Yes. I'm still in shock. I can't believe it. It's what I've been waiting for for months now. It's what I've been working towards. They were the words I've been wanting to hear. I'm at 100%. I can go.

There's this overwhelming overflow of emotions.

Excitement. Fear. Anticipation. Eagerness. Worry. Exhaustion. Worry. Confusion. Uncertainty.

God, keep me focused on YOU.

There is much I need/want to do before I can actually go. Heaviest on my heart is seeing my mom feeling better before I leave. She's not been well and is to see someone tomorrow. Pray for her, please!

I'm in Central PA for the rest of the week. I've been enjoying my time out here...

Today I drove out to Elizabethtown where I got to have lunch and visit with a very special friend. When I was a part of the youth group in high school we had a "Prayer Aunt/Uncle" program. They matched us young folk with older members in the church congregation who prayed for us. Mrs. Bauer was my Prayer Aunt since probably my junior year in high school (1993!). She has been faithfully praying for my since and has been such a sweet encouragement!


We had lunch in the BEAUTIFUL dining hall (tall ceilings, wood floors and ceilings, stained glass everywhere), took a tour of the residential campus where she lives and had a great visit. She also bought me two chocolate-filled Easter eggs (coconut and peanut butter!) I already ate the coconut one... it was YUUUUMMY!!!!



After leaving Elizabethtown I drove to Grantham, PA to visit with my sister at Messiah College.



I'm staying with her in her dorm... fun!


Having fun tagging along with her, eating her guest meals at the dining hall. In general, you know just being the annoying big sis :)

...because I have a tendency to forget...
...because I have a tendency to focus on other things...

I desire that God would keep impressing on my heart the reason why I am doing this.

It is for worship of Him. That in my life, through my life I’d worship Him. It is that through my worship, others may come to worship Him. It is because He is worthy of worship.
I appreciate the writings of John Piper. His book, Let the Nations be Glad helps me to remember.

“Missions exists because worship doesn’t….The infinite, all-glorious Creator of the universe, by whom and for whom all things exist – who holds every person’s life in being at every moment (Acts 17:25) – is disregarded, disbelieved, disobeyed and dishonored among the peoples of the world. That is the ultimate reason for missions."

"The opposite of this disrespect is worship. Worship is not gathering. It is not essentially a song service or sitting under preaching. Worship is not essentially any form of outward act. Worship is essentially an inner stirring of the heart to treasure God above all the treasures of the world –

• a valuing of God above all else that is valuable
• a loving of God above all else that is lovely
• a savoring of God above all else that is sweet
• an admiring of God above all else that is admirable
• a fearing of God above all else that is fearful
• a respecting of God above all else that is respectable
• a prizing of God above all else that is precious."

"In other words, worship is right affections in the heart towards God, rooted in right thoughts in the head about God, becoming visible in right actions of the body reflecting God."

"The first and ultimate goal of missions is that this worship happens among all the nations of the world – that God’s glory and greatness find a fitting reflection among the peoples." (p. 206-207)