My Bags Are Packed ~ I'm Ready to Go

Friday, January 4, 2013

My Bags Are Packed ~ I'm Ready to Go

That little song keeps running through my head and with only a few days until departure on our next adventure, yes indeed, my bags are just about packed!

Mr. Weatherman (well, the weather app) says that the weather in Germany is going to be NICE! 30-40 degrees nice, but we were expecting 20 degrees of brrr!  They project snow in Switzerland (fancy that!) so our Florida Seabirds will enjoy being snowbirds for a bit!

(This photo is our departure location)

(But this photos shows why I am packing....wrong season, but same view!)

It has been exciting to pray for the 26 young people who are also packing their bags. I know some of them, and finally recognize others when I see them, but the process of praying for them makes me feel that maybe I know them a little more than I probably do. But then, God has a way of revealing things about the inner you, things that don't always show on the outside. My prayer for each student is that this little journey, or adventure, will open up the world for them a bit more...and help to define the direction they choose and the choices they make in the future.

Our tour guide sounds delightful and we will learn a lot from him as well. Hopefully we will all be great travelers and not just American tourists out to see the sites. All cultures have something wonderful to offer the world, and each other, so we will search for the best in them, and leave the best of us.

If you have not 'subscribed' yet...be sure to do so and stay tuned in for the updates about our travels to Germany and Switzerland for J-Term (January Term) 2013!
And be sure to pray that we stay well rested, healthy, and show others the love of Christ in us!

Now...to finish that packing!

Counting Down to Germany!

As hard as it is to believe, the "final" pre-departure meeting with parents is now behind me. Everyone has their travel booklet, filled with more information than anyone probably wants to know about. Much of the shopping is now complete. Students have their "Germany" garments, scarves, and backpacks and only have before them the challenge of selecting everything they think they will need and getting it to fit into a small suitcase.

Christmas vacation is at the doorstep and I will soon meet with students for our final classroom session. I find myself wondering things like...what they will choose as a journal theme, will they listen and buy shoes with treads and waterproofing, will they think that Germany cold is only a little colder than Florida cold, will they break out of their comfortable friend groups and get to know someone new?

Silly that it is, I look at travel as a great adventure, with so much to be learned. I also believe that God provided each with this opportunity for a reason. I hope they value that someone paid a lot for this, even if they worked to pay for it themselves! I hope they make the most of every waking moment so that they have a lot to reflect back on when they get home...and actually, for years to come.

I can hardly wait to start adding photos and providing daily updates!
Now I must pace myself, though I really do think of Germany and great kids a lot of the time!

Happy travels in the days to come!