Airplane, Airplane

Last weekend, as I boarded my plane to Harvard, I couldn't help but think that THE NEXT TIME I GET ON A PLANE, I'll be HEADED to CHILE!!!!
All of the paperwork and all of the running around are still stressing me out, but I know that it will all be over in due time and my plans only become more solid from here out.
We FINALLY got our dates the day that I flew to Boston, and Grandma Sherian and I should know our dates for our pre-trip on Monday, three short days from now.
It seems like this semester and trip with my grandma are now becoming reality and not just planning :)

Please continue to pray for my nerves and stress over all of this planning and paperwork and for Grandma Sherian and me as we  continue to try and work out the details of our excursion to visit the Butto family in Puerto Montt before my program starts.
Pray that God will use our time in Chile and my time in Wisconsin before our trip in a vibrant way!

HIV test

How weird it feels waiting for an HIV test here, now.
Just last week, that was me.

The Chilean Consulate requires that each person turn in a negative HIV test when applying for a visa.
Although I was 100% sure I hadn't been born with HIV and about 99.9% sure I hadn't acquired it,

I couldn't help but think:
How would this test be different if I had been born on a different continent?
What if the results were truly uncertain?
How would the test be administered different if it were processed in a lab across the world?
What does it feel like to wait for an HIV test that you are pretty sure is positive?

summerfallwintersummerfallwintersummerfallwinter(spring)

One thing that I'm still trying to wrap my head around is how the backwards seasons are going to affect me.  Sure, In going to New Zealand, I have lost two full days of my life from crossing the date line and I've been compensated for those two days with two thirty-six hour callendar days, but what does it mean to loose a full season?  I didn't realize last spring (2010) that I won't see spring again until my graduation from college in 2012! 

My seasonal calendar looks like this:
2010 (USA) Spring, summer, fall, winter->
2011 Winter (USA) (CHILE) SUMMER, Fall, Winter
(USA) Summer Fall Winter
2012 Winter Spring GRADUATION

Crazy, huh?

Anticipation

I can't believe it.
I will be in Chile in 82 days if everything goes the way I'm trying to plan it out :)
It's killing me. 
I can't take the extra stress of trying to get every piece to fall together AND all of the excitement of leaving AND be full-time on top of my homework.  I guess it will all pay off next semester when I don't have to worry about any extra activities and I can just BE.
Every single Chilen@ (Chileno/Chilena) I have come in contact with so far has been so welcoming and excited for me.  So many people are already praying for my trip and praying that God will move while I'm in Chile and I couldn't feel more blessed!
Here's the way that I'm hoping my schedule will work out:

Wisconsin: just after Christmas- Feb 1
Puerto Montt: Feb 1- beginning of program (end of Feb)
Program: Late Feb-late July
Philmont: Last week of July-beginning of school

I'm very excited right now for the time I'll get to spend in Lodi before heading down and that my Grandma Sherian (my dad's mom) is planning to come down to Puerto Montt with me before everything gets rolling.  Seriously, I asked my grandmother to run away to South America with me and she did not turn me down.  How cool is that?!?!  I can't wait for a free J-term with family!!  I'm also planning on making a quilt of my Philmont crew shirts and other Ranger stuff with my Aunt Tracy while I'm there. :)


What you can do:
PLEASE pray for my stress.  There is a lot of paperwork that goes along with the planning and it's driving me crazy.
PLEASE join in praying that God will use my time in Chile to teach me and show me more of his plan.