To-Do Lists, Mystery People, and Dairy Queen!

I just didn't realize how many things there could possibly be on one to-do list! Thankfully none of those things involve homework or studying though!

Turns out a lot of things need to happen before someone leaves the country for two and a half months...who knew!? I suppose I'm handling it well though; no tears have actually left my eyes, so it doesn't count as crying! And those tears that did happen to form and did happen to stay IN my eyes were just the result of my lack of knowledge about anything to do with insurance!

The thing I keep telling myself is that in five days all this craziness will be so worth it! =]

I have my phone orientation tomorrow! (In the morning, of course, because the rest of my day will be spent celebrating Kato and Alex's WEDDING!!!)
Hopefully most of my questions will get answered during the orientation. It's funny how much of a pest I feel like with all the people at AIM because of all my questions! I know they don't mind though, they are saints!

I keep thinking about all the people I'm going to meet by this time next week. So far all I know is names...there's Julie, Bethany, Lawrence, Florence, Cat, and Karen. I've either gotten emails from them or read their blog or just heard about them from my AIM trip coordinator. I wonder what they'll be like, what random things we'll have in common, and stuff like that. I know that Florence likes Reese’s peanut butter cups (I read that in someone’s blog...) so I'm SURE we'll get along just fine!!

I got to spend some time with Mitch yesterday which was awesome! It kind of made me a little nostalgic (ok, that may not be the perfect use of the word but sad wasn't right either so let's just go with it) about some of the stuff I'll miss while I'm away this summer...
Bonfires
SMORES!
Corn on the Cob
Dairy Queen
Talking on the phone late into the night
Open Houses
Weddings (well, wedding...wish I could be there Liz&Duncan!)

Gotta say though, giving all that up is worth it for a summer in AFRICA!!!

Prayer Requests:
That I can navigate the airports without trouble
That I can get my packing done before it's time to go! (I currently have FOUR different packing lists I'm working from. I don't know how I managed to get four but they're all from AIM in some way or another!)
That despite all the necessary paperwork and forms, I can stay focused on why I'm doing this.

all my love,
Molly

Ten More Days!

It seems like plans for this summer have been in progress for so long now! I can't believe the time to go is almost here! This whole crazy thing got started on September 24th; Cristiana and I were having a late lunch in the DC and she had to leave for class before I was done eating. She didn't want me to eat alone so she suggested I join the lady sitting at the table behind me. I'm too shy to eat lunch with a stranger so I said absolutely not! But that just wasn't going to work for Cristiana; she took my plate from the table in front of me and plopped it down across from the mystery woman, asking her if it was ok for me to join her for lunch. Reluctantly I followed my plate to the other table...I learned that the mystery woman was named Jenelle and that her son was my boss! Small world (small campus!!) We were having quite a pleasant conversation; she asked what my major was and what I wanted to do with it. I explained that I'm a pre-physical therapy major and that someday I'd like to do physical therapy in a mission setting. I told her that I had never heard of that though, that it seemed like it was only ever nurses and doctors that were needed in the mission field. Jenelle goes, "Well, I don't know about that..." and went on to tell me that she was retired from working for an organization called Africa Inland Mission. She told me that AIM had mission opportunities for physical therapists and for those going to school for PT. My jaw was on the table! Cristiana and I had been praying about what to do over the summer and this seemed to be the answer! Jenelle gave me information about AIM and told me she'd help with the application process. One month and one day later my application was in the mail! Once my application was received I had an interview. One of the AIM people came to Hastings over Christmas break to interview me. I was SO nervous but he and his wife were awesome and the interview went well! On Janurary 20th I got the email saying I was accepted!  After that things seemed to move much more slowly...

It took a long time to figure out where I'd be going but it has been so worth it!! I was told about this place called Mukisa, a place where children with disabilities go for physical therapy. The problem was that I'm just a student though so they weren't sure I'd be able to contribute enough to be there for the whole summer. The plan was that I'd spend the summer at Dwelling Places, a location for ministry to street children, then spend the last week or two at Mukisa. I was slightly bummed about the change in plans but I was definitely still excited about the opportunity. The very next day though I got another call from AIM...the people at Mukisa had requested a female short-termer for the entire summer, WHAT?! So, basically the exact opportunity I was hoping for was staring me in the face. I couldn't believe it! I was supposed to head to New York for orientation on June 6th but they wanted me there a little sooner so now I'm leaving on May 25th and I'll be landing in Uganda May 26th...just ten days away!

Eight months ago I met Jenelle, if I hadn't would I have ever even heard of AIM? All of this has fallen into place so easily for me, God has just showered me with blessings and I am SO thankful! I cannot wait to see what's in store for me this summer. My mentor told me to go in with no expectations other than to serve with everything I have, and that has been my prayer. I'm ready to learn how to live simply, love radically, and trust wholly.

with lots of peace and lots of crazy love, still from the U.S.,

Molly