T-minus 16 hours

I'm finally starting to get nervous! I'm 2/3 of the way packed, and am just attempting to fit everything into my 2 suitcases now. my camera is all charged, my iPod's ready to go, my bug spray and malaria pills and sun screen are all in ziplock bags and in my suitcase. I'm proud of myself for packing so light.

Mel Rec packed me on Wednesday and did some of my laundry and brought up my suitcases, so I owe her a big thanks, because if she hadn't done all that, I still wouldn't have anything packed.

It was sad saying good bye to everyone this week, but I am definitely ready to get out of West Chester. The ladies at the Spanish Health ministry sent me off with the promise that I'd have to come back and give a presentation, in Spanish, on my time in Honduras. I made my last latte at the Starbucks on Tuesday and I think I'm most excited to have 2 months off from Starbucks. Richard is already getting used to driving my car. Thanks to some of my church friends who cooked amazing seafood and made me lose at Scene It last night.

I'm hoping that my nerves will calm down when I land in SPS tomorrow afternoon and see Ana waiting for me. I'm just ready for an amazing summer. The next time you guys hear from me, I will be in Honduras!!! Now the "good" blogs can start.

Action Items: pray for safe flights and driving to La Entrada

What I'm missing: July 1st: Bethany Jones' 22nd birthday, and the wedding of my cousin Matt to Michelle, who is a great addition to the Lukens' clan. (I saw Mike's video, and it's great. you guys will love it.)

commissioning

Becca and I were commissioned tonight at Westminster before we go abroad. Me... just for 7 weeks, but Becca... for 2 years!! oh my. We talked about how God led us to this point in our lives, what we're going to be doing in Honduras/Gambia, and how everyone can be praying for us. I explained how Honduras is miles away from my comfort zone (literally and figuratively), but that I felt God was leading me there to grow deeper in my relationship with him, and also to figure out more about myself. To do some soul searching while I'm not hanging out with kids in Honduras. I'm hoping that I'll get significant time to do just that. Sit in the mountains among all the beautiful green plants and just enjoy God's creation and God's presence. It's something that I definitely don't do enough of in West Chester. I'm too comfortable here in my day-to-day living of latte-making and spending time with friends and reading novels. I need to step outside of all of that and enjoy God more for who he is.

The last time I did that was LaVida back in the summer of 2002, and it was the most amazing experience of my life... where we got to spend 72 hours by ourselves with nothing to read but the Bible and no flashlight at night. Definitely difficult, but my relationship with the Lord grew so much that summer. I'm excited to do that again.

Back to tonight... we were annointed with oil, and then the elders and Tony, Katie, and Jon laid their hands on us and prayed for us... so of course I linked arms with becca. We surprised ourselves by not crying. I thought I'd be emotional tonight, and sad, because I had to say good bye to everyone. But, I'm not feeling nervous or sad. just pure excitement... that will turn to nerves around Friday afternoon.

Ana e-mailed me tonight and told me that she'd pick me up at the airport on Saturday and we'll be headed directly to the Rancho Vida camp in La Entrada. Mary Catherine told me how to work the pay phones at the airport just in case she's not there : )

Action Items: pray for others like Becca and me who feel called by God to step out of our comfort zones and be changed. I am thankful for those who have done this before and can be of encouragement to both of us. Praise God for the body of believers that uphold and strengthen one another. drawing from the lectionary and Tony's sermon tonight, it is so good when brothers and sisters live together in unity. psalm 133.


happy birthday, dad. we'll just say you're turning 45 again.

one week

I am so excited to leave in a week! I'm not nervous yet, but give it time, I am sure that when Friday rolls around I wont be able to eat because I'll be so nervous.

I spoke with Ana on Wednesday, and told her my flight info. She told me that Karen and Cesia (their daughters) will both be in Honduras for the summer, but Jose and Juan (their sons) will be in the states. I'm excited to have Karen and Cesia to hang out with for my whole trip.

Apparently a group of college students will be at the JPC camp in La Entrada from June 28th to July 12th on a Project Serve mission trip (with Youth for Christ). So, I'll probably be at Rancho Vida hanging out with the college kids for the first 2 weeks of my trip, which will be fun. It's not as if I'm all that removed from college myself. Their presence might make my transition even easier. I'm just trying to not get excited about anything, because the plans could change, and I want to be as flexible as possible while I'm down there. I don't want to be stoic, but I don't want to be upset if I have to be in San Pedro Sula while the college kids are in La Entrada.

I had to say good-bye to all my friends at the Spanish Health Ministry yesterday where I volunteer. They sent me off with some great books, one of which is in Spanish, so I have to brush up on my language skills! We set a date at the end of August where I can come back and tell them about my trip. Looking back, I'm really glad that I was able to volunteer there for the entire year. They are such a great group of ladies doing wonderful things for the Latino population of Southern Chester County.

I'm going to start packing this weekend... as soon as I find my suitcases and clean my room. My packing list is really thorough, so I don't think I'll forget anything. I'm going to try and not be the white girl who comes to Honduras for the summer with a million pounds of stuff. If Becca can get away with 80 pounds of stuff for 2 years, certainly I can do the same for 7 weeks.

Becca and I get commissioned on Sunday at 7pm at WPC for Honduras/Peace Corps. Please come if you're able. I'll probably cry, because I'll have to say good bye to all my church friends that night, too. But, maybe I'll surprise myself and hold it together.

And, if I don't get to see you before I leave, please don't take it personally, but I have to do a lot before I go with the APNC committee and get together these ESL lessons in case I have to use them when I'm down there. Plus pack and spend time with Richard, who I wont see until CHRISTMAS. that's a long time to not see my little bro!


Action Items: pray for me and my nerves, because I'm really nervous that something will happen and the Erazos wont be at the airport next Saturday at 2pm. I don't really know what I'd do if that happened. Pray for my overall trip, because I'm getting really excited.

Medicines? ... check

I went to CVS yesterday and got my Malaria pills and my Cipro (the most amazing anti-poopy medicine ever), and a 3 month supply of my regular meds for... yeah, you know.

It's a small step, but for some reason it made it even more real that i'll be leaving in 20 days. As soon as Aunt Kathy and Uncle Lee leave and I bring up my 2 suitcases from the basement and start packing.... then it'll seem even more real than right now. Even as I was talking to Jen at Starbucks tonight, I was like "oh yeah, i don't leave for 3 more weeks." Do I have any idea at how quickly those weeks will probably fly by?

But, at the same time, my good friend Becca is going into the Peace Corps for 2 1/2 years on July 3rd. I know her trip is a lot longer than mine, and therefore she should be getting infinitely more excited and nervous about her trip. But I know that mine is just the right amount of time for me. Enough time for me to get homesick for PA and my friends (and the family, too), but then enough time for me to sort through that. I definitely feel like I want to prove that I can go abroad on my own for 2 months. I don't even know to whom I need to prove myself.... maybe it's just me. I feel like Gordon was a flop, so I have to try again to show everyone that "yes, Randall can get out of West Chester. I can be independent and live on my own and am capable of handling new situations adequately."

I know Honduras will take getting used to... no more random summer BBQs and late night hot tubbing with a bottle of wine like the 5 of us did on Friday night. No more Starbucks or Wednesday night Bible Studies with my beautiful ladies. No more lounging around at my pool. etc. etc. etc. But, I am SO ready to get out of the often superficial life that I lead up here, and to grow in my relationship with the Lord, and to realize that I can be independent and that God is everything that I need.

On a more realistic note, Mark (who spent 6 weeks in Honduras by himself last summer) did "reassure" me that I'll probably get homesick, and that he called home a few times feeling super homesick (mark- don't hate me for talking about you on my blog). But, he gave me good advice abotu my trip and I'm sure I'll definitely be calling him in the days before I leave freaking out.

I realize that weeks 3 and 4 will probably be the hardest for me. Weeks 1 and 2 will probably be all fun and games, especially because my previous trips to Honduras were always 9 days and seemed to fly by. Weeks 3 and 4 will be when I'm into the routine and not really see an end in sight. My church is coming down for week 6, so I'll be anticipating their arrival for the few days before they come. Then, when they leave, I only have 5 more days by myself, and I'll probably wish that my trip wasn't coming to an end so quickly. Oh, how simple life seems in a blog. God is probably laughing at me right now saying, "oh sara... if you only knew how much i'm going to change you this summer!"

I'm ready.

Action Items: Pray for Becca and her family (especially her mom and dad!) as she gets ready to go to Africa, and pray for a productive yet relaxing last 3 weeks at home here in West Chester before the summer of my life.

less than a month!

a month from now I'll be settled down in San Pedro Sula.


oh. my. gosh.


i'm getting excited.

Action Items: there are some things I need to take care of up in PA before I go down to Honduras. Pray that I'll get everything accomplished!