Down to a few weeks....

Hey, friends!

A few updates:

I will be leaving August 21st, which is a few days later than I had planned, but I was able to get the cheap fare that I wanted. I don't have my ticket in hand, but it's set.

The packing and moving aspects of this are going well. Major thanks to Marie Claire for being a packing superstar and helping me out. I will be able to hit my goal of being moved out tomorrow night, although I may come back for a bit on Friday to clean a little.

My car.....things didn't work out as planned when I attempted to sell it to a friend the other week, but thankfully his own car is back in working order, and I have another possible buyer from church. It'll work out.

I am amazed at the little things that are coming together, like earlier today when I decided that I needed a new pair of jeans to take with me, instead of my torn and patched jeans. When I randomly volunteered to take someone's Goodwill stuff for them, a great pair of jeans was in the pile for me.....thanks, Jen and Amy!

Also, many many thanks to the donator of an iPod.....what a gift! Certainly something I never imagined having, but will be amazingly useful. And, without all the CDs, saves some room in my suitcase. Much appreciated.

Friday is my last day of class, and then Saturday I will fly to Omaha for five days with the fam. Should be good. I'll have a couple travels after that before heading to Addis, but I'm focusing on them one at a time.

Prayer needs: The instability in Somalia has put a burden on Ethiopia. Pray that peace will continue. Also, prayer for my travels to visit friends and family, and for my upcoming journey to Addis.....I will arrive in the midst of teacher orientation, and then a week later school will begin. The school is experiencing a lot of change....pray for the teachers and students to be in solid community.

Many thanks!

The Lord provides, indeed!

A quick update.....

First apologies to friends who have been checking in with the blog more frequently than I have! I have certainly been busy the last month. My summer classes at Mason are fascinating, but very intense and busy. But, I'm learning more than I ever thought possible about bilingual education, language teaching, and being a better ESL teacher.

Secondly, God has been busy, as well, in providing for me and meeting my needs. Bridgeway friends hooked me up with some Metro cards, which are getting me to school and back fabulously. I've also found a couple storage options for some of my stuff. Logistics for Addis are going well, and I should have my plane ticket by next week. My class schedule at Bingham for French and ESL is looking good, and everything is falling into place. I will be living at the school for the first month, but some friends in Addis are brainstorming some other ideas for after that, which might include the huge blessing of free housing!

I've also been looking at selling my car, and as a friend's car broke down today, that might be covered, as well. Financially, I'm doing okay. God provides, and it's amazing to see that even when I feel unprepared, God has everything covered and is, in fact, many steps ahead of me.

Thank you for your prayers....it means a lot to me, and hopefully the work I'll be doing in Addis can be meaningful for you, as well. When my classes end, and as my departure date speeds closer, I will be updating more often.

Paz.