Welcome to Pennsylvania!

Well, now I haven't actually written about my plans for the future up here. In a nutshell, as graduation loomed closer and closer, I began to pray more and more about whether or not I should pursue missions right after graduation or wait a few years til I gained some more "life experience". (I've wanted to do mission work since I was probably about 12.) I spent the first half of the summer agonizing over it and talking with a few different missions organizations, Frontiers being the main one. I finally asked myself, "why not?" and could come up with no good response ("good" being the main word. I had plenty of responses like, "where on earth am I going to get the money for this?"). So, I began the application process with Frontiers. Two days later, my pastor, who had just announced his plan to pursue missions, called me to ask if I would be interested in joining him and his family on their mission wherever that would end up being. They were applying with an organization called World Team who really wants church-based teams going out. I thought about it, and decided that would be a really great idea. I would be able to go with people I knew and was comfortable with and that I knew I could really learn a lot from. I switched gears pretty quickly and started another long application process. And, man, it was pretty intense. They ask you just about everything imaginable and put you through all kinds of psychological tests. RACE is the end of the process (and I don't remember what RACE stands for right now... sorry), held in Warrington, PA, which is where I'm at now. From what I understand, RACE is like a really long interview to see what your strengths and weaknesses are and how you would contribute to a team, except not quite as boring. I'll be able to say a little more about it as the process moves along and I figure more stuff out. No details, because I think they don't want everyone completely prepared for the stuff they throw at you, but what I think and feel as I move along in the process. It's already been an adventure, too! My plane was supposed to take off at 7:45 this morning to catch a connecting flight in Phoenix at 8:50 (Phoenix time, of course). We had a little trouble with a hydraulic leak or something so the rest of the Philly-travelers and I jumped ship to another plane to Phoenix that left at 8:45. I arrived in Phoenix at 9:05, 15 minutes after my connecting flight was supposed to leave. But, they held the plane for the 8 of us! I was so very relieved. So praise Jesus for a safe trip, and pray for me as I feel my way through all this!