Today is the day! There are two big bags packed to the brims in the dining room waiting to be hoisted and rolled to check-in. Camera, computer, iPad are charged and ready for the two flights and a lay over. Am I ready? It's more like a "ready-or-not-here-I-come" situation.
Here's what I do know: I fly out of Spokane (where I will be leaving my phone) at 10:30 to Seattle where I will have a two hour lay over. Then I fly to DC where I arrive at 10 pm local time (7 Spokane time). Tomorrow morning will probably be spent exploring the city and getting to know the other early arrivals before starting orientation at noon. Then meetings. Tuesday morning we wake up bright and early to go 12.5 hours to Ethiopia. No lay overs! When we get Addis Ababa, the capital, at 6:30 in the morning local time (8 pm the night before Spokane time) we go to the hotel, eat breakfast, and start training! We are at the capital for 10 days before going to Butijira for the rest of the 11 week training. During that part we will be staying at home stays. I'm praying mine have small children. After lots of work and training we are sworn in on Sept. 19 and start teaching the following day.
I'm also looking forward to finding out what I don't know: Where will I be placed? Which language will I learn? Will I teach high school English or at a teachers' college? Is the food spicy? What kind of teas do they drink? What's the weather really like? How is snail mail going to be? Who am I going to meet? How is God going to shape, mold, and change me? What kind of churches will I go to?
Questions can seem pretty daunting. So does 27 months away from familiarity. But, the words of Joshua 1:9 keep playing in my head: Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged for the LORD your God goes with you wherever you go. Oh what an adventure this is going to be!
Thank you all for your support and prayers. I will try to keep you all updated as much as I can. God bless you all.
