T-minus 2 days...

It is amazing how quickly time flies by.  It feels like it was just last week that I was leaving GR and still had 50 days to wait until embarking on the next leg of my Filipino journey.

Tonight as I write this I have made a packing list, checked it numerous times, packed my bags, and weighed them.  I am leaving town in 36 hours!

Two checked bags... heavy, but well underweight.
One carry on... contains clean clothes 😉
One personal item... things to do and eat!

The most amazing thing about this journey is how much peace and calm I have experienced around it.  Sure there have been a few fleeting moment of questioning.... What in the world have I gotten into?  Will this really work?  Am I really following the right path?... Every time it is just a moment or at most a few minutes and then I am calm again.  Even now, with just 36 hours to go I am just plugging away at daily life.

I think it has helped that I have had the task of working on my master's class and a week of vacation!  My class is going well and I really only have one major assignment to finish.  I am hopeful a large chunk of it will be completed tomorrow, but I have until December 19th so even with that I am fairly well relaxed.  Really I just have two write out 5 lesson plans... I've done hundreds of those by now 😉  The week of Thanksgiving my parents and I were able to take the time to drive to Colorado and stay with my brother and his family.  What an adventure that was with nine people living under the same roof for a week.

Grand baby number four was born in October so she isn't even 2 months old yet!

In these last hours I am extremely thankful for some last minute donations.  Due to the generosity of a few supporters in the past two weeks I am only about $250 short of what I was hoping to cover in support for this trip.  Just so you know, that means $700 in cash donations and possibly as much as an additional $1000 worth of supplies have been donated in support of The House of Hope Philippines and preparation for the English language program.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

I don't know if I ever shared this, but the donations filled two of the large shipping boxes. 😍  It can take from 2-3 months for the packages to arrive and considering their immense size and weight it is wonderful that they are delivered right to the Cajigas' door.  Jessica informed me that the first box reached them on November 30.  They were so grateful and overwhelmed at the blessings showered on them.  I am hopeful the second box will arrive the week of Christmas, but even if it doesn't, joy and excitement will be heard and seen when its contents are shared.

I am excited that the next time you hear from me I will be on the ground in the Philippines!  I appreciate your prayers and financial support in this endeavor and appreciate continued support.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

*Visa, I'm still a little nervous about this because I am cutting it close on the dates but I have been assured it shouldn't be a problem

*School, I am finishing one class as I travel to the Philippines and we have a holiday break, but I will have another starting just before I return

*Travel, I have a 17 hour layover in Tokyo and it makes me nervous I'll fall asleep and miss my flight

*Cajigas Family, they have a lot of projects going and could always use additional prayer!

*Melina, she is the outreach pastor I will be working with and we need to have clear communication

*Language Program, a large part of this trip is to work out what kind of program I will create

*Future Budget, a second major part of this trip is to work toward a comprehensive budget for myself and the future ministry

*Application, I have put the application on hold to get more answers from this visit, but it is an intense process which includes a letter of invitation, some essays, and mission references.  If this initial phase is accepted then interviews and training will follow sometime last winter or early spring.