The Day is Fast Approaching

With somewhere around five or six weeks left before I leave on this crazy adventure, it is beginning to sink in just how long I will be away from dear old Tremont. Leaving a week after school gets out, and returning a week before school starts leaves me with only two real weeks of summer with which to cram as many friends and loved ones in as possible. My initial reaction was a little bit melancholy, realizing that I will truly miss being with my friends and family this summer doing lazy summer-y things. Yesterday, however, I was flipping through some of my pictures of Satu Mare (where Talissa and I lived last summer) and God reminded me how much I love Eastern Europe. Looking at pictures of the city, I wanted to be there, to smell the pervading odor of cigarette smoke, to hear people speaking and have no idea what they are saying, to navigate the cracked sidewalks and narrow streets. There is just something about E. Europe that I love. I don't understand it, and I can't explain it. I just love it.

And so far from the melancholy that I originally felt, I am looking forward to May 21st with the utmost anticipation and excitement. I have already begun digging through my closet to get an idea of what I need to pack, though I suppose it really is a little early for that. Pretty soon I'll drag my luggage up from the basement and it will sit in my room for at least a couple of weeks, begging to be filled. Oh! And I did recently discover that summers in Slovakia are not as warm as I had anticipated. I am adding mittens and a parka to my packing list accordingly.

Thank you all again for your incredible support. It is such a blessing to know that there are fellow believers behind me in this. Please pray that in the weeks to come God will prepare me for his service overseas. He knows just what I need to learn and where I need to grow, and I trust him to take me there.