Leaving tomorrow for MMIIAAMMII

After one week of being home back in California, you would have thought I would be fully packed, ready to go to MIAMI! 

Surprise, my room currently looks like a bomb exploded.  Clothes everywhere, boxes everywhere, trash everywhere, things I did not even know how they got into my room everywhere.  I was way too hopefull to think I would be fully packed the day before I left for two years - can you say, procrastination at its finest?

But, I have been out and about, seeing the people I absolutely love most, saying my goodbyes, and I have surprisingly not cried once.................... yet.  It is hard for me to wrap my brain around the concept that after tomorrow, the next time I see any of my friend from California will be in June 2012.  There is no feeling to describe how difficult it is to process that, however I am sure my fellow YAMs know exactly what I am talking about.  

This process of packing up and leaving is so incredibly difficult.  It is emotionally, physically, and mentally draining.... My dear Mother Father God has been protecting my spirituality on a new level, so that has not been quite as affected.  If anything, my spirituality is growing in this process, rather than being tested, and that to me is pretty awesome.

I did realize yesterday that today is the last real day I can talk to some of my fellow YAMs on a regular and easy basis before they go forth on their mission in other countries.  Text, skype, phone calls, emails, facebook... Will all now be 234576890765432 times harder to connect.  But thats OK, right?  Its a challenge that is necessary to get through, and once we have made it to the other side, we will be 100 times stronger in the friendship....  Yup, that is how it is going to happen.

I thank our Mother Father God each day that I have been blessed with this opportunity to go forth in my call to mission.  This door was opened for me, and I could not had resisted it.  As scared/anxious/nervous I am about moving, I am looking forward to my new job, my new home, my new friends, my new church, my new sense of faith, my first time seeing wild crazy alligators, my first time being in a wild crazy Florida hurricane.  Wwooaahh lots of new things and new experiences will be happening, how can I not be super excited?!

Pray for me as I make my way with my daddy across the country.  We are leaving tomorrow (exactly once week after being commissioned as a United Methodist missionary... Heck yes!), and it is going to be an extensive 4-5 day trip.  Also pray that I get my packing done :]

Love you all

Till next time,

Rachel

You know I LOVE my food

Hello hello hello.

Today we talked a lot about what it is going to be like when we finally get to our final placement site.  All I could think about is what I am going to be eating... or lack there of.  I have never had to provide my own food... now being thrown into a situation where I will be buying, managing, and consuming all of my own food is insane.  I thought I would be worried about my job, new location, new housing, being away from family and friends, not knowing anyone... You know anything usual that people would be nervous about.  But nope, food is my worry.  And I am ok with that.... I think.

Probably doesn't help that my parents have sent me MULTIPLE packages while I have been in NY (for only 3 weeks, mind you) full of goodies and bomb snacks.  I love them so much for it!!  And I love more that they have sent me is seaweed, snap pea crisps, Dutch waffle cookies... and my friends have been all over them.  I love it.

So if anyone wonders what to send me in packages while out in Miami, instant good food is always welcome.

Thats all for now. Till next time :]

<3 Rachel

Welp, here we go....

My first blog.... ever.  I have questioned on whether or not this is something that is necessary to do for myself and for others.  After pondering this question (being pressured by my fellow US2 and Mission Intern bloggers!), I caved and created my very own blog.

So bare with me (and I will surely bare with myself) when I either ramble too much, or get off topic a bit, or have not a whole lot of constructive things to say.... My hope is is that my blogging will significantly improv over the next few years.  No harm in trying it out, right?

Currently, I am in Stony Point, New York, and myself and 25 other Mission Interns and US-2s are training and preparing ourselves once we are off to our placements sites.  Training consists of long days, many sessions, fellowship, worship, and having the opportunity to make life-long friends.  Emotionally, physically, and spiritually preparing myself for the next 2 years doing mission work is much easier when I am surrounded by people who are going through the same experience.  The love and comfort that comes from this group of individuals is so unique and so precious, I never want to leave!

Being cooped up in a retreat center gets quite exhausting, but we are learning so much and will be leaving these next 3 weeks with more than I could ever imagine.  On August 18th, we will be commissioned as missionaries in the Methodist Church.  Super stoked <3 !!

Yup, that sounds good for now.  It is very difficult trying to put my thoughts in words... And for my first try, I do not think I did half bad.

Till next time :]

Love always,
Rachel