One Day I'll Fly Away, Leave All This To Yesterday

So, after a few months of praying, waiting and hoping.... I'M OFF TO EGYPT TODAY!You know that feeling you get before giving a presentation, diving off the high-board, or waiting at the top of the drop-zone at KD?? Welcome to my life since 7:30am.

In the past few weeks people were constantly asking me if I was excited for Egypt. My response to just about everyone was "No". It's not that I wasn't excited about my trip, I simply didn't even feel like I was going. The insanity of it all just hadn't hit me yet. Well, for those of you who were concerned, i'm happy to inform you that I OFFICIALLY feel like I'm going to Egypt. After staying up until 4am packing and watching Pride and Prejudice (had to get it in one more time before I left), I was woken up by my mother EARLY this morning and haven't been able to go to sleep since. But it's okay. It's my ultimate adrenaline rush.

Today i'm GOING. I'm heading off to a vastly different world from anything I know. I'm starting a magnificent adventure. While on the one hand I am extremely sad about leaving UVA, my house, friends and family. I know, that allowing another country to become home, even for a short while, is what I've been craving for a very long time. I cannot wait to walk the streets of Cairo and feel as if there is no where more normal. I cannot wait to show others my favorite places to eat in Zamalek. I cannot wait to see the Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Nile. I cannot wait to try my Arabic with others and allow Egypt to completely envelop me.

The one thing I actually am fairly nervous about is that my faith will weaken without the daily encouragement and enthusiasm of those around me. But, I'm praying that I'll meet someone I can talk to, share with and lean on as I walk through this semester with God. In John 14:27, Christ says : Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world give. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." While the world may give me a temporary peace, God is offering me the eternal rest in knowing that in everything He is working for my good. So, I cannot worry too much about anything as I take off, because thankfully, God always knows exactly what i need to hear=]

So, in 7.5 hours I will be on a plane headed to Zurich, and then from there headed to Cairo. By 8am tomorrow I will have touched down in the land of the pyramids. That's gonna be a culture shock. Until then, I love you all and i'm praying for you!

Isaiah 41:10
DO NOT FEAR, for I am with you

DO NOT DISMAY, for I am your God.

I WILL STRENGTHEN and HELP you.

I WILL UPHOLD you, with my RIGHTEOUS right hand.

The Waiting Game.

Well, this is what it comes down to: Prayer, Hope and Trust.

Egypt in the past few weeks has gotten fairly dangerous in terms of rioting and arrests. But, regardless. I still want to go there more than anywhere else. Egypt is such an enticing place in so many ways, but I do understand everyone's concerns about going over there now. Luckily, for all those concerned, the government is with you. Should things get a tad TOO crazy, the state department can shut down the exchange program and I will be placed somewhere else for the semester. Hopefully the elections this week go well and i'm granted the opportunity to spend my semester enjoying the commotion of Cairo, the history of Giza and the beauty of the Nile, but it's possible that the elections only incite more craziness and i'm forced somewhere else.

So, until then all I can do is wait, watch and pray with the knowledge that God knows best. Would I love to know now, and be able to fully prepare for my time in another culture, with another language, with new people and new adventures to pursue? Yes. Of course. But, I also realize that God HAS a plan for me. He knows where I'm headed, He knows my needs, He knows the desires of my heart and above all, He wants to see my happy. So, while I could spend my time wallowing in my frustration, in the end it's just not worth it. Regardless of where I go I will be somewhere NEW, somewhere EXCITING and inevitably enjoy the adventure of a lifetime. So, trust it is. I'm trusting that in all things I need not fear. My God, my hope is in you.

Psalm 39:7 "But Now Lord, what do I look for? My HOPE is in you"

 الأمل دائما

Walk like an Egyptian...

So, if you weren't already aware....i'm letting you in on the insanity now. I'M GOING TO EGYPT! I'll be honest, I was a little nervous things wouldn't work out with Egypt. I mean, to be fair, there is a bit of a government upheaval going on over there so  plans could always change last minute. BUT, for now, I am going to enjoy the delirious excitement of knowing that in a little over 2 months I will be in the land of Pyramids.

I wish I could put into words how mixed up my emotions have been. I'm OVER THE MOON with excitement to be going. I've dreamed of seeing the pyramids since second grade when I discovered ancient history. Now, though, as it looms before me, I'm starting to freak out a bit. Did I make the right choice? Will homesickness hit worse than if I'd gone somewhere else? Is it worth to go to a country knowing so little of the language? What about my tattoo?? Is that going to get me in trouble?? While my excitement remains, the past few days I have been overwhelmed with the feeling of uncertainty about my choice to go to Cairo. However, per usual, God has been absurdly faithful in taking care of me and knowing my needs even when I haven't asked for His help.

Within the past 48 hours I have spoken to 3 or 4 different people about going to Egypt, and while they know the dangers and I told them about my family's fears, they were all beyond encouraging. They would say things like "..everywhere's dangerous, you can't stop living just because of that." "That's crazy girl, I love that you're doing something so different." "Think of the amazing time you'll get to see in Egypt's history!" It's so simple but God knew exactly what I needed to hear to get me through these past few days. I needed that reminder that I am where i'm supposed to be, even if that place is a little bit more dangerous than the ideal.

I'll admit it, I have a problem. I love to shock people. I like the looks i get when I chop my hair, I liked the reaction I got when I got a tattoo, I love doing things that people say I can't/won't or simply don't expect from me. But this time, it goes beyond that. I CRAVE adventure that I simply cannot get in Charlottesville. There's simply something magical about this crazy world we've been placed in and I ache to discover it. I see pictures of foreign places and I need to leave. I am not content to just sit and let the world around me go to waste. I want to see, do, feel, experience, live. If that means going somewhere a little bit crazy, so be it. I am confident that God has me right where he wants me. What plans He has in store for this adventure I don't know, but for now I am content that He does. If that means going somewhere where my faith is going to be a daily challenge, I'm okay with that. I want to be so shattered spiritually that there is nothing I can do but crawl back to the source of joy. Well Egypt, let's do this thing.

 "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11