Plans and Prayer Requests

I still can't believe it, but as of last Saturday, I am no longer a college student.  I graduated from Azusa Pacific University on Saturday, May 7th.  

 College was such a sweet, sweet season in my life, but now I am off to new adventures. 

Life takes off real fast from here on out.  In 4 days, I will start my journey to Ukraine!  I will meet up with my beautiful and quirky team on Friday night as we prepare for our big adventure.

We leave for the airport at 2am on Saturday (EARLY!).  I have been looking forward to this trip since October, and it's finally here.  I cannot wait to live life with these orphans and my team.  There are no weak links on the Ukraine Train and I have to admit that I'm a bit obsessed with them.  It was true love from the start and I am SO excited to see how God will work within this team of 10 crazies.  I pray that we will remain united and that our love for one another will transcend and overflow to the children, workers, and natives of Ukraine.  Choo Choo!

And then...the big move.  Mississippi.  I know that I usually live a pretty busy life and take on more than I should, but this is a bit extreme, even for me.  I land in the LAX airport at 1:40pm on June 8th to leave on another flight headed to Mississippi at 4:20.  I will arrive at Delta State University at about 3am, try to sleep for a few hours, and then partake in interviews all day in hopes of being hired by the perfect school.  I know that it's crazy, but it's not impossible.  I serve a God who is much bigger than delayed flights, emotional breakdowns, culture shock, and jet lag.  (But I would really appreciate prayers...especially for no delayed flights on June 8th!)  One of the things I'm most excited about with this move is the fact that I'm not doing it alone.  By the powerful grace of God, 3 of my friends from APU have also been accepted to Teach for America in the Mississippi Delta.

                                                    Rachel and Becca

                                                           Micah
It is incredible that the 4 of us get to journey together.  Please pray that we will be placed in schools that are close enough so that we are not separated.  The Mississippi Delta region is quite large, and we could possibly be placed 4 hours away from each other.  I love this group, and I am going to need them over these next 2 years. 

So now, I will stop procrastinating and continue to pack.  It is quite the overwhelming task because I'm packing for 2 very different adventures at the same time.  But I'm hopeful.  And if I work hard today, then I can play with my best friends tonight and maybe go karaoke-ing :)

Hoping to be productive,
Em