Lookie what I got!

Look what came by the fed ex truck today?!? Yup, that would be my VISA! wooohoooo! It is finally in my hands! Oh, and what a wonderful feeling it is! So now the real question: Am I all set to go? After the extra week of being home I do feel more prepared to go, which has been a real blessing because I guess I didn't realize how stressed I was about getting everything done before I left. So, this time I am making sure everything is set and I will be able to go. I do not want to mess around with those silly airlines anymore. And since camp Arka begins next week I am now anxious to get going.
     However, I am still in need of more financial support before I can jump on the next plane (and there is one leaving next thursday!). To all who have already donated, what a blessing you are and are going to be. I am truly grateful for you. I do not want to leave before I know I have support until christmas, which is a little over half of my time. I have faith that God will provide and know that we are all stewards of his money. So, please if you would like to know more about my travels before giving or have any questions with anything Poland related give me a call or email me. (hschoen07@winona.edu). I would be more then happy to talk! And now you can donate online and it is very simple to do! (check out the right side of this page) However, if you do not want to donate online, please please, email me your address and I will send you a form with instructions on how to donate by mail!

Officially on the web.

So, finally I am "official" on the web. You can now donate your support on the web! It's pretty exciting right? If you would like to join me this year in Poland by giving financially, it is now easy to do! I know I have stated it before in my support letter, but this isn't just my journey. I want you to be involved and to play a part in this next year. I want you all to experience a little of Poland and feel connected to the kids there as well. So please, prayerfully consider joining me by giving financially. I so appreciate it, and the kids I will be working with will benefit immensely from your gifts. God will use it far greater then we will know. So here is the link:

http://www.leadedge.org/partners_individuals.html

just scroll to the bottom of the page and click donate next to my name. If you have any questions or such please let me know!

(I will also attached a link to this page on the side bar) 

change of plans.

         Change of plans. Big change of plans. To many of your surprise, and to mine, I will not be boarding my flight today for Poland. Instead I will hopefully be driving to Chicago to get my visa. Yesterday was a day of big decisions, lots of phone calls, skype calls, being on hold, packing, and searching the web. My head was spinning. However, we came to a decision. We decided since I did not yet have my visa and it would be almost impossible to get it while in Poland, I should stay in the states until I had my visa and then I would come. We didn’t want to risk deportation and fines while aboard.

            I feel pretty sad and a little stressed about the whole process. I was planning to meet my cousin, Suzi, in Hungary as she finished up school to hang out with her for a few days so I am so sad to be missing that opportunity. It was something I was really, really looking forward to. And I am bummed about having to pay more fees to reschedule the flight.  But it is what it is so we must move on and look on the bright side. So, in that sense I am happy to be able to hang with my family a little more, especially my cute nephew. Except now I have to say goodbye to my sister for a second time, and one time was bad enough. :) And I am ok with more time to prepare and maybe I’ll even get a chance to clean my room before I go, right mom?

            I was able to take a long bike ride this evening and oh man the skype (wow, told you I used skype a lot today!) was so pretty. It was one of those nights were the sun was shinning through the clouds making spotlights on the earth. It was beautiful. I actually stopped and sat in a field just admiring the sky. As I sat there I wondered what God was up to. I believe things happen for a reason and God has something brewing. As my brother-in-law and I talked tonight, I was again reminded of that and so I am wondering and waiting to see what God is going to use this time for. I know he is up to something so I will wait on him and continue to look forward. 

2 full days?

       How can it be that I only have 2 full days left in the states? Where as the time gone? And how will I fit in everything I must do in the next 48 hours? I cannot believe THIS thursday I will be leaving. In THREE days. I don't think it has hit me completely yet, it's more like little moments of realization. And it almost seems too big for me to wrap my mind around. To be living in a different country for months, to not be going back to WSU in the fall, to be missing cabin time, to be getting out of moving Robert into the dorms, to learning a new language, to seeing new places and meeting new people. That is a lot to think about, and even comprehend. So, has this whole year as a missionary in Poland hit me yet? No, I do not think so. And will it ever? ah, well....I will have to let you know. It is a lot to take in. And sometimes I cannot believe it is actually happening and I will actually be getting on a plane to leave. But thursday will come and the plane will leave and I will be on it heading to Poland. Crazy.
        I never thought I would be doing this or this would be part of my life, but thankfully God has bigger plans for me, for all of us. God also prepares us for his plan for us, he puts little steps into our lives that lead to a bigger step. I know that going to Poland is God's will for me because I can see how God has prepared me. For example in college, I wrote a big paper on Lithuania. I only picked it because I knew nothing about it and it happens to be north east of Poland. So all that knowledge about a country I never thought I would be 1,000 miles near, may be useful. I have learned that I have to look back to what has happened in my life to understand what God is doing in my future and present life.
      These next two days will be filled full with family and more preparations. Along with yummy Barb Schoen cooking.... tonight she has baked snicker-doodle cookies, almond poppyseed muffins, and strawberry pie. And tomorrow is a Polish inspired dinner; when I return in December I hope to show them what a real Polish meal is like! Now, I must go sneak another cookie before I fall asleep.