22 days. That's barely 3 weeks. And by that time, I'll be on a plane somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. In those 22 days this is what my "To Do" list looks like:
Finish up work on a high note.
Throw a Going-Out-Of-Town-For-A-While Party. (After all, I'm not really going away, I'm just moving locations.)
Say all my "See-You-In-8-Months" to my friends and family. (I'm not gonna lie, I'm going to turn into a sappy emotional mess at times.)
Drive 15 hours by myself back home for a few weeks. (If you see sleep deprived zombie driving a white stick-shift station wagon on I-80...that's me.)
Buy all the extra durable winter wear I'll be needing to start packing. (P.S. - Really good wool socks are 20 bucks a pop! I've never paid so much for socks ever! It's crazy.)
Actually get packed. (Two suitcases at 50 pounds each for 8 months? Yeah...I should be able to handle it.)
Make one of my best friends in FoCo get set up on skype. (Hint, hint. You know who you are!)
Finish the online TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) course that could take 6 months in 10 days. (Can you say procrastination? I may have dug myself into a hole with this one. Good thing I have over 15 years of procrastination skills to fall back on!)
Finish my 4 applications to veterinary school. (So, not excited about this part...)
Make sure I have all the various travel documents I need printed and on my person. (More complicated than it sounds.)
Find a way to stash some real cheese to make it across the borders. (Ok. I'm not serious about this one, but I wish I could!)
Complete my "art project" that I have been working on for almost a year. (More on this as my departure date grows closer...)
Have some bonding time with my cat. (You only think I'm joking...she's the best foot warmer I know!)
Have some personal moments with Jesus...a lot of them in fact. He's the only one that gets to go with me, so I figure I better get on the same page as Him. Also He's just good for me to be around and I rather enjoy being with Him.
For me at least, that's a long list of things to do with a lot of different emotions wrapped up in each item. You'd think I'd be stressed or worried or going crazy. I think I will eventually. Right now September 20th seems so far away. I know I have a lot to get done, but I have this assurance that it will all get done eventually and in the proper time. It has yet to sink into my conscious reality that I am about to leave. It didn't sink in that I was going to China until the plane took off! I am leaving my dearest friends and closest community -those my heart longs for and those I call my sisters. I'm departing from my culture and language. I'm setting down my family and security. I temporarily renounce my rights and privileges as an American to become just a servant of the Mongolian people I'll meet. Some of it I don't mind at all...other parts are going to be harder to let go of for a while.
Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm going there. I have no idea what I'll find and how exactly my time will be spent. All I know is God has called me here for this season in life. I don't know why...but He has called me without a doubt. He has a purpose to my time there and as of right now, He alone can see that purpose.
Jesus once compared working for Him to farming. He has called those who follow and love him to be ambassadors...that is to tell others about who he is, his deep sincere love for them, and the amnesty he offers them. Sometimes, being God's ambassador is like tilling up dirt in a corn field that has been hardened, dried, and cracked over a long winter. Sometimes it is like planting seeds in the tilled soil under the hot spring sun- bending and stooping over and over again. Other times it is like watering the seed in the soil and hoping there is enough moisture to make the seed grow. And still other times, the farmer gets to harvest the crops and bring in an abundance of food to the table. All in all...being Jesus' ambassador means most often not getting to see the harvest of the crops...instead you do your work and trust that it will produce something edible in the end.
Why am I going to Mongolia? I really don't know. What's my purpose in being there? If you find out before I do, pass on the word. Will I get to see if I "make a difference" or "leave a mark" on peoples' lives? I have no idea. Is it worth it? You betcha. Because, wherever God calls me is exactly the best place for me to be. He is a better planner than I am, so I'm leaving the details up to him. He'll make sure seeds are sown where the ground is tilled, that the soil is watered as it needs to be, and that there will be crops to harvest in the end, even if I'm not there to swing the sickle. I am learning to let this truth ruminate in my soul and produce peace within my heart.
P.S. - Good news! I got my visa and vaccinations! So all the major hurdles are cleared...just have the details to finish up now.
P.P.S. - Anyone know how to get cheese through customs? :)
