Aloha!

Well, friends. The journey has begun!

Yesterday morning, my parents dropped me off at RDU and I said goodbye to mainland America for the next 5 months.

I thought I would get at least a little bit sad, but I didn't. I feel like God has just given me so much peace and excitement about this new experience.

When I hugged my parents and told them goodbye, I turned around and had to contain myself from squeeling with excitement (I figured screaming while in the security line wouldn't be the best idea)...that's when it hit me that I was on my own. Ready to face this new stage of life.

I felt a little bit like Maria von Trapp with guitar in hand, preparing for adventure. I was tempted to click my heels and burst into "I Have Confidence!" but again I refrained (though I really was singing it in my head). When I get really excited I wiggle around and speak in gibberish. I guess that's weird, but I can't help it! Since there was no one there with me to share my excitement, I got out my little journal and wrote, "Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness, OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!"

From Raleigh to Dallas to Los Angeles to Honolulu, I gained more confidence and excitement. When I stepped off the plane last night my friend Karlie was there to greet me as well as my new friends Joy and Roger Turner and Amy. They each put a flower lei around my neck and welcomed me to Hawaii.

They brought us to our dorm, located directly across from the University of Hawaii. We are staying in the Baptist Student Dorm, which is a really old mansion. It is super cool. Karlie and I will be sharing a room with another girl who hasn't arrived yet. Joy and Amy had been shopping for us and our beds were already made with colorful bedspreads. They are so sweet and thoughtful!

This morning, my internal alarm woke me up before my body was ready, but I didn't mind getting up at 6am because I was excited to look outside! It was dark when I arrived last night, so I didn't really get to see much. I hopped out of bed and looked out the window to see a beautiful sunrise of pinks and blues. I could see Diamond Head Mountain in the distance and the Honolulu sky line. I still can't believe this is where I'm going to live!

K-Love and I (you'll hear me call Karlie this most of the time) decided to start our morning off right, so we hopped in the car that we'll be sharing with Amy and her husband Danny and headed off to Starbucks, which is just a few minutes away. So that's where we are now! I feel like so much has already happened and I haven't even been here 12 hours! In a couple hours we're going to go to the beach with Amy and go to Wal-mart to buy some things that we need. I'll try to update you as much as I can.

Until next time, be praying that God will use this time to challenge me in my faith and that He will begin to work in the hearts of the international students that I will be meeting in the next few weeks. I am so excited to meet them. Oh, I wanted to share one last thing. While I was on the plane, I randomly opened my Bible and found a passage that really spoke to me. It's 2 Chronicles 6:32-33. I don't really know the context of this verse, so maybe I took it completely out of context, but I still felt like God spoke to me clearly through it. It says:

"As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm- when he comes and prays toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your name."

While I was reading this, I began to think about how I am in a way going to experience this in Hawaii. People will be coming here from hundreds of countries- different religions, skin colors, languages and cultures. It is my responsibility to 1. Hear from heaven (pray for them and seek God's guidance) and 2. Do whatever they ask of me (serve them, meet their physical needs, and show them Christs' love). In turn, hopefully they will come to know Christ and fear him, so that ALL may know Him!

Oh man, I'm excited. Thank you Jesus!