Prayers Filled With Power

     The coming days until I leave are slowly lessening and I find myself wondering "What on earth was I thinking?" It's not that I'm not excited, and I have experienced adventures on my own in South America, but Australia seems to unfamiliar to me. It's far. It's distant. It's a stranger to me. I have the most exciting, life altering, unbelievable change waiting for me on the other end of that plane ride, but I feel completely unprepared and it could be that I will never feel fully prepared.

     As I pack throughout the last three days and try to wonder what I will really need on a journey away from home for six months, it's begun to really hit me. Until now, it seemed like just some distant day that people asked me about. It's been a busy preparation period but it's not preparing that has affected me the most. It is the preparing of emotions.

     It feels like I'm leaving the nest all over again. And the reality of saying goodbye to those amazingly fun work days with my father, jumping onto my parent's bed to catch up after a busy week, and fun evenings out with my friends. It's all happening so fast, I can barely keep up!

     Many of you are still asking me what you can be praying for as I leave this week and I've made a list of sorts. Don't feel like you need to be praying for all of those things, but pick a couple that stand out to you or that you would feel I'd benefit the most from. :)
1. A smooth transitioning period for me. That I wouldn't feel the struggle of jet lag and that I would be able to adjust to the area that I'm in quickly and easily.
2. The fear of vulnerability. I am not someone who likes to open up to others about my life, but I know that in order to have God working in me fully, I need to be open about every area of my life. With Him, with the people He brings into my life, and even with myself.
3. Health during my time away. That nothing serious would come up while I'm learning or doing my outreach, but that I would be in complete health while serving God.
4. Homesickness. I am someone who is very attached to my home here because of the people who live in it. ;) Please pray that I will be distracted enough and that God and those people will become the family that I need.
5. Focus. When being away, it can be very easy to become distracted by the things that happen back home. Please pray that I will focus on what is going on in my surroundings and not dwell on the happenings of home.
6. Please pray that I will accept the change God will want to bring into my life and the ways He wants to work in my heart.
7. Pray for my darling parents who must let go of their baby girl and that they would adjust easily here with the silence of their home. ;)
8. Please pray for my financial situation, as I am still waiting for all of my funds to be here before I leave.
9. And last but not least, pray for God's blessing to wash over my team and I as we seek to serve God and His Kingdom in everything that we do.

     Thank you all so much for your support and prayers and for walking with me. It is a huge joy to be able to finally do what I've felt called to do for so long! I love you all!

-Naomi