I’m writing my first ever blog entry as I sit in the Dulles airport waiting to board the plane. I don’t think it’s really hit me completely yet, so surprisingly I’m not bawling my eyes out right now. So since I’m bored and apparently not ready to release all my built-up emotional overloadedness, I’m going to tell ya’ll how I got here.
I graduated from Liberty University this past May with a degree in Health Promotions which I finished in 3 years. I didn’t (and still don’t) know what the future holds for me, but I knew I didn’t want to go to school anymore, and don’t really want a career, so I started looking into other options. I’ve had the idea in my head to do something crazy for a while, but when I graduated with no debt, no fiancée, and no plans, I decided to go for it. I wanted to do something out of the ordinary and something that worthwhile for the Lord during this time in my life with nothing holding me back.
The hard part was knowing where to start. I tried looking up organizations and trips online, but I needed to talk to a real life person. So I set up a meeting with the missions pastor of my home church, Heritage Baptist Church. I had to wait about a month and a half for my appointment with Pastor Allen Waldrep because he was on missions trip and vacation most of the summer. I finally got my appointment in the first week of August. When he asked me why I’d come he was kind of blown away at my willingness and availability. I told him I was up for anything, and he started describing possible missionaries Heritage supports that I could join. I didn’t want to just pick, I wanted God to do that for me, so he told me to write a 1 page letter explaining my story. He sent it out to all of the missionaries that our church supports and just waited. I got a couple responses from schools in Korea and Japan, but they were just short general emails, and I honestly wasn’t too interested in teaching English to 30 year olds. Then I got an email from Tom Graef. Actually 2 long emails before I ever wrote him back! He explained how I could be used in Romania and how they would have a place for me to live, and it just sounded perfect. I waited about a week to respond, and then I set up a Skype date with the Graef’s. We had about an hour and a half conversation when I was at the beach, and afterwards I felt like we had already been friends for a while. After that conversation, they pretty much offered for me to come to Romania and join them, I just needed to get the thumbs up from Pastor Waldrep.
So I set up the 2nd appointment with Pastor Waldrep, got the official thumbs up, and started all the planning! The first thing I needed to do was raise support, because without money I couldn’t plan anything else. I wrote my support letter, made a prayer card, and got them sent out within the week. Then I had to wait, the fun part. I had to raise $10,000 total for my trip and I had about $4,000 of my own that I had saved to put towards it. That’s a really big intimidating number, but I really wasn’t worried about it. And God showed me that I had no reason to worry. He’s got all the money in the world and happened to use some friends and family to get it to me. My support came in slowly at first, but then in about 2 months total, I was over the $6,000 mark! I am so thankful for the many friends and family who have so generously supported me! And even a couple people I would have never dreamed of giving me money, let alone giving me so much!
I had originally planned on leaving in the middle of November, or as soon as possible, but I found out God had the perfect timing. I then moved back my trip to the beginning of December, but when I didn’t really have enough time to get everything done and with the holidays around the corner, I decided to wait until after the New Year. I then set up another appointment with Pastor Waldrep to get the go ahead to buy my plane ticket since I had enough money. I had been researching for the best prices, but he pointed to me to a travel agency that helps missionaries and humanitarian groups. I ended up buying my ticket through them, which was about $200 more than the cheapest ticket I could find, but it will hopefully be worth it in the end. With the missionary ticket, its only $75 to change my return flight, and since I really don’t know what’s going to happen when I’m there and if I’ll want to stay longer if I have the money, the flexibility is great. I just picked a return date after camp, September 6th, which is about an 8 month trip.
Then I had to get traveler insurance through the church, and take care of all the money stuff. Me and dad spent hours on the internet and phone with credit card companies and banks trying to figure out the best deals. I got a Capital One Visa credit card and a Charles Schwab bank account, and I should be able to avoid all of the international fees, exchange rates, and atm fees!
Then once all the logistics were taken care of, I had to pack. If you know how I pack for a weekend trip, you can imagine the fun I had trying to figure out how to pack for 8 months and 4 seasons! I gave 4 bags of clothes to my cousins, stacked up what I was going to try to take, and fit the rest into 4 tupperware bins to put in the storage room since Todd is taking my room again. I made many Walmart trips and got a new coat and lots of warm things for Christmas. I spent a couple frustrating hours last night shoving everything in space bags and sitting on my suitcases to make them zip, but somehow I got it all packed. I have 2 normal suitcases, the old school leather one weighing in at 42 lbs. and the huge duffel weighing in at 51.5 lbs, and small carry-on suitcase, and my bookbag packed to the brim.
Since I found out I was going to Romania for real, I have been skyping with my future roomie, Jess Graef. We’ve already become friends and I know we’ll have a great time living together! She’s going to be such a help to me and will be showing me around the city, how to use the public transportation, and being my personal translator! I also can’t wait to get to know the rest of the Graef family, Joanna who will be my roommate also for about a week, and Kristie who has been there for over a year already!
I know I will be making so many new friends in Romania, but it has been really hard for the past month saying goodbye to people almost everyday. I’ve been on like emotional overload and have let a few tears come as I’m saying goodbye, but have been holding in a lot over the past weeks. I’m just waiting for the dam to break. I know I will be fine and I really don’t get too homesick, but I know it will come. Thank goodness for Skype and wireless internet in my apartment!
Well I can begin boarding my flight in 6 minutes! I know this is ridiculously long, which I typical of me, but I hope you enjoy my 1st ever blog posting and I will hopefully keep you posted often!
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