Final Hours....

Thank you to all of you who responded to me! It's been fun hearing who all reads this blog.

So it's now November 2nd already and the time for my flight out is less than 12 hours away. In many ways, I feel sad to leave the friends I've made here and the work I've been doing but I am ready. God knows that I plan 6 months ahead of time to be spontaneous (most of the time, anyway!) so big changes don't go over so well with me unless they're brought on gradually. However, God in His wisdom knows exactly how He has made me and prepares me in so many small ways for what He's bringing next. He starts working long before I ever have the haziest glimpse of what's intended, setting little things in my path or bringing me into contact with certain people for reasons known only to Him. And that's okay. I know that He'll show me the whole picture when He's ready.

In the same way He prepared me to come, He's prepared me to leave. Alas, my heart is not for Africa, though I have enjoyed my adventures here. God has another place for me. This has been a little frustrating to try to communicate to my African friends, however! One told me that I needed to fast and pray for three days so that I would know God wanted me to stay here! Another told me that she did not believe that God would take me away from Africa (...and her brother!!!LOL!) and that she is praying God will give me a different answer! I told her, "By all means! Pray!" God is just as capable of making His will known to her as He has to me. I keep an open mind...I would not say "never" with Africa but for now, God has definitely not placed it in my heart. So what next?

Honestly....I have no idea! That's a fun place to start, huh? I have tentatively made some plans to return to picking up a few hours here and there for the home healthcare agency I work for--picking up "as needed" or PRN hours for different families. My sister has graciously had my apartment and bills while I've been playing sailor so I will head back home to that. I will probably start looking for a "real" job after Christmas. Also, several of my friends from Mercy Ships and I will be attending a large medical missions conference in Louisville, Kentucky about 1-1/2 weeks after I get home--we'll rent a cabin at a campsite together and just get to hang out, be girls, go to the conference, and have fun! I'm looking forward to that! After that comes American Thanksgiving then Christmas activities start. I don't think I'll be too bored!!! All that said, my plans are very tentative only because I need to be thinking ahead a little but God has not yet told me what He's got in mind. I know it will be different in some way from what I was doing before but that's about as much as I know! So for now...my plans are to get on a plane headed for Paris and then Atlanta and then Pittsburgh and VERY cold temperatures!!!

We decided that hot weather is not so oppressive if you don't know the exact temperature. This past week has started to get very, very hot--a dry hot but still very, very hot! (A "dry hot"--as in, low humidity though you can still just about wring out your clothes after a few hours outside!) But without a thermometer to glance at all the time, you really have no idea how warm it truly is; therefore, your mind can't keep reminding you how hot you ought to be! That said, I'm hoping that NOT knowing the temperatures back home will prevent me from feeling so cold, though I do know that there have been rumors of snow! I'll have to let you know if that theory works or not! ...You never know, I may have everybody throwing away their thermometers before you know it! But I can't really claim full credit for such a theory--my sister-in-law has a similar theory for clocks and how late you get to sleep...you know, feels like longer if you don't see what time the clock says before you finally get around to going to sleep! I agree. Sometimes ignorance IS bliss!

Well, I have some more work and packing to do and a few more good-byes to say before I leave! I will talk to you next from Stateside and let you know what kind of adventures I had in my travels. Airport, airplanes, and I generally make for a very interesting combination!