We're in Ecuador!

Today was such an exciting day. Exciting, but long. We need a lot of prayers right now. Our flights are all messed up. A couple of flights stayed the same, but the rest have been rescheduled, delayed, or canceled all together. We were supposed to meet in the lobby at 7am this morning, but our flight got canceled. We had to get onto the flight before us, which meant our lobby time was 3:45am. I got about 2 1/2 hours of sleep last night.

Our flights went fine, and we made it through customs without any major problems. That was a HUGE answer to prayer, so I want to thank you all for praying for us. Some teams haven't been so lucky. In fact, some teams are just leaving Miami now, and some haven't even left yet. I know there are some people, who, as of now, can't get a flight until tomorrow morning. We're hoping that that changes, but we aren't sure right now. If we don't have enough people from our team in, we won't be doing the drama tomorrow, we'll probably have a work day. We haven't been able to find out yet.

Ecuador is beautiful though, and I absolutely love it here. I have taken so many pictures, and our hotel is great! It is pretty fancy, and I'm going to take a bunch of pictures of it soon. I'm not even sure what time it is right now. ;) We had dinner here at the hotel, outside in tents by the pool. Dinner was SOOO delicious, I had two kinds of salad, a vegetable soup, bread rolls, chicken, rice, and potatoes. It was SO good. I would have gone back for more if I had not been so stuffed. :)

Gotta go, my time is up. :D Remember us in your prayers, some of us weren't feeling well, and of course, we need prayers for the flights. THANK YOU so much for all of your love and support. <3

Love you all! <3

Day 2

Hi everybody! I didn't get to bed until 12:20 last night because we (my roomates and I) were up late talking and doing bible studies in our devo for the trip. Everyone is great. :D I've met a lot of new people. :]

Our team is great! We ate a delicous breakfast, (early shift, 6:45), then had team time, and a bit of drama training. Because I'm a Kat (yes, with a "K"), I don't come in until mid-drama. We got a break in the morning for a while, and I hung out with a bunch of girls, talking and playing this game to get to know each other better. ;)

This afternoon we had a few hours of drama training, and got our costumes assigned to us. :) Tomorrow is supposed to be harder on the drama training. :O We also had some language and cultural training this afternoon. It has been busy, but fun! :D We actually almost done learning the drama. Pretty soon we'll be having dinner, and then we have FUAGNEM and team time again. I am so excited, last night's FUAGNEM was amazing, and I can't wait to see what tonight's will be like. :)

I'm having a lot of fun! :) Gotta go now, I need to do some other things before dinner. Thanks again for your prayers! One girl on our team wasn't feeling too great earlier, but I think she's feeling better now. Please keep praying for health, strength, energy and unity (for our team).
Love you! :D

We're here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're here, and it's amazing. Yesterday was long but fun. :)

I left Sacramento at 6:50am, just as scheduled. I'm soooo glad that there were no delays. When I got off my plane in Minnesota, I only had 30 minutes to get to my next flight AND turns out my gate was changed from G12 to G21. Good thing Kendall was there to find that out. :D But we made it just fine. :) The plane flight took FOREVER, it just seemed to drag on and on. But Kendall and I talked the whole time, so I guess that made it a little better. :D

Time is flying, Miami is amazing. :D I love it here. Breakfast was great, drama tryouts were actually fun. ;) I got a Kat. :D I've gotta go, there's a line already for computers. :D
Love you all! <3

I didn't put a title because I don't have any words right now. It's 10:40pm, and I should be in bed sleeping already. I need to get up at 3am to leave for my flight. I am beyond excited, and also amazed at how fast the time went. I couldn't leave without saying, "This is it", so here I am. Continue to pray for us, as we begin our trip. Thank you SOOOOOOO much for your prayers and support. Hopefully, I'll be updating here soon. I'll be leaving in less than 12 hours, and I'll be in Miami in about..... 16. Hours. I CAN'T WAIT.

Well, here we go.

I am ready to be NEVER THE SAME.

Ecuador, here we come. :D

♥

Two Days!

Well, I honestly didn't think it would come so fast. Everything was fine, time was moving along, and it seems that these last two, three weeks, just zoomed by in fast forward. I remember thinking back at 50 days, 100 days, even 150 days, and thinking about how close we were getting. Now, it's like, Wow. This is for real. We just have this one weekend, and then we're off. The reality of this is actually starting to set in for me now, I think. I've just been like, Wow. It's time. It's really here.

Not that I'm not excited. :) I'm am SO excited I don't really even have words for it. Every ounce of me is itching with anticipation for what God has in store for us on this trip. I just know that He's going to do amazing things, and I can't wait to see that. :D I am soooooooooo excited. :]

As for prepping, everything has been going smoothly since my last post. Our days have been busy but loads of fun. We've made a couple of last minute shopping runs, to get makeup and a few other things. Yesterday, we stopped at Target to get the last five things that I needed. :) (I finally found insect repellent, whoohoo! :P)

We also finally found a new swimsuit for me to bring. We looked at three or four places and found nothing, but we finally found one at a Sporting Goods store. :)

As for packing, I have been packing off and on since Wednesday. I have "packed", unpacked and added things, then re-packed, at least two or three times already. ;) Last night, I realized I didn't have enough clothes to pack, so I had to wait for more laundry to be done before I could finish packing. This morning, Mom and I are going to go through the checklist one more time, and pack everything up, so my suitcase will be ready. I won't have much time to pack this afternoon or tomorrow, so I need to be done with everything today. :)

As soon as I finish packing, I'll be completely ready to go. We so need all the prayers we can get and we appreciate them so so much. Right now, we still need you to pray for most of what I have been posting. :) Please, please pray for health right now, as we want everyone to be feeling their best. I know a lot of people who have been sick, and most of them are getting over it, or are all better now, and that is a huge praise. Thank you so much for praying for us, and please continue to pray for us to be healthy and energized. With long travel days, all the excitement, drama training and such, it will be easy to become tired and drained of energy. Your prayers for those two things are greatly appreciated.

The other major prayer request we have right now is for safety during all of our travels. Many of our leaders are either already there, or flying out today, so pray for their safety this weekend. Most of us are flying out early Monday morning. Some of us that live in Canada, Alaska, England, etc, are flying out Sunday, so pray for us too, that our flights would go smoothly and everything would work according to plan.

And of course, be praying that God would use us. Pray that he opens the heart of the Ecuadorians we will be ministering to to hear the Gospel, and pray that he would use us to change lives. Pray that he would still be preparing our hearts to what he wants to show us during the trip, and pray that he would change us as well.

Thank you again so so much for all of your prayers and support. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us on the trip. I will try to update this blog when I can, and keep you up to date with what's happening, and how you can be praying for us.

Love you all! ♥

Less than a week!

We only have six days to go. :) We are getting SUPER close!!!! :D

Yesterday, Mom picked up a few more things that I need. The only thing that I need left is the makeup. We are going to a costume store either today or tomorrow to get it. On Wednesday, I'm going to start properly packing my suitcase, with everything where it should be, and the clothes that I'm bringing all packed up in there.

I seriously can't believe that it's really so close. It feels totally surreal, and all of a sudden, everythings going so fast! :) I've been able to talk to a bunch of people from my team, and they've all been really nice. I'm really excited to meet them, as well as some other girls I know from other teams.

We need a lot of prayer right now. A lot of us are getting over being sick, or are sick. Please be praying for health and energy, both now, and throughout the trip. Also, please be praying for the preperation of this trip. As we're packing and doing our final, last-minute store runs, and also for our leaders. The LIT's (leaders-in-training) are going to Miami on Saturday to get ready. Some leaders are going down a little earliar than that. As always, continue to pray for God to work in us and through us, and for the people of Ecuador.

Thank you all so much for your support! <3

Wow.

With less than ten days to go, things are getting tight. I think it's safe to say we're in crunch time. :D haha...

I still have a ton of stuff to do before I leave, including packing up all of my clothes, finishing shopping and picking up everything I need, memorizing my testimony, etc. I have until next Friday to be all packed up because the weekend before I leave I'm attending a gymnastics clinic/camp at our gym. So that will take out about half of each of those days. I also have gymnastics practice every morning (except Wednesdays ;) so I need to be a quick and efficient packer.

Yesterday, we were out shopping for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and we finally found black sweatpants in the right size for the mime costume I was assigned to bring. We checked three or four stores, Target, Kohl's, etc. and they either a.) didn't have black sweatpants (gee, I wonder why? ;P), b.) had them, but they were waaaay too expensive, or c.) they were the wrong size. *sigh* Finally, we went to a discount store and they had a pair. :]

Today, we are going to go out to a couple of places we know of that sell t-shirts for a couple of dollars and pick up some t-shirts there for my mime costume. Hopefully they will have them.

Other than that, I only need a few more things for my trip. :) Insect repellent, a few medications, and some clothes I can ruin.

Your prayers are so important to us on the trip. Right now, you can especially be praying for our health and safety as we are getting ready to leave for our trip. Also, please be praying for energy for us, as most of us will  be quite busy in this next week leading up to our trip. Be praying for God to continue to prepare us, spiritually, emotionally, and physically, as well as preparing the people there. Pray that God would open their hearts and minds to the Good News we are about to bring them.

Thanks again for all of your support. :]

Exactly 2 weeks....

I'm officially finished fundraising, although a few people have still given me support and donations, which is WONDERFUL because I can use it for food, luggage, stuff I have to buy for the trip... etc. All those little things can really add up!

Also, I've been collecting friendship bracelets and Silly Bands for the kids we witness to at the schools, orphanages and such. So far, I have over 300! :] I'm soo excited for these (and I know I'm getting some more soon!).

As of today, we have exactly two weeks to go, which is so so so so soooo exciting! We received our team lists about a week or so ago now, and I'm on Team 3. And we got our roommate lists as well. I am so excited to meet all my teammates and roommates, I have already started to get to know a bunch of them, as well as girls from other teams too. :]

Yesterday, we went to the store and got some more things for my trip. :) We got a new pair of tennis shoes,

so now I will have one good pair, and one old, get-it-dirty, working pair. :)

We also got a pair of gloves (which I really like!) and some paintbrushes and things. My suitcase is getting fuller!





Please keep praying for all of us, as we prepare during the last few weeks leading up to our trip. Pray for safety and health for all of us as well. :) Also, please, please, please pray for the people we will be ministering to, that God would be preparing their hearts and minds to the Gospel.

Thank you all so so much for all of your support! ♥

Packing!!

Last night, I picked up my suitcase from my lovely Aunt and Uncle, who are letting me borrow one of theirs for the trip. <3 This afternoon, I filled it up with all the stuff I've collected so far from our four-page packing list. I don't have a ton of stuff left to get... I have to get a new pair of good tennis shoes, gloves, paint brushes, insect repellant, my costume, a bunch of makeup stuff (for the drama), some medications that are left on the list, and a few other random things. And of course, I have to stuff two weeks worth of clothes into my suitcase as well. :)

Luggage, luggage, everywhere! :]

I already put a ton of stuff in my suitcase.

                                               So excited!!! :D Only 16 days left! :]

T-shirts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

I just went out to check the mail, and what was awaiting me in the mailbox? A large, yellow package/envelope... as soon as I pulled it out, I saw the Big World Venture logo, and my name on it... and I shouted "My T-shirt!!!! I just got my t-shirt!!! " And ran/skipped/hopped up to the house to open it.

It makes it seem so much closer!!! <333 I'm sooo excited!

*25 days left*