ohhhh geez.

Welp, 20 days til take off.  That sounds so soon!  I was at home this weekend, mapping out the next 3 weeks of my life - trying to navigate when I will say goodbye to the people most important to me.  See, there's Pat and Vern.  They will be there up until the day I leave, so check them off the list.  Then there is Katie and Jon.  They are celebrating their 2nd anniversary (congrats!) in Florida and will be leaving the 21st, so looks like I will have to say bonjour to them before I leave on the 20th to go to D.C. to say goodbye to Mattie (who I won't see from now until then).  Then Ben and Samantha, who I saw briefly this weekend - but they will be home...ptl.  And then there's Face.  But she won't be leaving for Peru until the 27th, so hopefully I will get some good QT with her that weekend.  

Oh, and then there are the other 100 people that I love...for them (most likely Y.O.U. if you are reading this), there is May 17th.  Party.  Horning home.  By Patsy.  Potluck.  Married...bring hot dish.  Unmarried (good for you)...side dish/beverage/dessert.  From 2 p.m. - Whenever.  Dinner at 5:00 p.m.  Bring bathing suit and athletic clothes.  Vern will be ready for bball.  Call me with questions.  If you don't have my number, you must not know me that well.  Just kidding.  Still come.  Everyone (and I mean everyone) is invited.

Ok, joking aside.  Things are slowly coming together for this excursion.  I got my Macbook yesterday!  I am already obsessed with it...and I am trying not to see dollar signs/debt every time I look at it, :).  Surprisingly, finances have not been stressing me out as much as I thought they would.  Probably because I am not thinking about post-Africa when I need to have money again.  But the LORD is definitely providing, a special someone (OK fine, I'll tell you, it was Mimi), gave me money to get a much-needed-heavy-duty-backpack to carry my camera equipment and clothing for my trips to the 4 other countries that CURE has hospitals in.  That was probably the most important purchase to make, besides my vaccinations so I don't die (which reminds me, I think I am going to pay the $90.00 for the polio vaccine...I decided avoiding paralysis is worth the money...haha).  Anyway, I am currently researching different backpacks.  I am oddly attracted to the Swiss Gear ones, specifically the IBEX that the Vern has.  I need one that has a pocket for at least a 15.4 inch laptop and one that can carry a bunch of stuff.  Please let me know if you have any suggestions for specific bags or where I can get cheap deals.

Enough about stuff.  Emotions...hm.  I don't have many, shockingly, today.  Perhaps because I found out at 3 a.m. that I had a paper due at noon.  Alas, it is 12:30 and I handed the paper in exactly 33 minutes ago.  Close call, I am aware.  But that is college.  I have had a rough week.  Everything in my life was due May 1st and it all got finished (PTL!) but I am realizing how much more needs to be done this week.  It is time to start doing Africa busy work again.  Doctors, passports, visas, support letters, packing, etc.  I need to move out of my apartment in one week, and then pack up my life in the two following that one.  So from the last 10 sentences, I have deducted that I do have an emotion - stress.  Just a lil bit.  So...prayer request: efficiency.  I am good at getting things done.  Just not always in a timely way.  So recruiting all organizers (aka Patsy and Sara Poole)...send me tips.  Ha.  

That is all for now.  I have no more information about the trip.  And I probably should.  Which reminds me, I must get to e-mailing.  Much love!