On the road again!

Well I am currently sitting in the center of the Charlotte airport, on my way to RUF Staff Training! I can't wait to see all everybody again from June and meet all the other folks that make RUF tick. It has been the craziest summer ever with so much traveling via planes, trains and automobiles (literally!!) that I didn't even have time to freak out more than once ... ok maybe twice haha. While it has been a busy summer it has also been incredibly rewarding in so many ways! I would never have thought that raising support could teach you so much! I have grown so much in my faith and trust in Christ as well as my own personal confidence and assurance that I am doing exactly what God wants me to do. It has been immensely comforting to see people rally behind me and it has taught me a lot about what christian community means and how amazing it is to be a part of it!! I can't even express the joy and excitement I have gotten out of seeing all of the financial support just over the past week come in.

I now have 25,000 dollars in my account and am clear to move down to my campus. I still have another 7,000 dollars to raise by February but am confident that the God will provide. My schedule from here on out is pretty hectic, I am on my way to staff training in Atlanta, GA. I will be there through the 31st of July. From there I fly to Toronto, ONT on August 1st and with be there with my future-in-laws through the 9th. I will be busing home to Akron, OH on the 9th and will pick up the moving truck and start the trek down to Jackson, MS with the help of two of my good friends, Josh Putnam and Ryan Wells. So its going to be a crazy next couple of weeks but I am really looking forward to what I will learn and the experiences I will have. Thank you all for your support through prayers and finances and I can't wait to update you when I get down to Jackson.

I will miss you, Ohio

The sunset outside my apartment window.

Brandywine Falls, 5 minutes from my house.
A hidden bend in the Cuyahoga River

Goodbyes are closing in

Well, I am down to my last two weeks in Ohio. I will be leaving on the 27th of July to head down to Atlanta, GA for Staff Training and will leave from there to head up to Canada till the 9th of August. I will be back to Akron on the evening of the 9th and pack up all my stuff to move down to Jackson, MS.

I find myself freaking out a little bit inside, thinking about all of the friends and family I am leaving behind. I keep shrinking away from saying goodbye to people because I don't WANT to say goodbye! But this is the path that the Lord has directed my footsteps onto and as much as I don't want to say goodbye to everyone, I want even more to start down this path and see where God takes me as I start work down at Belhaven College.

I am really looking forward to meeting new people and getting involved in a new church and city and state. Its just the mixed feelings of excitement and sadness are really screwing with me right now! Fund raising over the past couple of months has been intense in many different ways but has made me grow so much in a very short period of time. I feel truly blessed to be able to share my heart with all of the people supporting me and to see the financial support come in over the past few weeks has been overwhelming. I can't even express the feelings of gratitude that I have towards everyone that has been supporting me through their prayers and/or finances. God has been so gracious in giving me so many good friends and such a supportive family. I still have more money to raise but I feel confident that the Lord will provide, because He has already provided so much!

As I work to raise support and try to enjoy and soak in my last few days in Ohio, please pray that God would provide the rest of my support and that He would help me to keep in touch with all of the wonderful friends and family that I am leaving behind. I look forward to telling you all about my life in Jackson and how Christ is using Naomi and I at Belhaven College.