In one week...

I leave in one week. A week that cannot go fast enough. I am filled with excitement and a little nervousness.

Yesterday I met with Meg, my future room mate. We talked nothing about travel and everything about getting to know one another. It was wonderfully unexpected. I left our meeting feeling overwhelmed with God's grace and provision to be allowing me to be down in Haiti at the same time as Meg, rooming with her, and sharing many of the same passions for what to accomplish while we are down there.

The afternoon progressed to involve a bill from Mercyhurst, where I realized that I am still only registered for 4 credits, making me a part time student, instead of the 10 I am supposed to be scheduled for. Because of this, my scholarship and grants have been revoked. Very frustrating, and very little that I can do. So I started my day, today, by calling PHEAA, for my PA grant that was revoked about a month ago, about the status of my re-evaluation with the correct information sent it. They received it on February 27th, and I was told to expect another 2 weeks wait to find out the final verdict. Hopefully it will all be correct, because I will obviously be out of the country and unable to make phone calls and meet in SFS. I then called the Registrar's Office to try to get my schedule straightened out. Basically they forwarded me to Academic Affairs where I left a message explaining that I had met with Dr. Belfiore about scheduling for my Independent Study and the two other courses. They told me that they would get back to me as soon as possible.

Yesterday I also confirmed an idea that has been floating around for quite some time, and I believe that now is the right time to reveal it. I was trying to figure out a way to minister to girls in the village and also trying to provide them a skill that they could profit from. I sat making a friendship bracelet while pondering this. Then I realized that I could teach them how to make these! So I have messaged Pastor James to find me find a group of 15 to 17 year old girls who would be willing to learn how to do this. I would teach them how to make the bracelets, bring down the supplies, and pray and talk and laugh with them. I would also pay them $1 per bracelet that they make, I would then bring the finished bracelet's back to sell here in Erie for $2 each, the extra money would go towards buying more supplies for the girls to continue making the bracelets. I pray that they would be able to use this skill to make the bracelets to either send back to the US, or sell in their village. I am so excited to begin this and I cannot wait to meet these ladies and talk with them about Jesus and love them. I am also so excited to tell the women and girls in the US who buy these bracelets about the girls who made them.

I completed most of my packing, and have weighed my luggage and it is coming in at well under the weight limits for flying. This is fantastic considering that I will have to pay per pound on the IBC flight. I have also finished all of my sewing to be done before the trip. So now I am listening to my dog bark at the construction in front of our house that has been going on for the past two weeks, watching some television and praying that these days pass quickly.

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. in this world you will have trouble. but take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33