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This has been a week of details getting ready to head off to Peru with Compassion Canada. I leave from Campbell River at 5:00 pm tomorrow (Friday), stay over night in Richmond with some friends and then fly out of YVR to Lima, Peru Saturday morning at 8:00.

I'm almost ready. The last week or so I have been running around like a headless chicken trying to make sense of what doctors, nurses, websites, and travel clinics tell me I should get in terms of vaccinations so I don't contract Hep B, A, Dengue fever, typhoid, yellow fever, malaria and the dreaded Montezuma's Revenge, which I have previously experienced in full force when teaching at a missions conference in the Philippines. Anyway, I still don't think I made sense of everything. As a matter of fact, I was about two weeks late in taking some of the immunizations for them to be effective before I leave. I took them anyway in hopes that they will  do some good.

Today was my last day at work before leaving. We had one last "stand-up staff meeting". We have daily staff meetings. Tuesdays we have a long sit-down staff meeting and the remainder of the week we have shorter stand up meetings and a time of prayer. We stay standing so the meetings don't get too long. One the things we do is take turns talking about our day and what our "big rocks" are for the day - those things that we need to make sure we get done. When it came to my turn I mentioned that this is the day I have to go shopping and buy gifts for a bunch of kids in Peru that I have never met. Adrian's eyes brightened and said, "Fun." "Actually," I lamented, "I am breaking into a cold sweat thinking about it. I have no idea what to get. This is the worst part of the trip." That's when Leora chimed in asking I would like some help. So, off we went to Target, the Dollar Store and Walmart. We got socks, underwear, play dough, stickers, pencils, post cards, and a bunch of other stuff for kids. Plus, one of the things I am really looking forward to is visiting with, Christian, the child that Ruthie and I are sponsoring. I bought him a soccer ball and a backpack. It was a huge help having Leora along. Go figure - she actually likes that kind of thing.

After doing a bit more running around, getting some US dollars, and talking with my insurance agent to make sure I am duly covered when I travel I went back to the church to make sure everyone is good to go for the week to come. Steve is preaching this Sunday - go Steve, and Adrian the following Sunday - go Adrian. The staff is so amazing. It's actually Katelyn's last day before she takes her leave to become a full-time mother. She has done a great job of training, Gina, her replacement. I said goodbye to the staff, and started heading to the door when June asked if I would like them to pray for me. "Absolutely," I said. At Adrian's request, we did a group hug, and then everyone took turns praying for me in the huddle. I felt very loved, cared for, and covered by prayer. 

I'm starting to feel a little bit more sane now that I've got some of those details taken care of and knowing that the CRBC team is competent and trustworthy.

I am hoping to blog here most days while I'm gone so follow along. Please pray for me. My prayer is that I will be used by God, that he will set up divine appointments for me, and that I will be a blessing to anyone God puts in my path. I am so thankful for this opportunity to see what God is doing through Compassion Canada. Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel. God is so good all the time!