On the verge of a new adventure

I looked back and its nearly been 6 months since I've updated this blog. When I left off last time I was just finish an adventure that starte in August of 2008. I look back on the last six months, a lot has changed. I'm sitting in a room where believe me no AC is needed watching snow filter down from a very cold day. I think about how it was a year ago, I miss it at times, the simplicity of it, the carefree attitude, but realize that I'm not going to have that exact same experience again. Thanks to God and his infinite wisdom a lot of other things have changed over the course fo the summer and this first semester back at school.

School has changed. As I'm sure my fellow SM's can appreciate, school has become somewhat of a lonely place and sometimes dark place. There are however lights in the dark. Keeping up with my fellow SM's from last year has been one of the things that has kept me going in addition to my family. It seems that God brought a whole new set of friends into my life while I was gone and they are amazing, I wouldn't trade them for the world.

As I look back I'm forced to look forward too. This semester has probably been the hardest one to date. I don't think I was ready to get back in and start studying. Amazingly enough, probably God, my grades are pretty good.

As I look ahead I see one thing on the horizon. I see another adventure. For those that don't know or I haven't talked to recently, I'm going to be in Nicaragua next semester. To be gone again almost feels normal, to be back out of the country. I think when I left the Marshall Islands, I left a piece of me there. A piece that will never come back, but hopefully I can pick up when I leave the country again. I've heard soldiers coming back to the states, but never really coming back, I guess I feel that way at times.

In Nicaragua we will be doing a ton of different things, we will be doing Medical work in the villages, we will be taking classes in Ocean, shoreline, and underwater rescue, we will be doing some relief work and some community development work, we will also be having some fun. This time, instead of going by myself and not knowing anyone before we get there, I know everyone. We've been taking classes together for a long time and thats either good or very bad, I guess time will tell us that. One thing I know for sure is it will be a time when we will all become very close and hopefully become close to God as well.

As it kind of was when I was in the Marshall Islands, I will only have internet max of once a week, so I'll be updating my blog then, I'm sorry I won't be sending out personal emails to everyone, but I'll try to keep this as up to date a possible. Right now, we have approx. 38 days until we leave the country. I don't know if I'll update again before we leave or have my next update be from incountry.

For now, keep our whole group in your prayers. Also keep the SM's on the island of Yap in your prayers, one of our own was killed a few weeks ago, it has to be tough on them, the school family, the island family, SAU family and her personal family.