You are going WHERE?!

This is a question I get asked almost every day!  :)  It seems that few people in my circle of friends and acquaintances know where Lithuania is.  And to be honest, I had to look it up online myself to see exactly where it was when I was approached about the possibility of taking the position.  :)

Here's a map to help you out in case you are curious as well!  Lithuania is the purple country on the right side of the map...just a little to the west (left) of Russia!

The town that I will be living and working in is Klaipeda.  It is a coastal city on the west (left) side of the country.

My visa is here!

Today I received my visa in the mail!  This important piece of paper glued in my passport was a very important piece of the puzzle needed for my departure in a little over a week (just 8 days now!).  I still need a letter from the school to carry with me on the flight, but other than that I think all the "official" work is done.

Things on my "to do" list (other than seeing friends) include things like stocking up on cooking supplies that can not be purchased in Lithuania - chocolate chips, brown sugar, certain spices, box mac & cheese, etc, packing clothing and personal items, deciding which photos to get printed to hang in my apartment/post in my new office, getting a haircut,. picking up my new glasses at the eye doctor, and countless other misc details! 

Things to pray about this week - that I can say good-bye to loved ones without too many tears, that I get all the things done that need to be done, that the Lord would move the hearts of those who are to support me financially to do so, and that I continue to stay healthy during this last week at home.

I am getting very excited!  In a little over a week I will be posting from my new apartment in Lithuania!  EEK!  :)

I have an apartment!

After some deliberation and counsel of good friends I have chosen an apartment to live in over in Lithuania!

Here are a couple photos...  (I'll be sure to add more once I arrive and give it the "Susie-touch"!)

This is the building I will live in.  My apartment is on the second floor.

This is the kitchen - kinda retro-cool!  I'm sure many delicious meals and priceless memories will come from this room!

My teeny-tiny washing machine in the bathroom!  No dryer. 

22 days!

Many of you have been asking when I leave for Lithuania...I purchased my plane ticket at the beginning of July, so my departure is almost 100% official now!  (I submitted my visa application yesterday, so once that comes back I'll be 100% official.)  In my heart I am "all in" though!  :) 

I leave on Wednesday, August 4th.  My flight leaves Chicago around 10:30 that night.  I will arrive in Palanga, Lithuania (about 30 -40 minutes from campus) at 9:00 the next evening.  My trip time will be about 15 1/2 hours - after taking the 7 hour time difference into consideration.  The actual flight time is something more like 11 1/2 hours.  I will fly Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany to Riga, Latvia to Palanga.

I am filling my days with errands and connecting with friends/family before I leave.  I have a hunch these next 22 days will fly by!

Praying for a friend or two.

Goodness, I haven't posted in a while!  I just returned from a week of vacation and am now seriously working on preparing to leave for Lithuania!  I fly out on Wednesday, August 4th.  That's only 27 days from now.  I know that 4 weeks can seem like a long time especially when you are looking forward to something.  Funny thing is that I am very much looking forward to this move, but 4 weeks doesn't seem like very long at all.  Likely because as much as I am looking forward to moving on, I think I am equally not looking forward to saying good-bye to friends/family here in Goshen.

I just returned from a week with my childhood best friend who now lives in England.  I am always thrilled that she and I can just pick up where we left off when we see each other - whether it's been 6 hours or 6 months, we can find things to chat about.  Since I only see her once or twice a year in person, we make an effort stay in touch via electronic methods and by talking on the phone at least once a month.  Even with our regular chats, emails, and facebook posts I do miss knowing what is going on in her day to day life and being able to share those things about my life with her.  Thankfully, while she can never be "replaced", God has brought another dear friend into my life who is that person for me now in her absence.  I know God has done the same for her in England as well.

I think that is one of the things I am most apprehensive about as I prepare for this transition  - having someone in my life that I can share the day to day joys and struggles with.  One of my regular prayer requests lately is that God will help me to quickly connect with a couple other women who will become close friends/confidants.  This is a prayer that I've often prayed during times of transition in my life - whether it was work, school, or other social changes that were occurring - and it's one that I've seen God answer in wonderful ways through the addition of new friends that I cherish!  So, while I'm not asking God to replace the friends I leave behind here in the USA, I am asking Him to provide me with new friends who will walk with me through the daily ups and downs of life in Lithuania.  Won't you please join me in this prayer?