All The Things

Hey everyone!! I'm so happy to be giving you guys an update! I apologize for slacking in the blogging department, but nothing had really happened until about a week ago.

First, I am now official endorsed by World Venture's Pathway program to be a short-term missionary to the people of Madagascar. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be supported by and working with this program. The official word was sent to me this morning, and since then has been a whirlwind of administration details and travel documents that my head has yet to stop spinning. Tomorrow I am getting a head start on some vaccinations and tax work, and then I'll be doing some fundraising planning.

My church also just got back to me today. I am also now officially a Christ Community Church short-term missionary. They have also committed to supporting me through prayer and monthly donations. This will be a huge help, and has already put a good little dent in my $935 monthly costs. They have also agreed to help me in anyway that they can, such as possibly allowing me to make an announcement at church, fundraiser dinner, and any other resources they can provide. I am extremely grateful for their generosity and support for this trip. If you would like to know more about my financial plan or prayer requests, I have pages for both ;)

The plan for now is for me to stop working at the end of February. This will give me time to have my wisdom teeth removed and heal before I leave, while still giving me one last paycheck for just-in-case-ys. I will be going with my family to Provo, Utah on March 9th-14th for our ballroom national competition. Sunday, March 15th, I will be leaving Utah to go to Orlando, Florida to visit with Hannah (my older sister) for two days to spend time together and to rest from the competition craziness before continuing my travel. From Orlando, I will fly to Paris, then to Madagascar where I will finish my trip with some (possible sketchy) local travel to our city. Assuming I will have some layovers and delays, I am hoping to be with the Shattenburg family by the end of that week.

To prepare for all this, I am prepping not only on the administration side of all this, but also on the practical. I am working on downsizing and prioritizing my closet and other personal belongings by donating and trashing anything I don't really need. I am also working on getting physically prepared for this trip by rejoining my CrossFit gang to build up some more muscle and endurance for all of the walking and biking I will be doing to get around.

Thank all for all of the loving and uplifting words, texts, and comments. I am so excited (maybe a little overwhelmed...) and thrilled for this trip. Thanks again for your support! Until next time...