airline tickets and other such things

i've got roughly three weeks before i leave. how did that happen?

today i got a call from the guy who is arranging my whole trip. he told me that i am officially leaving july 7th and returning august 18th. that means i will get back on tuesday and head back to college on saturday. it's a little close, but the time difference isn't a huge thing. and i do think that i will be okay. i won't be working after my trip, so i should have time to recuperate. either way, though, that's how it is happening, and i am sure that i will deal with it as needed.

jared (the guy in charge) also told me that i'm at my 60% mark financially. and my plane tickets are likely going to be less than budgeted for. this is incredible and so much more than i expected. i have to admit that i was worried i would end up paying for the whole thing myself. and while i am okay with doing that, i also know i don't have money to do it. that was one of the reasons i've put off doing a mission trip for so long. jared also told me how much money i will have to pay if i don't get any more money yet, and it was so much less than what i was expecting to have to pay. i was really worried about doing this trip because of where i am at financially. it honestly isn't a wise decision financially. but i felt like now was the time for me to do it. i stepped out on a limb, and He has been very faithful to me. i know people always say that, but i truly do mean it. i honestly expected i was going to have to pay for most of this trip myself.

keep me in your prayers as i get geared up to go. i still have three weeks, but i do have stuff that needs to get completed. i really just want this to be something that makes me more like Him. and i want to be able to serve the people in el salvador too. thanks for all of your support and just for investing in my life--and i don't mean in the financial aspect. i appreciate all that each of you has done for me, and i hope that i can honor your contribution in my life through this trip. 

i probably won't update before i leave, but i'll be doing lots of updates there hopefully. 

this is going to be something beautifully different than anything i've done before. and i can't wait to experience it with Him. i'm sure it will be difficult, but i'm also sure that He'll be there with me. we'll go through it together. :) 

.love. beth