Thirteen days, but who's counting?

Can't believe we're finally within the two week parameter. Or maybe I just can't believe how many eons it's taken to GET within the two week parameters It's utterly amazing to me just how much shopping we've had to do to get ready for this one year adventure. We've had to buy the right clothes, the right coats, shoes, stockings to prevent thrombo-something-or-other on the plane, voltage converters ... we had to get a new credit card to avoid transaction fees for every little thing we buy overseas. (By the way, if you're wondering, it was a DiscoverIt card - who knew?)

We've been told our first area will be in the Republic of Ireland (as opposed to Northern Ireland, which is a separate country), but we still don't know exactly where or if they have our "flat" rented or our travel arrangements changed so that we fly directly into Dublin instead of going first to the mission home in Edinburgh, Scotland. We know that the mission president won't be available to meet us, so that another senior couple will be showing us the "ropes." I keep stressing about every little detail instead of trusting the oh-so-trustworthy system to get all our details worked out. Does this mean I'm a control freak or just "oh ye of little faith"?

35 days and counting...

I seem to be relaxing a little bit after seven months of intensive preparation. That's not to say that we're ready to walk out the door, but I think we're getting very close. I've been on tinterhooks ... tinderhooks ... whatever that word is since last November 1st when we began this whole process. I appreciate so much the help and lenience that the Church provides for us old geezers to be able to serve the Lord as best we can and at a pace that is doable. (I say that having not yet spent a single day in the actual mission field.) But I have faith that our strength will grow to fill the void, that the Spirit will lift us to the place where we need to be.