And so it begins…

So we are all packed up.

It is pretty sad to be leaving everyone back here. But we will see lots of family in Hawaii at Christmas time.

We leave for Hawaii Mission Academy and a week of meetings/training at like 4:00am tomorrow morning.

And so it begins…

Jesse

Tickets to fly

Distance
Total flown	9157 mi
Around the world	0.37x
To the Moon	0.038x
To Mars	0.0003x

From		To		Initial Heading			Distance
GUM (13°29’02″N 144°47’50″E)		ROR (7°22’02″N 134°32’39″E)		239.9°	(SW)		814 mi
HNL (21°19’07″N 157°55’21″W)		GUM (13°29’02″N 144°47’50″E)		271.9°			3801 mi
IAH (29°59’04″N 95°20’29″W)		HNL (21°19’07″N 157°55’21″W)		277.0°			3904 mi
BNA (36°07’28″N 86°40’41″W)		IAH (29°59’04″N 95°20’29″W)		232.4°	(SW)		657 mi
Total:							9175 mi

Nashville to Houston to Honolulu to Guam to Palau.

So… we got our tickets! Basically we’ll be flying a lot, but it will be worth it. Hailey and I will be leaving for Hawaii on the 27th so I can be there at Hawaiian Mission Academy for the principal’s meetings. Those meetings will only be from 8-noon on Thursday and Friday. So our afternoons will be free. Since the academy is pretty much right downtown we will have easy access to Waikiki and other cool stuff.  After the regular SM meetings finish we will be leaving for Palau on August 3. We will be crossing the international dateline, so it will be the next day when we eventually arrive. Oh, please let us know if you think there is something we should do or see while in Honolulu. Just comment below.

Jesse

(you can thank openflights.org for the map and other flight info)

How the journey came to pass….

When I was a little girl if anyone were to ask me if I would fly halfway across the world, live on a teeny island in the middle of the Pacific, eat lots of rice, live far away from my family and friends, and teach in a mission school for two years in a country that has ridiculous scary water snakes, I would have said “probably not.” But, it is crazy what happens when you let God lead.

We make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16: 9

(Thank you Renee Mathis for pointing this amazing Proverb out to me)

As my relationship with Jesse grew, I was pretty sure we might possibly go and serve at some point. But, it is one thing to think maybe, and quite another when you are praying the prayer…..

“God send us where you want us, close the doors where they should be shut and open the doors of where we should serve” And He did.

In May when we seriously starting searching mission opportunities the doors were swung wide open for Palau. We had heard that schools in the Pacific were seeking principals. When we made the contacts and phone calls, two days later they had asked Jesse to serve as vice-principal and Chaplain. The fact that they wanted him as a Chaplain really confirmed that we were going where the Lord wanted us. We didn’t realize that the Chaplain position was even a possibility, and then they asked him.

God is so good and always knows what is best for us. He heard our prayer and directed out footsteps. We have so much to be thankful for.

Speaking of things to be thankful for…….we will have air conditioning in our apartment! We don’t know too much at this point about our living arrangements but from the pictures I have seen, I did spot an ac in the window. I have also been told we have a rice maker (I have a feeling I will be suffering from a rice overload)

We leave the end of July….we get our final date tomorrow. I will be spending my last Sunday in TN at one of my very favorite person’s wedding, Giselle Handal! I feel very grateful that the dates lined up well for this. God is always looking out for us.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Hailey

Starting a team blog.

Hey there,

Hailey and I will be getting this blog up and going very soon. I’ll probably be doing most of the ‘work’ but she will be making most of the ‘important’ decisions. The event that really prompted us to start a blog is our impending 2 year mission to the little island nation of Palau.

Look! A map.

We will be working at the SDA schools there. I will be the Vice Principal and Chaplain at the academy. Hailey will be doing something…we don’t know what yet, because she will be one of the only certified teachers there, so she will also be one of the most versatile teachers there.

Enjoy!