Leaving on a Jet Plane

Got my tickets!!!

Here's my itinerary:
Friday @ 4:45 pm (Cali) - leave LAX
Saturday @ 7:40 pm (Dubai) - arrive in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

spend the night, go shopping, take millions of pictures!

Sunday @ 8:25 am (Dubai) - leave Dubai
Sunday @ 2:45 pm (Uganda) - arrive in Entebbe, Uganda

meet up with Lisa, my WGM contact, and drive to Kampala, Uganda


I still need to pack everything into the suitcases, but thankfully I've already organized it. Now let's just hope that it meets the 50 lb. weight requirement!!!

I think I have everything I'll need, but let me know if there's something that I'm bound to forget!! And let's start the countdown... t-minus 27 hours...

A big thank you!

I have felt so incredibly blessed this past week, with the amazing gifts and support that I've received to help me out with my trip to Uganda, and also in the heart-felt notes and letters that have come my way. If you're reading my blog, it means you are absolutely one of the many friends and family members that have really come alongside me and blessed me so tremendously. Just wanted to say a quick thank-you, and to let you all know how God is working through you!!

~

It was GREAT to see so many of you yesterday, for my going-away party. A big thanks to Kell, Mom, and Case for helping get the food ready ahead of time and to G&G Barker for all the help getting the house ready! It was a whirlwind kind of day, but I was so happy to see everyone and to eat all the yummy food :)

~

movies lately...

Hmmm... nope, this isn't a post about any more Uganda news, it's time for film critiques of the week :) I seem to have seen a LOT of new movies these few weeks being home in Simi, so here they are:

• Sense & Sensibility (few weeks ago, with Meg, just us girls) - ALWAYS a classic. Love it.

• Bourne Ultimatum (1:00-3:00 some random night... just me) - so good. I forgot how dizzy I got with all of the chase scenes. I love those action-thriller-escape-government cover-up movies! Solid.

• Count of Monte Cristo (also with Meg, just us & the puppy) - Jim Caviziel is such a stud. Meg pointed out that it was written by Shakespeare... I had forgotten that.

• Transformers 2 (with Danielle, bored one night in Simi) - REALLY good action scenes. the girls need to wear more clothes - goodness?! Again, dizzy from action scenes. I loved the first one, and this one was good too!

• Shrek the Third (again, another late night movie!) - not as funny as I remembered it, but I re-watched it because I couldn't remember what it was about at all... I was also working on some pics on my comp, so maybe I was just too distracted? Hope so.

• Away We Go (in Marina del Ray with Kristen, after BJs and before Diddy Reese!!) very independent film-y. Similar soundtrack to "Garden State". This pregnant couple is looking for the city that they want to raise their child in, and they travel around, visiting people they know, looking for 'those people' that they want to be in their lives. Interesting, definitely a 'make you think about different relationships' kind of movie. Overall, Good.

• Bella (with Cristina & Meg, just the other night. We were going to make strawberry shortcake, but the milk was bad! :( bummer) It didn't seem like there was much plot to the story. It was nice, and made you smile from time to time, but not too deep.

• MADE of Honor (today, just me, not feeling too great from my Typhoid medicine :/ ) I still think Patrick Dempsey is dreamy, but he wasn't that great in this. Correct me if I'm wrong, but his hair bugged me the whole movie! Cute, romantic comedy for the day.

• National Treasure 2 (also today, still kind of being a bum...) I love these. So good. Breaking into Buckingham Palace, kidnapping the President, car chases, secret puzzles from 200 years ago - what more could a girl ask for?? Oh, to be a super cool government agent or spy...

• Harry Potter?!? Still waiting for someone to go with me!

Any suggestions? I have the free Netflix for this next week! I figure it'll help some of the organizing and packing go faster and be more fun :)

living in a way that demands explanation.

I know it's been a (long) while since my last update, and I have lots of new news to update everyone with! Let's see, where to start...

I'm going to be leaving Simi on July 30th, even though I haven't purchased my ticket yet (buying it just makes it seem so REAL, you know?) and then probably won't be back until around June 10th or so... I was thinking: how cool would it be to travel around Africa for the two weeks we have for Christmas break? Maybe go down to Kenya, or up to the Nile? Not thinking too seriously about the 'vacation' aspects yet, but I'm sure there'll be more on that later!

WHO: Me :)
WHAT: Teaching 6th grade at Heritage International School, a school that's under the direction and rules associated with ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) I'll also be teaching the Yearbook class, since the school has working computers and (for the most part) working Internet
WHERE: Muyenga, Kampala, Uganda
WHEN: I'll leave July 30th and it's basically a two-day flight, but training will be August 3rd - 7th and the kids will come to school on Aug 10th!!!
WHY: Because I love Jesus :) and want to use the blessings that I've been given to impact and serve others...


Some of the following things = important. Others = things to do before my mom's insurance runs out when I'm not a full-time student anymore!

I ...

• filled out and sent in my information for my passport
• am going to get a new pair of glasses
• have planned out my potential bulletin boards
• found out I've already had Hep B shots!
• have an appointment to get my shots
• have glanced over my textbooks (preparation or procrastination - that is the question!)
• am getting my teeth cleaned next week
• am planning on going to Wells Fargo tomorrow to order about 500,000 UGX! crazy...

I have to wait til next week to hear back from World Gospel Mission, the missions group I'm planning on going through, to get the final steps done in order to set up the support aspect of my teaching and traveling. It's all in God's time and I'm surprisingly not stressed out about anything; He's in control!

On another note, I heard a quote today from the Cornerstone podcast, from a couple who's leaving to do missionwork in Indonesia; the husband said, "We need to live our lives in a way that DEMANDS an explanation!" It's so interesting to me how different people have really different reactions to me traveling to Uganda. Most friends and people I know are incredibly excited about this exciting adventure that awaits and to see what God has in store! There are also others who question why I want to travel to a 'dangerous' area when I've been offered teaching positions in California... I can only pray that God can use me as a vessel to truly live in a way that requires me to explain myself for others to understand WHY I would want to travel across the globe to love on these kids and experience being outside of my comfort zone.

Just as a side note, I'm getting somewhere around a MILLION shots tomorrow, so if you could keep that in your prayers, I'd REALLY appreciate it!!! (and I get it, it's just a silly little needle going a little bit into my skin, and yet...) :)