Need to Pray

I've been working on packing up all my clothing, school supplies, toiletries, books and everything else I might possibly need for this year. It's been hours. The weight balance between all of my bags is as delicate as a game of Jenga. My big bags can't be more than fifty pounds and my little bags can't be more than thirty pounds. To be honest, one hundred sixty pounds seems like way too much stuff, but when you consider that I have to bring along enough shampoo, conditioner and disposable contact lenses for eight months, the task seems daunting. At this point, I have a giant Mexican hammock crammed into a gallon Ziploc freezer bag and shoved into my backpack, along with the most random things: stuffed animals, a flashlight, charcoal, a hair clip... if I worked for TSA, I would have a heyday creating stories to explain the contents of people's suitcases.

There's only a few things spread on the floor that still need to fit into either my other backpack or my grey tote box. Most of the school supplies have already been packed up, although I still need to get wax crayons and skipping ropes and some posters with letters and numbers on them. Mom and I are doing some last minute shopping tomorrow and then visiting Grandma before I leave! I've got her birthday present and her Christmas present all pre-wrapped and waiting for her. I don't get to see her very often, so this will be a treat.

I had a small goodbye gathering yesterday and more people than I expected came. It felt so great to see the house full of people who care about me. A couple of my friends drove in from Calgary and one of my best girl friends drove four hours to see me before I leave. Two of the journals I'm taking with me were out for people to write messages in; as I'm recording my experience, there will be surprise letters from home scattered in the pages. I love receiving and sending letters, so this was my way of getting everyone to write to me at least once. I think a few of the messages are going to make me laugh. People like Audrey and Jordan gave me interesting smiles when they handed the books back to me.

I'm feeling quite physically prepared for this coming adventure, but there is one source of stress that is slowly building on me. I still don't have my work visa. We were told that we had submitted all the right paperwork and that we would have the visa via mail within a week. So we bought the plane ticket for this Tuesday and have been waiting for that envelope. It hasn't come yet and I fly out in two days. If I don't get the visa in time, then I have two options: stay in Canada and wait for the visa, or fly as far as Hawaii and wait for the visa. If I stay in Canada, I miss my flight and loose almost three thousand dollars. If I fly to Hawaii, I have to find somewhere to stay and food to eat until the visa comes and depending on how long that takes, it could cost me hundreds or even a thousand. I'm sick to my stomach thinking about this. Because the mail doesn't come in until after my flight leaves, I either get the visa on Monday or I make a costly decision.

I need to pray. You need to pray.