Mimi wamewasili!! (I have arrived J )
I want to thank you all for your prayers and support as I was going out. God was so good to provide so much love and prayers through my church family as I was leaving. Castleview had a commissioning service to send me off with prayer and then some friends at church hosted a going away reception for me afterwards. It was such a special time to be able to say “see you laters” and be able to see many people before leaving. Thank you for blessing me in that way!! God was gracious to give me safe travels. I had to pay for several overweight pieces but He worked out several “discounts” along the way. J I arrived at my hotel in NewYork around 2 am and then had meetings all day on Monday starting at 8:30 am. So that was a short night, but I was able to learn a lot and the staff at AIM was great to send me out with lots of prayer as well. Tuesday I headed to the airport and flew out to London around 6:00 pm. I had smooth connections and arrived with all of my luggage! That is always a huge answer to prayer because of how often we lose luggage going through London it seems.
I stayed at AIM’s guesthouse (Mayfield) for one night. I had met up with a family named the Kinzers that have been at RVA for 20+ yrs in London and traveled with them on to RVA the next day. It was great to have the traveling party and not be having to deal with my heavy bags with just me! J
The staff at RVA have welcomed me and been so great to help me get settled into life at RVA. I am still getting used to the altitude (7,000+ft) and adjusting to the cool and rainy weather. Quite a change from our humid Indiana summer! (Let’s just say I am VERY thankful for the fireplace in my living room here. J ) I am learning TONS of information that I am just praying will sink in and I can remember at the right times. We have had orientation every morning for the last 4 business days and tomorrow will continue with our Language training course for the next 6 days. In the afternoons we have had chances to set up our homes/dorms/classrooms. I am pretty much settled into my apartment. I will have to make some purchases of appliances and other household items eventually. Right now I am renting the majority of my household. I started working on decorating my dorm today. I decided to go with a tropical vacation theme. J I will have to figure out how to post pictures on my blog eventually. :) I also found out that I will be teaching in the “titchie swot” this is the elementary side of campus. I will be teaching music and PE to 1-5th graders. If you have any advice, I would APPRECIATE any ideas. I will only have 3 days a week of classes, but having never taught in a classroom setting, I am trying not to be overwhelmed with the whole lesson plan thing. I am really excited about the chance to be with the little kids though. I think that will be great for helping ease a little bit of homesickness for my nieces and nephews.
I am so excited for my girls to come and start pouring into them. We have about a week and a half before they arrive!
Prayer requests: Prayer for time to be multiplied as it gets down to crunch time for preparing the dorm and for my classes.
-homesickness: God has been so good to keep reminding me of how He has called me here for a time and how He is with me. I have been doing well, but every once in a while I feel the tears coming just missing everyone at home. It is VERY QUIET here in the evenings. So when the girls come, that will change and will help with the loneliness for sure.
Please be praying about all the things needed for setting up my home.. We have rental items that we can use for up to a year, then they like us to buy our own. Since I was a little later than usual, I missed a lot of the “garage sales” from leaving staff.. So I am praying for wisdom of when I should buy or rent the bigger items until the next term and there might be another chance for sales.
I would love to hear from you whenever you get the chance.. If you have facebook I have been uploading some pictures that I have taken around RVA.
I was encouraged from what I read in my devotions last night, Jeremiah 29:11-13 (esv) “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD.” I was reminded to continually seek after the Lord, because He promises we will find Him! I am thankful I can rest in His plans for me. My hope is in HIM.
Serving with you,
Amy
