Just Keeps Getting Better

This is silly, but I have always wanted to arrive at an airport and find someone waiting for me with a sign that has my name on it. You know, like you see in the movies. Well, when I entered my flight itinerary in my Projects Abroad webpage, I got a message that said to look for someone with a laminated Projects Abroad sign at the airport. It's not my name, but it's the same idea... what fun!

It's the simple things. :)

Come Fly With Me

If you know me very well, you know that I love old music. We're talking 4o's big band, Frank, Ella, Louis, Rosemary, record playing music. You also might know that I think in song lyrics, so it may not be a surprise that as I think about the fact that I finally have ordered my plane tickets, songs like Come Fly With Me and Fly Me To The Moon are going through my head. Did you catch the important part there? Yes! I have plane tickets! That means I have a departure and return date. I will be leaving Thursday, June 17th and will return Friday, July 23rd.

This will be five weeks all together: four weeks volunteering in Brasov and 1 week to travel. To say that my travel plans are not firmly set yet would imply that I have some plans. This is not true. Right now I don't have specific plans, but have the travel time built into my schedule, and I am excited about the endless possibilities! But let me backtrack first and expand on the flight scheduling process.

Projects Abroad arranges flights for their volunteers if desired. I chose to let them do the scheduling, but when they sent me the itinerary with the cost, I thought the price was really high. So I started looking around for myself on the internet and decided to book the tickets myself and was able to save close to $400. Booking my own international flight was new to me, and was actually a little stressful since I didn't know what airline to choose or what price to expect. But this whole process has been one of faith and trust. The Lord has always been so faithful in His provision for me.

In the last couple of days I have been dwelling on 2 Timothy 3:16-

All Scripture is breathed out by God

and profitable

for teaching,

for reproof,

for correction,

and for training in righteousness,

that the man of God may be competent,

equipped for every good work.

Oh, how I long to be competent! I need to know Scripture. To learn it. To memorize it. To write it on my heart. So that I may be ready to give a reason for the hope that I have. (1 Peter 3:15)

I told someone the other day that even though I am not going with a Christian organization I am still going in the name of Jesus. He is my everything, including my motivation. But I'm afraid that I have been neglecting my "here and now" while planning for my trip. The verses from above offer insight for being equipped. I certainly want to be equipped for the summer, but what about right now? Why am I waiting for the summer? I am in contact with people everyday who need Jesus: my friends (Christian and non), my family, my coworkers, my roommates, acquaintances, strangers... everyone needs Christ. My love for these people is genuine and spills over from the love I have received from God, but my courage fails me time and time again as I say nothing about my Savior.

This is why I long to be competent. So that at the appropriate time I will be equipped to be the messenger of God. Oh yeah, that's my favorite part! There is a footnote on the "man of God" phrase that adds the translation "messenger of God." It's mind boggling that even though I fail so many times, He still allows me to be part of His plans- here and now, there and then. Send Your message through me! Let me be Your little pencil!

Overwhelmed

My friend, Liz, is really bad at keeping secrets. Not important secrets, but secrets that are exciting. For example, when I was in her wedding she could not wait to just give me my bridesmaid gift, but showed me online what she had ordered because she was so excited about it, and even showed it to me once it got to her. It's not a bad thing, just funny. So the other day when she said to me, "You will be getting a present in the mail soon," my immediate response was, "Don't tell me what it is!" And she did very well, and kept the secret.

It took a while for the package to arrive, so when I walked in and saw it a couple of days ago I was not expecting it. It was a rather skinny box that had a brand name on it followed by the tagline, "Pimsleur means language." What? I opened it to find a Romanian language course! I could not believe it! It was such a surprise. And after getting over the initial shock of opening the gift I was overwhelmed by the generosity and selflessness with which is was given. I do not think I have ever received such an extravagant gift. (These things are not inexpensive.) I am humbled by what this gift means. I knew that Liz believes in me and supports what I am doing without her getting me a present, but this just shows it. It reminds me how much Christ loves us and that He demonstrates that love for us in so many ways, not the least of which was dying to take our sins and conquering death on our behalf.

As the trip gets closer I am also starting to get overwhelmed by the details. Well, really the lack of what I know about the details. I am a planner by nature and having so many unknowns is usually not my style. Part of me loves the adventure aspect of it, but there is also a part that is getting nervous. Nerves are not all bad, but I do not want to let worries take away from what the Lord is doing. He tells us to "not be anxious about anything," (Philippians 4:6-7) and explains how He takes care of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, then asks "Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:25-34)

As worrisome thoughts come I am reminded to "take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5) and am reassured by His grace and love. I ask for your continued prayers as I continue on this journey. I am still so excited and want so badly to deliver His love letter.

Lullaby

For two summers while I was in college I worked for Pine Cove Christian Camps at a family camp near Houston and went by the name Sunmaid. I loved it! I worked in "Creek Kids," which is the four and under age group. One of my favorite things about this age group was that I was able to rock the children to sleep while singing to and praying over them. One of the things I am most looking forward to this summer is being able to do that again.

I am compiling a list of songs to have ready for my trip. I will be writing the lyrics in a book to take with me and would love help with suggestions of some of your favorites. I will put your name in the book with the song and will in this small way have you with me while I am gone. Some of my songs are hymns, some are choral pieces, and some are simply lullabies. Please leave a comment to add your suggestions to the list and begin to pray with me for these sweet times with the children I will get to meet this summer.

Old Rugged Cross

Jesus Paid It All

I Surrender All

I Love You Lord

Come Unto Me

Ode To Joy

Revelation Song

Love Never Fails

Shenandoah

Stay Awake

Kitty Alone

May All Children

Raisins and Almonds

When I Survey

Lead Me To The Cross

Captivate Us

It Is Well

Edleweiss

Amazing Grace

Hymn (Brooke Fraser)

Something About That Name

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Ok, that's a lot! But I know I've missed some, and I'd love to hear what you recommend.

Romania Calling

Things I did today:

1. Slept late and didn't go to work- I took the day off.

2. Received a call from Romania while painting my toenails- Alex, my contact from Projects Abroad called this morning! He just wanted to talk to me since we had not talked before and asked if I had any questions for him. I didn't have anything too specific, so I don't have anything to report, it was just really exciting hearing from Romania!!

3. Opening Day- I got to go to the opening day game for the Texas Rangers!!!! I am not a bandwagon fan. Someday they will win it all, and I will have been a fan my whole life. Oh, and the short old man standing next to me kept hugging me and wants to take me to another game. And then there was the guy who asked me my name and followed that question up with, "Can I call you?" You know, just a normal day. (What?!)

4. Dinner with the Emorys- This sweet family let me go over and spend some time with them, and eat dinner. They are so fun!

All in all, I would say it was a great day. :)

Look Mom, No Worms!

The lab results came back and I have a clean bill of health. So, I sent in my background and medical checks today!

And this is free, in light of Easter tomorrow:

Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe,

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.

Oh, praise the One who paid my debt,

And raised this life up from the dead.

Onion Breath

I think this will be my last flashback to spring break. As a teacher, you have to use days off to schedule appointments that normal people would make on any given day. So, I went to the doctor. Now, I did not have a doctor yet in my area, and was a little nervous about randomly picking one that was on my insurance, but what can you do?

I needed a medical check for Romania- again, in order to work with young children- and had to get a couple of tests run for them as well. I was taken to a room and went through the inevitable wait for the doctor. When she finally came in, she was carrying a laptop and the first thing she said to me was, "We may have a problem today. Someone brought Mexican take out for us today and mine had onions in it, so I have onion breath. I'll try not to get to close." I liked her immediately. And she only got better from there.

We talked a bit about my going to Romania and what I would be doing there. I told her the tests that were required, one of which was to test for parasites. She looked over the list of parasites and assured me that I would probably know if I had any of them. "For example," she said, "if you had this one, you would be pooping your brains out." She said it so casually and matter-of-factly that the inner second grader got the best of me and I giggled a little. (Sorry if that's crude!)

She then proceeded to pull up the CDC website on her laptop and go through all the information about Romania. She was so thorough! She told me which shots to make sure I had, suggested medicines to take with me just in case, and even recommended insect repellant wipes because some people that she knew had trouble with bugs in Romania. I was praising the Lord even before I left her office for sending me to this doctor! She took so much time and care to help prepare me for the health aspect of my travel, which in all honesty is probably something that I would not have given much thought to. This was just another reminder that God provides for all of the needs of His children.