Pre-Departure: T-30 days

This is shocking.
I leave for Australia in 30 days.

That is how I feel right now. WHAT am I doing? Did you know that Australia is 15 hours ahead of the Central Time Zone? That it will be WINTER there? That it's on the other side of the WORLD??

Yet at the same time, I have so much peace. I am so ready to go, to meet the people I will be working with, to meet the students I will minister to. This trip will be so different than any other I have been on. For once, I'm not focused on myself. I am truly focused on what the Lord will do through me and the people I will meet there. Yes, I am expecting to grow and mature and learn, but I really haven't been thinking much about me while preparing.

I have never been anything but excited about traveling before, but I have also never been somewhere where I literally know zero people. Yes, I have met some people who seem wonderful via Facebook, but I have not laid eyes on a single person I am going with. While I like to think of myself as an outgoing, independent individual, when I really start to think about this I realize how crazy what I'm getting ready to do is.

Yet, crazy I will be for Jesus.

I truly cannot wait to start the friendships that I know will begin and grow once I get there. I cannot wait to be there. Yet at the same time, part of me knows that getting on that plane will be tough. Even tougher will be sending Will to Thailand 10 days before I leave. I'm probably as excited as he is for his trip, but I know that departure will be rough. We try to not think about it yet.

So right now...30 days prior...I'm trying to, obviously, finish this semester. But also I am trying to really begin to think more and more about this trip. I don't want to build up too many expectations, but I do want to prepare myself. I have started praying, but I really want to press in now deeply with the Lord. I need him to prepare my heart and mind, and the minds and hearts of those who I will work with.

For the record, I'm going to a town called Cleveland, which is right outside of Brisbane, in the state of Queensland. Google Map it. It's on the east coast. I believe the weather is supposed to be nice during the day, cool at night. Ie, 60s-70s during the day and 40s at night. Not too bad. I leave May 25 and return July 31. I'll be working mostly with the youth group, but I'm sure I will be doing other stuff too!

So, I'll be keeping you all updated on what I'm doing, where I go, what Australians are really like, what the Lord is doing, and life in general.

I'll post soon telling all the details about how I decided to go on this adventure...

So stay tuned.