miss you in advance!

welp, i leave in about 3 hours! think i can sleep right now? yeah right.

Thanks for all of you who have helped me get ready to go! It's definitely been a roller coaster today and emotions a little bit high!

i know i'm not leaving on a mission and will only be gone 3 months, but it is still a big change and a new chapter in my life!  I'm good at adjusting to things... but the absolute WORST with goodbyes so it's been a little bit of a rough go.

I have a dear friend of mine that I worked with.  She is a generation ahead of me so she has experienced much more life than I have. One thing she said to me was "you be strong".  This whole day those words have been on repeat in my head.  I have a feeling that when i have hard days that will be my new motto:

"You be strong"

I know i'm not going on a mission or anything like that, but I feel like I love those people out there already and can't wait to be there!  I'm not excited for the traveling part, but I am so excited to actually be involved with those people and do what i'm capable of! I've come to recognize the Lord's hand in my life. I know that you don't have to be on a mission to serve Him or to have Him close to you.  I feel like this is one of those experiences where I will be in the palms of his hands and He'll walk with me the whole way because I can't do this alone.

I have comfort in knowing that and have seen miracles along the way in preparing to go to Africa. I don't know how I was able to fundraise the majority of the trip, but somehow everything is falling into place.  I couldn't be more grateful for that and Heavenly Father's hand in my life.

to be continued:)