leavin' on a jet plane

So, it's a few hours before I have to be at the airport and I'm finally at peace. My mind is anyway, if it could just talk to my stomach. Still, I'm excited and ready for whatever God decides to throw our way. I can't wait to meet all of our students and see the beautiful cities of Tallinn and Tartu. I know this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I plan on taking advantage of every moment.

As I type this, I can hear the rain beginning to turn into a torrential downpour as Boomer runs under my chair to snuggle at my feet. This is the part I won't miss about being home. That and the heat!

Things to Pray for:

• That our team get smoothly through customs and both sides and arrive safely in Estonia.
• That our team remember that we are a unit and continue to stay connected to your goal.
• That the kids we will be with will have open hearts and minds to receive the biggest gift they can imagine, or at least learn about a Savior they've never heard of.
• That God will give us strength when we're tired, patience when we're uncomfortable, wisdom when we open our mouths, and courage to just be normal and not silent or weird.
  

Freaking Out!

So, I leave for Estonia in...two days. I have to say that while I am beyond excited, I'm equally terrified. This is a pretty big step out of my comfort zone. I've been to Europe on a vacation, which is a completely different situation. This time it's not for my leisure. I'm going on a mission trip - meaning... there's a mission, a goal, an intentional motivation; none of which include rest and relaxation.

I've found myself praying over and over for patience. This past week I have been so on edge, flying off the handle because of candy hearts. Yes, those chalky tasting horrible conversation candy hearts that only come around for Valentine's Day. Apparently it was under my banner of responsibility to make sure we had a few bags for some environment we are setting up once we get there. It all worked out and we will be taking those confectionary mishaps with us along with my expertly packed bag weighing in just under 70 pounds, I hope! God is faithful and with the amazing group of people I'll be around and able to serve with, I know that everything will work out the way it is supposed to.

So, I'm off to expect the unexpected and gratefully recieve the amazing gifts that God has given me. I won't have any computer or phone until I get back... so I guess this is it.

I will leave you with one of the most awkward, hilarious, and jaw-dropping moments of my life.

Mary Ann and I went to grab some lunch at Arby's on Saturday. I went up to the counter and ordered my lunch. Mary's phone rang before she could order and it was our 7 month pregnant friend Amanda. She was calling to see where we were and made plans to meet up with us. I had already gotten my food and stood awkwardly at the little condiment station waiting for her. After a few minutes I sighed and walked away. A man told me that I just needed to be happy. I was a little offended because he hasn't dealt with Mary Ann and her ability to be so easily distracted, but it wasn't the first time I'd been called out in public. (Little grouchy - Memphis) Confused, I walked over to a booth and sat down where Mary quickly sat down across from me. A few minutes later we saw Amanda pull up and Mary switched over to my side of the booth so we could make room for Amanda and her belly on the other side. We were about to dig in, I'd had my food for about 15 minutes at the point, when the weird man from earlier stopped at our table. He asked us if we knew the meaning to life to which I quickly answered, "Happiness?"

"No." he responded, "Finding that one person that makes you the happiest and spending the rest of your life with them. I'm so proud for you two girls. My sister has been married for her wife for 10 years now."

My jaw hit the floor. He had deduced that Mary and I were lesbians. WHAT??? So awkward. When I asked him why he had thought that, he said that when he had walked in and gotten near Mary in the line I had looked territorial and given him a "go to hell" look. Wow. Apparently utter frustration and annoyance can be misconstrued into lust and protective jealousy. Haha, well, at the very least it gave us something to laugh about.

Oh, and Amanda told him she was our surrogate mother. Hah.

Starting Over

Ok, so I just deleted my blog... which is devastating because I'd had it since 2005 or something. While the other blog was much deeper, I'm going to keep this one light and airy and save the real stuff for the pen and paper.

However, none of that is funny and the title of this blog is Uniting the World with Laughter, and that isn't going to get the job done.

Today, while organizing my room, a funny thought in itself, I stumbled over my yearbook from senior year. Looking through the pages was fun, but the messages in the back were hilarious. The inside jokes documented from a trip to NYC were monumentous. There must have a been a million, literally... not exagerating at all:)

Turns out I'm still pretty sad that I so stupidly erased my other blog that I cannot continue. For now I'll lean on the fact that according to my high school yearbook, I'm hilarious.