Beginning of the end

As long as Mexico approves my visa paperwork, I'm moving on September 9th! That's only 21 days away, which seems like a long time and way too soon all at once. The "lasts" are starting. I attended my last Clear Vision meeting, and this coming Sunday is my last at church since I'm out of town the next two. So, if you happen to attend Clear River and find me still sitting in church well after the second service has ended, it's because I just don't want to leave quite yet. As I'm trying to prepare my heart to go, this chorus has been running through my head quite a bit. Christ's love has been the concept of many a late night conversation lately, and I'm trying to wrap my mind around the fact that His love is too vast and complex to ever fully wrap my mind around.

"Your love is peace to the broken,

Faith for the widow,

Hope for the orphan,

Strength for the weak.

Your love is the anthem of nations,

Rings out through the ages,

And you're always enough."

Always Enough by Casting Crowns

I'll leave you with some pictures I took on my last trip of where I'll be living in Mexico, the poverty in the Rio communities, and the sweet children who have hope because of Jesus.

This is the view from where I (and the other 34 staff, their kids, the teens in the Hope program, and American's on missions trips) live. It's my favorite place on the planet.

The not as fun stuff

This week has been about the not-so-fun part of getting ready to leave. I had to extend my apartment lease for 2 extra months, which is really expensive but was necessary. Yesterday I got some of my shots (typhoid and H1N1), and by Friday I still need to get a TB test, hepatitis A, and a tetanus booster, which are also kind of costly and make my arm really sore. Thankfully I have an awesome doctor who's attentive to the fact that I get sick pretty easily, so she's sending me with 2 rounds of antibiotics "just in case". So it's not all sunshine and roses, some of this prep work is really not fun. But I'm still excited and can't wait to be down there loving on those kiddos and working with the rest of the staff. 5-6 weeks to go!