almost there...

I arrived for training yesterday and everything has been extremely exciting. It's crazy to think in very less than a week I will be stepping on China ground. The people here are amazingly diverse, and I am loving how great our Maker is in bringing all these people from around the world - one lady has come from Great Britain! My team consists of 11 people - for one woman on our team, this is her 18th time going to teach!!! The place where we are staying is gorgeous. I can see apart of the mountains from my room, and there are trees everywhere, which is particularly thrilling for me. :) This morning I was reading Philippians 3:13 - "...forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead...", and that is what I strive to do. Here's a little of what I learned about what it means to strain for what is ahead: 1) you, of course, have to follow the beginning of the verse, and forget what is behind. 2) you have to believe that something good lies ahead!! (Romans 8:28) 3) you have to not allow anything to distract you (Hebrews 12:1-2) 4) you have to know where you're supposed to step (Isaiah 30:21) 5) you have step!!! Just so you know, I will officially be in China on Thursday of next week. You all are constantly in my thoughts. Please be lifting up my team members and I - for unity and the ability to adapt to the vastly changing environments. All I can say for now really is how much I anticipate and absolutely cannot (but for now, will have to) wait to meet my students and see this amazing country. I've been told by several people that I will be a completely different person upon returning in August. I am excited and desperately desire and anticipate for Him to mold me tremendously through this experience. "For the Lord is the Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with an ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)