And I'm Off!

Tomorrow, our Junior and Senior class will be on our way to Boston. We're meeting at the church at 8 am (so that we can be gone before people arrive for church) and heading on our fairly long road trip. I just read our sleeping arrangements, and it made me realize just how selfish I really am. What did I really want in Boston as far as lodging: I wanted to be with a family, someone in the King of Grace church that I could get to know better and really experience godly fellowship with. And my other hope was to be with just a few CDS girls so I could get to know them better personally. And so that shower time in the morning would be better and not so rushed! These are good reasons, I can honestly say (and I don't say this in a self-righteous way, but God has truly made my heart right for these two hopes) that I didn't feel I was being selfish with these hopes (except for the shower thing. Those who know me well know I have major shower issues)

However, when I saw the list, we are staying in a house with no host (they are graciously allowing us to stay in their home while they are away) and there will be TEN of us females (8 girls 2 chaperones) in that house. I don't know how many bathrooms they have, but I am already worrying about the shower issue.

Here I am, going on my first mission trip ever. I have been waiting my whole life for the opportunity to serve, evangelize, and hopefully lead people to Christ, and I am worrying that my shower may be cut short and that I won't meet a new family. Thankfully the Lord did an instant work in me, and I am excited for the opportunity to hopefully get to know these 8 girls better. As for the shower, hopefully some girls will shower the night before, and I can just get up earlier than the rest of the gang in the morning, something I don't mind. I think most teens like sleep more than showers, but not me. I'll cut my sleep short in order to feel clean!

Please pray for me and all of us who are going. We need boldness to proclaim God's wonderful gospel, we need unity in the group, we need strength to endure the hardships (for me personally, I am worried about headaches from the heat), and we'd like to all get up there without any car troubles or getting lost. Please pray that I will continue being okay with and excited about these sleeping arrangements. I think we can have some fun evenings playing games and fellowshipping. I am so excited, hopefully I can sleep tonight! Now, off to pack and make a list of what I need to take. I am not, by nature, a procrastinator, but when in comes to going away, in recent years I've purposely waited until the last minute to pack. It helps occupy me when my mind is so awake with excitement. So, I make lists (usually sooner than this, but Russia has been stealing all my time!) and "mentally" pack, but the physical part comes late the night before and hasn't ever really been an issue. That's just me, and it works!