Isaiah 30: 15-21

For thus the LORD God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."

And you said, "No, for we will flee on horse." Therefore you shall flee! "And we will ride on swift horses." Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.

One thousand shall flee at the threat of one man, you shall flee at the threat of five; until you are left as a flag on a mountain top, and as a signal on a hill.

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him.

O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.

Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold you Teacher.

And your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

Loo Queue

We had a short break in the middle of one of our classes, and I was standing just outside the restroom. My new friend Cheryl from England approached me and asked, "Is this the loo queue?" I had to think for a second before realizing that she was asking if I was in line for the restroom.

My new friends have (lovingly) made fun of me for using the phrase "might would," as in "I might would go if..." Initially, the English teacher in me fought valiantly to justify my Southern misappropriation by arguing that the word "might" signifies something indefinite while the word "would" connotes something conditional, so therefore "might would" implies something that is not only indefinite but also conditional. It didn't work. I eventually had to concede that it would really be best to just say "might." At that point I insisted that I didn't use the phrase often. PRIDE. I caught myself using "might would" in a prayer yesterday!

If I'm lucky, perhaps a little British propriety will rub off on me. I saw evidence yesterday when someone apologized for bumping into me. Without thinking, I said, "Quite alright!" instead of the usual, "That's ok!"

I have a feeling I will come home changed in more ways than one. :)

Please pray!

Another renter fell through just before I left for Texas, so I still have no one to rent my condo. I am scheduled to leave in less than one month, and my airline ticket can only be held for three more weeks. Please pray that if it is God’s will for me to go, He will provide a renter soon. I know there is a purpose for Him allowing me to go this far, regardless of the outcome, so please pray that I would feel His direction and guidance strongly in the next few weeks.

Thank you so much for your prayers! Please let me know how I can pray for you too!

IMS Training

It has been a very eventful week in Texas. I just finished up IMS (Introduction to Mercy Ships) Training. We will begin Gateway training tomorrow. (IMS gives basic information about the history, vision, and mission of Mercy Ships, as well as tips for preparing for community living onboard the ship. Gateway offers more extensive training in faith foundations, working with the poor, basic safety training, etc.) I've met lots of great new friends. Here are just a few of them:

From left: Christina (CA), me, Leah (FL), and Danae (Canada)

From left: Rebecca (AZ), me, Gemma (UK), and Leah (FL)

We've had a great time picking on each other about accents and funny phrases. Apparently, I look like a Canadian but sound like I'm from the deep South. I hope that means that no one here has ever really been to the deep South. (Say it ain't so, y'all!) :)

I Made It to Texas

I've arrived safely in Texas for training. I've met some great new friends already, but I miss everyone. More to come...