Prayer

Today I have checked most of the things off of my to-do list that needed to be checked off today. My mom is off work tomorrow, which is good because we will be able to get things done. Thankfully, my suitcase only weights 32 pounds but is PACKED FULL...so i think I am going to have to take my big red suitcase. While I wish this were not the case, I just don't think my other one will hold anything that I wanted to bring back...like AT ALL!! I'll know more about that tomorrow.

Anyway, so it was a good preparation day. I am having some anxiety about not having had ANY contact with the family. I feel so unsure of arriving in Florence without having spoken to them. We got a thing on our house phone tonight that will allow me to call them tomorrow. Therefore, in the morning I will call them, which will be early evening their time, and see if I can at least speak to them. I am wondering now if I should have done this sooner, but I never heard back from them via email and I didn't have any way of calling them. It is causing me a little bit of stress, but I am trying not to sweat the small stuff (though I'm finding it hard to categorize this as small).

A great part of today was talking to Erin on skype! It is going to be so weird to not see her face for so long...to see any familiar faces for so long. I wish I could put everyone in my pocket and take them with me!! That being said, I will be overjoyed to receive emails/facebook messages/comments/etc because it will be contact with the familiar! It's going to be such an amazing experience, but I would still like some contact with my favorite people!

I would also like to share some prayer requests with anyone reading this. I am in constant prayer for this trip, but it would mean the world to me if I could share some of my prayer requests and know that others are praying with me. So here goes:

1. Safe travels (i've never flown internationally...so a bit nervous)
2. That the family is loving, warm, and kind. Also, that we mesh well together.
3. That I can find at least one person that is genuine, kind, welcoming, and open to traveling around with me a bit. I would love for this person to share my same faith, values, etc.
4. Safe travels within Florence and within Italy. **walking to and from school, exploring Florence, exploring the country, etc** Also, that I dont encounter any people that I feel threatened by or unsafe around.
5. Health
6. Erin and I will be starting a bible study that we are doing together
7. That the language comes back to me and I am able to converse with the locals (and OF COURSE, increasing my knowledge and understanding of the language). Also, that the learning is experience (language, culture, etc) is a positive, fun, exciting, beneficial, and life changing one.
8. That others would see Christ in me. That I would be able to go there and hold true to my values and my faith.
9. That this experience pushes me further along the path of learning to let go of control, let go of expectations for perfection, learning patience, and defining my sense of "normal".

Please know that any prayers are greatly appreciated; more than I can express. This is such a dream come true, and I am so thankful that God has allowed me to have this opportunity. I feel so blessed and I am so grateful. This is partly a gift to myself for making it through these past two years (life changes...both hard AND easy ones, course work, THESIS, ricidulousness, etc), but it's also the realization of a dream from undergrad. Getting to go to Italy is happening in a MUCH different way than I first anticipated, but I think this is THE BEST way!

P.S. It's been encouraging for some of you to tell me you've been reading! I know it will mean so much more once I am over there and will be in desperate need of sharing with people.