I have joined the 21st Century!

I'm not on Facebook. I don't Tweet. I don't have a fancy phone. But I am now a blogger. Uggggh. I can't believe I am blogging. In my defense, its only because I am going out of the country and I figured there needed to be a central place for people to check in and see how I am doing. So here we go...

Well, 34 days until I leave. That is crazy! What happened to it being April and I was leaving in 6 months? I was also 29 then, but that's another issue! Preparations are going well. I have packed up my belongings (except for what I need until I leave) and moved them to my brother's house. He and his wife are graciously storing my stuff until I return. It will be nice when I come back and all my stuff is packed and ready to be moved to my new residence (wherever that may be.) I have also been making arrangements for my car, finances and anything else that may come up while I am gone. It's a lot to plan for and I'm sure I'll forget something(s), but I will do the best I can. Most of my supplies have been purchased for my trip. I have to bring with me everything I will need over the next year. There is no Wal-Mart or mail service, so if I don't bring it, I'll have to do without it. It has been hard to calculate how much I will need over a year. I've never thought about how much shampoo, deodorant, contact solution, soap toothbrushes, etc. I use in a year.

While, the physical preparations have been going smoothly, I have found myself more emotional than usual. It has been hitting me lately that time is running out. While I consider myself to be independent, I know I will miss home desperately. I have never been away from Oceanside for more than two weeks. Yes, its only for a year (or two), and I don't mean to be overly dramatic, but I'm still sad. I find myself stressing about fitting in time to see people into a schedule that is jam packed until I leave. I work until October 26th, so I won't have any down time before I go. I know I'll be fine. I only have moments of sadness and then it will pass.

Mostly, I am just really excited. I am ready to go back and help out. It will be nice going there and having an idea of what to expect. Perhaps, I won't have the culture shock, freak out that happened the day we landed in February! I'm anxious to see what God has ahead for me this year and see how I can make a difference for Him in Sudan.

I hope to be able to do updates to this blog on a weekly bases to keep everyone posted on my life in Sudan. Please feel free to leave notes. I would love to hear from you.

Love,
Stacie