Let the Adventure Begin!

Wow!! It’s actually here!! I leave in two sleeps! It has been quite the journey and I know God has been there all along, even if it’s hard to see some times.

From the last time I left off there were some struggles that occurred.  After applying for my visa I was pretty comfortable and ready for the adventure to start.  Then a week and a half later I got my application back in the mail from the embassy, they figured I needed more information. Which threw me off.  So after a few minutes of panic and frustration I figured out what all I needed to gather to re send my application. The last thing I needed was fingerprinting done by the police station with a vulnerable sector check, because you all know I am such a criminal :p But after panicking that it was going to take 2-3 weeks to get the results I calmed and had complete peace for the two weeks waiting. Thank you for all those who prayed for me I defiantly felt God was with me.  After two weeks I started calling the police station wondering if they knew the status of my results. At two weeks there was nothing, after three weeks nothing, after four weeks nothing…. so then I decided I needed to go and talk to people face to face because I was  supposed to be leaving the country in a week and a half! Eventually we figured out that the people in Ottawa who were supposed to be checking my finger prints had just cancelled my applications (without telling anyone) because they do not do venerable sector fingerprints for people who are leaving the country.  Ha! I can laugh about it now but during the time oh man it was frustrating.

In the middle of all this I got an e-mail from Wade the SALT coordinator saying that we will apply for my visa once I get to Akron for training because when applying for a visa you have to send your passport away which would mean that I would not be able to be at orientation with all the other participants in the States.

So with all my paper work in order and my stuff packed up in boxes, I left Saskatoon last Thursday.  It was really hard to say goodbye to my friends and family.  My roommate and I over the past two months have been able to spend quite a bit of time together so saying good-bye to her for a whole year was quite hard. 

Now being in Calgary I have been packing and re-packing my bag trying to make things fit and making sure it is not over 50 pounds; making sure I have everything I need and maybe a bit more!  I think it is all packed up but it is 52 pounds. I am hoping that they will let the two pounds slip, but we will see.

Now I get to say bye to my family…. not looking forward to it, actually as I type this I am off to Canmore with my Dad and one of my sisters to go and see my oldest sister and her family today good-bye.  Tomorrow I will see the rest of my family for supper and say good-bye to them.

Than Wednesday morning at 5:30 I will be heading through security with 4 other girls (though I will not know what they will look like! Ha that will be a fun game trying to figure that out!) :D for orientation. For now, I am ready to go on my long awaited adventure but at the same time not liking the “Good-Bye” aspect of it.

Until next time make sure you take advantage of the time you have with your family!