Before I give you my latest update, I want to share how amazing God's provision has been. My financial support for the trip to India has exceeded my budget! I will be praying about what to do with these funds. It may be that God knows I will need more than I have budgeted for to cover my expenses. It may also be that I will feel led to bless people or ministries I will be working with. It may also be that this money can be used to cover some of my living expenses in January and February when I am not on the trip. If you have supported me financially and feel that you would like your contribution to be used for anything specifically, please get in touch.
Thank you so much for all your prayers, encouragement, and support, I am blown away!
And now on to the update....
I have been busy celebrating the holiday season with family and friends and of course preparing to leave for India. Preparation takes a number of different forms so I thought I'd give you a taste of what life looks like for me as I get ready to go overseas.
1. Tying up loose ends at home. This means sharing with others at the Life Harvest base what I do and how I do it. Today I just spent a little time walking the staff through the website I've been working on for the past few months. Loose ends also means cleaning up my room so that others can use it while I am away, and also so that it will be tidy to come home to. I also am sure to leave my finances in good shape and safe hands while I am away.
2. Connecting with people. Leaving relationships in good shape before leaving the country is something that is incredibly important to me. While working overseas a simple email from friends, family and church supporters can give me an extra boost when I'm feeling homesick or worn out. I have attended 5 different churches over the past few weeks and have received so much prayer, encouragement, and financial support and I can't wait to come back and tell them all about the trip. I've also been busy meeting with friends and family; updating them and getting updates.
3. Looking ahead. Travel always changes me and exhausts me so I am always sure to plan for some down time when I return. Time to begin to process everything that I've experienced and also to allow my body and mind some rest. This means that I will be spending some time on the family farm on my return before I return to ministry with Life Harvest Network. Looking ahead also involves evaluating possible next steps in ministry. My commitment with Life Harvest Network ends in March and there are many different options that I can explore after return so I have been spending time exploring possible options and figuring out how to be intentional about that decision on my return.
4. Preparing for a healthy trip. I usually spend a bit of time in the pharmacy before I leave picking up things that make life a little bit more comfortable in foreign countries. I always consult with doctors to figure out if I need any more vaccinations or any other preventative medications specific to the area I am travelling to. I try to get good sleep and eat healthy foods and get some exercise so that I am starting out at my best. Different foods as well as the demands of travel and ministry always take a toll so preparing for the worst and praying for the best is always part of my preparation routine.
5. Packing. One of my least favourite parts of travelling is trying to predict which comforts from home I will be yearning for. Right now I have a big pile of things that I continuously add to whenever I think, hmmm that might be handy in India! The tough part is taking that pile and figuring out which things will fit in my backpack (they don't ever all fit) and which ones I will be able to live without. The more I travel the easier this gets, but each country has a flavour of unpredictability that always makes purging the pack a challenge. On the bright side, I don't have to pack many clothes for this trip because I will be wearing local clothing so that saves a lot of decisions and room...on the downside I need to bring my own toilet paper. Figuring out how much toilet paper I will need for a month is a challenge unique to this trip for me!
6. Researching my destination. Since my first trip to Malaysia, when I did zero to no research before leaving, I have learned my lesson about learning as much as I can about the history and culture of the country I will be visiting. I have been watching movies (I highly recommend Ghandi and Water), reading guidebooks, looking online, and talking to friends who have travelled in the area. There are always a few surprises when you arrive somewhere, but things like appropriate clothing and being able to speak a few simple phrases always helps ease into a new environment.
7. Praying. This is probably the most crucial thing I do before trips, especially when there is ministry involved. Alone, with friends, at a church, in the airport....it's never enough. I also am very purposeful in making sure that I have people lifting up the trip in prayer before I go. With that said here are some prayer requests:
- unity within the team, and good relationships with our hosts
- health
- safety in travel
- wisdom in decision-making and how best to support students by staff
- being flexible in plans and open to God's leading
I will try to update this blog a few times while I am away, but I am unsure how much access I will have to the internet so the updates may be few and far between.
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