The countdowns begin!

Do you live your life always looking ahead to the next thing? I know I do. Unfortunately, even though I try really hard to live in the moment, I am a planner at heart and am always looking ahead to see what the future holds and attempt to prepare myself for it. The next few months for me are filled with things I have been planning for months, and they are quickly approaching. During the first week in March I will be travelling to South Africa to visit with a close friend who has just gone there to do a few months of missions work. I am so looking forward to seeing her and giving her a huge hug! While I am there I will also be a bridesmaid in the wedding of another close friend who happens to be one of my roommates here in Kenya. This week will be quite the adventure I am sure! We decided to take this trip to avoid being in Kenya during the elections for fear of post-election violence. Along with some other things I have planned during this semester at school, I am also planning for June.
In November I asked many of you to pray for me as I made a decision about whether or not I would renew my contract here in Kenya next year. After much prayer and consideration of other things that I need to do, like work on my Level 2 teaching certificate, I have decided not to return to West Nairobi School next fall. I have loved living in Kenya, and definitely see myself coming back here again some day, either to visit or to live for a while again. I will be returning to Lancaster in June and am still unsure as to what I will be doing once I get there. I have many options at this point, but will keep you all updated when I make decisions.
So in other words, the countdowns begin! Although I have not actually started counting down the number of days to the end of the school year, I have started a countdown to South Africa which is 28 days from today. As I said before, I try my hardest to live in the moment, and am doing my best to remember that my students need me here and now, and aren't thinking about next year, or even next week (although they are excited that Fasnacht Day is coming up since I have decided to introduce this very important holiday to them :) ). I am, however, preparing for moving back to live with my parents and getting re-acclimated to a culture that, although was once very familiar, now seems a little foreign to me. I ask that you be praying with me as I wrap things up here in the next few months, say my goodbyes to people who have become a major part of my life, and go through the culture shock of all that is America.

Prayer Requests:
- Continued health of our staff at our school. I emailed many of you to ask for prayers, and things are going ok for now. Thanks for continued prayers!
-For another missionary friend who is in need of financial support. She lost some supporters and is in need of quite a lot of money in order to stay on the field.
-For other friends who are going into missions or have just started missions all over the world!
- For direction for me for what to do next.

Verse of Encouragement:
2 Corinthians 13:11- "Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you."