extraordinary or realized what a fantastic part of God's plan for my life this year will be until they made me see it. The whole experience put things into perspective for me. I'm going to be an international missionary. God is going to use me in ways I can't comprehend and He's going to show and teach me amazing things this year. Praise God!

That's all I can think of to write for now. My next post may be my first from Costa Rica!