10 Days

In only ten days, I will leave the shores of this crazy nation and frolic off to another--also equally crazy...just with a different set of issues than America's. It really hasn't hit me until now that I'm actually going to spend three months in England. The parish where I'll be serving is in one of the UK's most known red light districts and falls in the worst 1% nationally for overall poverty and crime. And PRAISE GOD for His church being there. I seriously cannot wait. Going from broken Chicago to broken Nottingham (yes, as in Robin Hood...cept instead of Sherwood Forest there's cocaine and prostitution) does not phase me. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of light, and no place is too dark for it.

Yesterday I was sitting on my couch watching Modern Family when I was struck with the fact that this adventure God has plopped me in the midst of is happening in only ten days. Ten days, people. Kate Hudson tried to lose and then fell in love with a guy in ten days, but everything seemed so sweet and simple in that movie. Ten days does NOT seem so sweet and relaxed to me now. Ten days to pack up my whole life and somehow become prayerfully prepared to serve in a place I never even knew actually existed until this past March. Ten days to buy a travel backpack and electrical convertor and pepper spray and trendy sundresses and hard core deodorant. Ten days to say goodbye to my friends and family and dog. Ten days to almost forget to call the US Embassy. Ten days to spend way too much time on tea websites and English cooking blogs as if they will somehow prepare me for the new culture. Ten days to look at my Bible a million times and wonder what the heck I could possibly preach without sounding like a huge hypocrite. Ten days to sit in my bed at 3am and stare blankly up and not know any words to pray but "please help and guide me."

The scariest, most thrilling, most exciting,  most nerve wracking, most jump up and dance part about realizing I have only ten days left? Not knowing what will happen after that. 

But it's a good thing I don't know. Adventures are meant to be experienced--not foreknew.

So in the meantime, here's to brunch dates with my roommate and laughter at 6am while writing papers and sunshine finally hitting our skin in the windy city. Cheers!