June 30...Part 1

4:30am came waaaaaaay too early this morning. But I dragged myself out of bed and got redy anyway, of course! I had a lot of trouble fitting everything into my baggage. It's really hard to fit everything for 20 days plus a sleeping mat, pillow and sheets! So before leaving for my flight I had several teary moments of frustration as I dumped out my carry-on bag once again, saying, "I'm not going." Finally, after eliminating a couple of things, everything JUST fit and was JUST under the weight limit.

While I was waiting to board I had a toasted bagal with herb & garlic cream cheese (I put that little detail in for you, Stacey!). On the flight I watched Identity Thief, but had to watch the last 10 minutes with no sound, as we were landing and therefore weren't allowed to wear headphones.

Once off the plane I walked all the way across the terminal, took the shuttle bus to terminal 3, and then waited in line for one and a half hours to check in at Aeroflot. Unfortunately my flight had also been delayed, so instead of leaving at 2:00pm it is leaving at 4:3pm. So what did I do with my spare time? I got food of course! I had a "Superbiotic wrap" that had lettuce, cucumber, chick peas, corn, roasted red peppers and dressing. It was alright. I really wanted something junky instead.

June 29

Well, today is the first official day of summer holidays! I am packing up a storm and getting everything ready for my departure at 7:50am tomorrow morning!

Thank you to everyone for your support and help these past few months! The time has finally arrived! If you would like to pray for me, I would appreciate that so very much! Below are some things I could use some prayer on!

1) Safe travels: I am feeling a little worried about traveling to Siberia under the guise of a tourist, so please pray that everything goes smoothly and that I will know what to say when/if I am asked any questions about my intentions there.

2) God's servant: Please pray that I am able to use my skills and abilities well when planning and preparing for the camp, as well as when working with the children. I hope that I can show the love of God to the kids in everything I do and say.

3) Health: I just pray that I stay healthy for the duration of the trip!

Thank you in advance for your prayers!
I don't know when or if I will have internet access - I will blog every day, but I don't know if I will be able to publish every day. So...you may see daily blog updates, sporadic blog updates, or get all of the blog updates all at once at the end of my trip! Who knows!

Also, to any texters out there, I have unlimited texting while I am away (and you will not be charged, as you are still texting a Manitoba phone number), so I'd love to hear from you! If you would like my cell number, just send me an email and I'll get it to you!

Peace,
Ashley ><>