There's no place like home for the holidays!!

It has been so great being home this last week. I really needed it! The last week or two in Chicago was really good but hard at the same time. So many goodbyes, it was overwhelming but I am so encouraged by all the people that care about me! I couldn't step out in faith like this without all of you!! I packed up my room at my condo so that a couple from my church can move in while I'm gone. I was able to purge a bunch of stuff but was a little busy for a while. Coming home to TC for Christmas hit at just the right time. I was able to rest and relax and enjoy my family. I think I needed the time to regroup and focus on what is ahead for me. Tomorrow I leave for the long journey to Perth! I have a big suitcase and a backpack that holds all my stuff for the next six months. I can't believe it's here. I am excited and nervous, full of anticipation and yet a bit scared. I have definitely been through the gamut of emotions! Please pray for me as I travel. I am excited to go and really like to travel but this trip is really long and seems a bit daunting at the moment! Thanks for all your prayers that got me to this point!! I am going to be in the plane for the changing of the new year and will actually skip new years day altogether. I will be thinking of all of you and wish you all the happiest of new years! I am so looking forward to all God will do in 2010!!!

Fund Raising

Thanks so much to everyone who gave to me financially so that I can go to Australia and then Mexico City starting in a couple weeks. God has truly provided. I never doubted that God would provide because I believe He has called me but I am amazed at how fast it came in! It is such a blessing to have one more confirmation that this is where God would have me go at this time. As of today, I have all but $750 of the money I need. Thanks everyone for your gifts and your prayers!!

Thanksgiving and Colorado!

I had such a busy couple of weeks. I was able to go home to Traverse City for Thanksgiving which is always such a blessing. (see picture of my Dad with the Thanksgiving day Turkey!) I had a blast just hanging out with my family, eating good food, playing great games (world domination by me in Risk!!) and early morning shopping!! It was so nice being home but felt super short! The day after Thanksgiving I drove back to Chicago and then got in a car with Lauren and Bree from Camp Manitoqua to go to the CCCA National Conference in Colorado Springs, CO! We drove through the night to Keystone where we met up with my boss Nathan and family. We were blessed to get complimentary night skiing lift tickets so I was able to ski in Colorado for the first time in my life...what an awesome experience!! The runs are so long, it was great! (We then went to Colorado Springs for the conference. It was a great conference and I enjoyed all of the workshops I attended and the speakers I heard. We even had a chance to go and see the Garden of the Gods see picture, from top: Nathan, Bree, Me, Lauren). Colorado is so beautiful. I felt so blessed to be able to spend this time with Nathan, Bree and Lauren too! They, with me, have made up the program team at Camp Manitoqua for the last 2+ years. I will miss working with them very much and have loved being on such a fun team. Camp has been a great experience in general for me. I know that God will continue to use all the things I've learned there in whatever I have coming up.

As of now, I'm starting pack mode and saying a lot of goodbyes...