Well, it has begun...

and no, this is not just a messy room. It is my attempt at packing!! I am packing for two months in Virginia. I leave this Sunday, February 4. I know it's the Superbowl, but we'll have to listen to it on the radio and finish it up in our hotel room. As to my emotions, name one...I probably have it.

Also, how do you pack for two months while also packing for two years? I really think I need Shannon to come home and help me pack. She's a pro at doing this.

One more thing: I thought you might all find this interesting. The high for tomorrow in Ivanovo is 0 degrees and the low is... a whopping -11 degrees. So who's coming to visit me next winter? =)

18 More Days...

...until I depart for orientation. I can't believe it! I never knew time could move so quickly...and slowly at the same time. I keep thinking that I am not sure that I am ready for this, but then, I know I am because I know this is God's call on my life.

Orientation is designed to help us live overseas. It will prepare me for the job that I will be doing once in Russia. On April 18, I will fly from Atlanta, GA to Moscow, Russia, where I will then travel 4 and 1/2 hours northeast to Ivanovo. At that point, I will begin my language training and start my work doing community development. The goal is for me to know Russian fairly well at the end of the first 8 weeks. Yikes!! This information is particularly encouraging:

According to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, Russian is classified as a level III language in terms of learning difficulty for native English speakers,[3] requiring approximately 780 hours of immersion instruction to achieve intermediate fluency.

Good thing that I'll be immersed for longer than 780 hours. =)

I also wanted to introduce everyone to my friend, Alys. Alys and I will be living together in Ivanovo, and I absolutely adore her!! I am so thankful God has placed us together for the next two years!

I hope she doesn't kill me for posting this. However, this is a great picture of her! She was on a criuse with her friends who so graciously provided her a tiara for the evening.