Overwhelmed.

The past few days have been rough. Migraines have been on and off for the last few days, and it is cutting in to my preparation time.

I am not realizing how little time I have left and how much I have left to do. Yikes!

I only have 4 days, 2 hours and 47 minutes....and all I want to do is either sit back and watch a movie or go to sleep.

Almost there!

So, I'm in the home stretch now! Both doses of dukoral have been taken, trips to the store to get last minute items to bring are starting. I'm also starting to wonder about eating, and getting snacks to take.

Tonight I am sorting through all myt  clothes, and deciding what I need to take - and also making sure I don't need anything else. Looking at what needs to be washed. It's all very exciting! :)

I still feel very calm, which is surprising to me. I am trying my best to go about my daily activities as though nothing is happening. I think if I changed my routine I would do nothing but think - and that would freak me out!

Anyone have any suggestions of things to bring that are typically forgotten?

Dukoral.

After months and months of anticipation wishing it wasn't this day, today finally came. Today was the day that I drink the first dose of my vaccine for Travels Diarrhea and Chlorea, I had plans to change my facebook status, or title a post as "EWWWWWW" or "Just drank the worst thing EVER." However, in actual reality, it wasn't awful. It wasn't good by any means, but it wasn't terrible. I did however had to wait an hour before eating cake. The cake was delicious, and made of quinoa. Yum.

 I will have to take my second dose next Wednesday. One thing that really bothers me is knowingly putting all these chemicals inside me body. Yikes.

In other ways or preparation, I also got a mosquito net today. Thankfully, I didn't have to buy one. Instead I am borrowing one from a family friend. Thank you family friend! We have also been doing some shopping so that I have everything I need for the trip. How am I going to fit it all? I don't know.

12 days, 23 hours, 28 minutes and 9 seconds. 

19 days, 1 hour, 31 minutes, and 9 seconds.

So, I am leaving in 19 days, 1 hour, 31 minutes and 9 seconds.. I found a count down clock on Google, and every day I go check to see how long I have, despite knowing the answer. I have been staring at this clock for the last couple of hours, watching the minutes and seconds tick by, waiting until day 18 arrives with anticipation.

There is a pounding in my chest, and the air is tight with anxiety. Yes, I am getting nervous. While the peace that I have been experiencing for the last few months is still there, it is now accompanied with a constant, minor, feeling of panic.

I wonder where this idea came from, and if I am crazy to travel across the world to a different continent, where I know absolutely no one, and barely anything of the lifestyle and culture.  Maybe I am crazy, but that my normal anyways.

I just cant believe that its almost here! The last few months have been nothing but preparation.

Vaccines? Check.
Travel Visa? Check.
Flights Booked? Check.
Accomidations once in country? Check.
Figuring out how to eat with multiple allergies while being in the airport for over 24 hours? ....

Of course, these aren't the only things that I have done in the last few months to prepare. I am now at a loss of what to do next, as I have never done this before and am not sure what I will require. I have a shopping list of things to do, and no time to accomplish it it seems.

Anyways, I have lost my train of thought now, (Isn't that just like me?) and as a result am going to conclude this post...

19 days, 1 hour, 18 minutes and 37 seconds.

Visa Application Sent!

So, things are moving along nicely. A couple of weeks ago I sent in my visa application, and am waiting to get it back. Pray that everything goes smoothly there. I have also created a big hole in my bank account by sending my funds to the NAB, so that I will have funds once I am in country.

As the day draws nearer I am finding myself unable to sleep due to anticipation. As of this morning I have 46 days before I will be heading to the airport!

For the most part I am filled with an unexplainable peace about leaving everything I have ever been familiar with. For me, this is huge. I am the kind of person that struggled to go on sleep overs until I was in my late teens. However when I put my mind to something I make it happen. At 19, God led me to move away and study acting. My parents thought I was crazy, and unready to move out on my own. Perhaps I was, but as time went on I learned to live on my own (it was actually a lot easier of an adjustment than I expected it to be- I was where I was supposed to be.).

Then, last June God told me it was time to move on from Rosebud. While I spent a lot of time contemplating what I should do, various signs led me away from Rosebud. God had placed missions in my heart, so as I always do when I am unsure of a choice, I asked God for a sign. (I have a couple of interesting experiences with this, ask me some time.) I have written this next part on here before, but I'm going to share it anyways. Back in January (2010) we were asked to write down what we thought God wanted us to work on over the next semester. I wrote "God is reminding me to listen to what he says and trust." At the time (and even when I wrote about this months ago,) this didn't seem relevant to where I was in life. As I folded it back up I realized that there were words on the back. Frustrated that what I had written had no relevance to my life I stuffed it into my purse and started to walk home. However, as I walked that nagging voice that I have come to know as the voice of God kept saying "read it!" So I did.. It was Genesis 12, the call of Abram...

"The Lord has said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you."

Okay God. I will go.

Seriously, only God could orchestrate that his sign would be on that paper months before thoughts of going to Cameroon had even entered my mind. Amazing.

I knew I needed to go to Africa, but I didn't know why (and to this day do not know why.) as I have been heavily burdened by orphans in Eastern Europe for the last few years. My heart breaks for these children, and yet - I am going to Cameroon. Why? I don't know. Will I ever know? Not sure. I certainly hope so.

Anyways, when I told my parents last July that I would be going to Africa (I held off for a while, because I wanted to be sure), I am once again certain that they thought I was crazy. Even into January, as I talked about my plans to go they would say "don't be so sure that you are going." I was sure. In late January I ordered and received a copy of my plane ticket. It was then that realization set it. I remember my Mom looking at me and saying "Well, I guess you're actually going."

Yes Mom, I am actually going. I hope she feels as much peace about it as I do.

Update!

In the business of life I have completely forgotten to update all my wonderful readers (mainly Jesus...only Jesus at this point.) about how my trip plans have been going! Well, a bunch of things have been moving along nicely.

First off, i have my host confirmed. I will be living with Elsie, she is the sister of one of my proffessors at RSA, and also a missionary that my church has supported for years. Amazing how God works isn't it?

Also, I have booked my flights. I depart on May 4th, and return June 3rd. One of my families main concerns with me going was my traveling alone. I have only traveled a little bit before, and never by myself. It's always been in big groups, as a result they feared for me. God has been at work there! It just so happens that there is a lady named Helga who is also traveling to Cameroon the same time I am. I have been able to arrange it so that my flights line up with hers. We will be meeting up in Toronto, as we live in different provinces. God is good!

Lastly, this last Monday I got all my vaccinations done. I had to get five in total, and my arms were sore the next day as a result. However they are much better now, and I can move and lift things to my hearts content. Which is good because we have a big sale at work in the next few days and my machoness will be a requirement.

Well, that's my update for now! I will try to keep you all posted.

It was so nice....

Recently I have rediscovered prayer, which I am once again realizing is such a powerful thing. Anyways, last night I was lying in bed praying, I asked God one point, to help me to do His will, to which he replied "You are."

Wow, that was amazing to hear.

Especially since when I was teenager I would always ask God what his will for me was, and when I would get a chance to do it, and he would always tell me that he would tell me when I was ready and to just wait. Guess that time has come. :)