¡Vamos!

Well, here we are. I am currently sitting in the Miami International Airport and am waiting for my flight to Lima to take off at 1:00 am! I will arrive in Lima at 5:00 am, so the flight is only 5 hours (with the time difference). As I sit and wait I get more tired and excited, so you will notice I am pretty goofy in this post!
I cannot believe how quickly this week flew by. One minute it is Monday afternoon, and the next moment I'm waking up to see my twin sister, Rachel pack up the remainder of her things and drive away to Cleveland on her own musical adventure. This past week has been relaxing, full of funny moments and great memories, and I can proudly say that many great movies that have been on my list were watched! In all, it was perfect. I got everything ready to go, and yet I still didn't feel completely ready when I walked out of my house to the airport. Despite my impressive packing skills (I fit my things, including four bags of donations, into two 50-pound checked suitcases- and trust me, that's REALLY impressive for me!), I still felt like something was off. After being dropped off by my amazing mom and going through security, I felt a little more at ease. And then the storms started. And then after sitting through Detroit traffic on the way to the airport, I sat again and listened to the same poor flight attendant make an announcement every ten minutes that it would be...another ten minutes. But an hour after our original take-off time, the lightning and thunder subsided long enough for everyone to board and sit in the plane- for another hour! Luckily, I was so tired from the multiple long nights of cleaning and organizing our bedrooms at home with my trusty twin that I conked out until takeoff and remained that way for the first half of my flight. Three hours later, we landed in a humid Miami, I lugged my two ridiculously-heavy carry-on bags (yes, THAT is my secret to keeping my checked bags under 50 pounds!) across the entre airport, went through security again, and finally ate dinner around 10 pm at the best place in town- Starbucks (well, it was the only thing open, actually). I then called my family and took advantage of my last hours of free phone calls and texts, and we all said our goodbyes. After filling up three bottles with pure, fresh water that I will deeply miss obtaining for free while in Peru, I sat in my gate and went through the various forms I will need to have filled out when I go through customs in Lima. As I sit here and type this entry on my phone- yes, be impressed!- I can finally process the fact that this trip I have been planning for and preparing for for months is finally happening, and I am really about to enter South America by myself in a few short hours. And I now realize why I have been feeling a slight sense of chaos and a not-fully-ready feeling- it is because I really don't know what to expect! I know the general outline of my schedule once I touch down in Lima and eventually bus to Trujillo, but I have no idea who I will meet, what Peru will become to me by the time I leave, the type of memories I will make, and- of course- what kind of pictures I will take. I don't know what will happen. I'm hoping I will love it. I want to fall in love with this city and country. I feel called to it and cannot wait to see what happens this next five weeks. This trip is an adventure I have been craving for a while, and it is becoming clearer to me each moment how much God's hand has been at work. He wants me there, and I have faith that He will protect, guide, and use me while I'm there. I believe deeply in prayer, and I believe that God always hears and answers us, whether we realize it or not. And if you believe those things as well- or even if you don't!- I would love prayers. Please pray for my safety, especially physically. I would also love prayers for wisdom, as I navigate a new country with a language I haven't learned since tenth grade! Prayers for peace, unending and infectious joy and love toward others, a compassionate heart and an unselfish spirit. Pray for strength in my weaknesses. Pray that I can reach to the people of Trujillo and show my heart, which will hopefully only ever reflect His heart. And any other prayers would be great! I am praying constantly and it is so comforting to me to know I'm never alone, that I'm protected and loved always.
In the mean time, I now only have one more hour until we take off, and I'm feeling ready to get on the plane and sleep and get away from the large group of French high schoolers who are playing games and laughing right next to me. College must be aging me, because I do NOT have that energy at midnight anymore!!! ;)
The flight attendant just came on the intercom and spoke completely in Spanish- I understood a few words, so this will certainly be an adventure! However, I did recognize some sort of name that resembled mine and when up there to get my new boarding pass for Lima. If every Peruvian pronounces my name like, "Tooth Ee-leez-ee-beeth Hoe-glee" (Ruth Elisabeth Hogle) with a thick accent, I think I will be having many laughs this next month, and I am grateful for that! ;)  Of course, wait until they hear my Spanish...!

Next time I write, I will be in Peru!...and hopefully on a computer again. ;)
¡Hasta luego!