Day -3: I'm Almost Gone!!

Double the update

Oops! I missed last week's deadline, and I more or less missed this one (I want to do every Friday), but I figured I may as well update what's been going on.

Big thank you

First of all, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has helped support me either through prayer or through giving a financial gift.  I truly appreciate it and I seriously could not be THREE DAYS AWAY from heading out if it wasn't for all of you.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I am currently about 84% of the way to being FULLY FUNDED for the whole year!  That was way beyond anywhere I was expecting to be at this point.  I needed 25% raised to just deploy, so to be so much over right now is really encouraging!

Mini Rant

Second of all, I just need to rant a little bit because I had traffic school today and it was hands downs the most boring thing I've done in a LONG time.  Seriously.  The woman running it was 71 years old;  sweet as pie, but as easily distracted as a two year old.  She had an anecdote to tell for every situation we came across.  Let's just say the day went by very slowly.  Not only that, but I even got there an hour late (I was given the wrong address and an entirely incorrect description of where the class would be), in tears because I was so frustrated--and it turns out that they hadn't even signed in because they had spent the whole hour introducing themselves and saying why they were there.  I can't complain too much, though; we were scheduled to be there 8a-4p, I got there at 9, we had an hour off for lunch, three of our 10-minute breaks were 15+, and we got out an hour early.  However, even with all that it STILL felt like the day took a million hours.

I suppose there is a lesson in there somewhere.  I, as an American, want to get things done and have them done as efficiently as possible.  I'm also going to a country where they value the relationships you build and the time you spend with each other, over getting things over and done with.  I will probably have to get used to sitting around and talking with people even when there is an end goal in mind that is in no way, shape, or form being closer to being met through our current actions.  Right now, the thought makes me frustrated.  Hopefully, when I'm not in traffic school with a bunch of people I don't know and whom I will never see again, my outlook will be more readily changed. We'll see.

Packing Update

For those of you who are interested (and so that I can practice putting in pictures), here is where I'm at with packing.

 This is my cleaned up and cleared out room. Right now my grandparents are staying there while they're visiting.  Once I leave, it will officially become my sister's space so she can turn where she's sleeping now into a more living-roomesque space and use the downstairs more a separate apartment (which she will be paying rent for, lol!)

The closet is cleared out, the dresser drawers are empty, it's basically ready to go.  She also said I could leave my decorations up, so that's cool.

Ooh! Look! I can add legit captions!  These are the suitcases
I'm bringing. Yep. Just two.

All my clothes I'm bringing.

These are basically all the clothes I own.  The rest are either being donated, have been thrown away, or a select few are in one bin for me to look through when I'm back.  I know you may think "Girl! You do NOT need all those clothes!"  You're probably right.  But I know that I get bored easily with my wardrobe.  Two or three months with the same rotation of clothes and I'm super bored with my clothes and don't like any of my outfits.  Hopefully, this will tide me over a little longer.  Plus I think I can get it all in one suitcase. 

Closing

I just want to say thank you so much for reading!  I hope you enjoy my updates, and in case you haven't noticed, the day count is at NEGATIVE THREE days.  THAT IS LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY! Granted, the countdown is to when I leave for Miami to train, but on Friday I WILL BE IN COSTA RICA! (which means it's still less than a week away, mind you).

Prayer requests right now include

• travelling safety
• positive first interactions with future co-workers and the woman I'm staying with
• settling in quickly
• that I remember it is God's work that He has invited me to do, and that I rely on Him and not my own strength

Peace and Blessings,

Kiki