Catch up and Some Pictures

Hey, Everyone!

Here's a for real update. It's been so busy and crazy that I really haven't had a breath. OK, that's a lie. I just haven't really been able to gather my thoughts for a blog. So, here's what I wrote off and on for a couple of days:

**Monday, January 19 12:34 pm (that's cool!)

It hasn't hit me yet. I'm sitting at the gate in Atlanta, and it still hasn't hit me. People are coming out of the gate which means my plane is here, and it still hasn't hit me! Maybe once I see the Eiffel Tower, it will sink in. Maybe.

I'm not nervous at all. God is so amazing. I cannot even fathom His greatness as I sit here waiting to go on this amazing adventure He has scripted for me. What's more is that He's actually allowing me to do it. The God of this universe, the God who created the stars and knows them by name, the God who knows the very number of hairs on my head, loves me. He loves me so much. I can't help but smile at that.

If you're reading this, more than likely you know me personally. This is for you:

Thank you. It's two simple words with such profound meaning. I cannot thank you enough for making this possible. I know that God is my everything, but He decided to bless me with an abundance of people to love and who love me. If none of you believed in me, I wouldn't be where I am. I wish I could tell each of you the impact you have had on my life-- the kind of impact that matters. In one way or another, you have helped me grow in my walk with God.

There are times in my life that I look back on, but I can't really see. I can remember where I came from for the sake of telling people the impact Christ has had on my life, but the times I can remember the best are the times after Christ blessed me with the friends that I have as a result of the BCM and First Woodstock. Of course, my family has always been there in the trenches with me, but as you know, there were dark times. Since Christ pulled me from the dark, my relationships with you, dear family, has gotten so much sweeter. I praise my King for all of you.

**Wednesday, January 21, 2008 (11:35pm)

Ah. Paris. I hope you enjoyed the pictures of the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. This city is not what I was expecting. First of all, I was expecting snow. It's just cold. That's better than hot, I say. With all the running around we're doing, it would be miserable if it were hot... not to mention smelly.

We've done a lot in just two days here. Our first day, we got a very quick orientation of the public transportation system. Very quick. Then, we grabbed some lunch at a Turkish shop and ate these amazing sandwiches. Then, we hopped on the Metro (subway) and made our way to the Eiffel Tower!

*****This is where I stopped typing because my computer died, and I forgot to keep going. All of my days in Paris have completely run together. I remember what we did, but I don't remember the days. We went to Notre Dame one day and sat in on a mass. We walked around the city several times doing things like prayer walking and observing the different people groups in Paris.

Note: When I say we, I mean the other Hands On missionaries.

We had a week long orientation full of seminar type thingies, trying new foods (I tried liver pâté... yeah.), seeing Paris, bonding, and learning more and more about the needs around Western Europe.

When you pray for me, please don't just pray for me. Keep my fellow missionaries in your prayers, too. They are scattered all over Western Europe doing a variety of things. Currently, we're in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Belgium. We were supposed to have two teams go to the UK, but they are currently in Paris because of new Immigration regulations. They seem to be doing really well despite this discouraging situation, but I know that God will be fully glorified though it all.

There are 21 of us total. Four of us are in Dresden-- Me, Day, Jessica, and Sarah.

Here are some pictures of where I'll be living for the next few months!