The Count Down

Three more days until take off! Monday I leave for approximately 7 months in Latin America. For those of you who are interested in the overview of what I will be doing while away, please continue reading. For those of you who have already heard or simply aren't interested in the overall timeline of the next 7 months of my life, please feel free to skip the rest of this paragraph! : ) Monday I will leave from Dulles and head to Cusco, Peru. I will spend about a week and a half in Peru volunteering at a bilingual school (Promesa). On July 22 I will once again board a plane this time headed for the middle of the world: Quito, Ecuador. I will be studying at a university there through an organization called Brethren Colleges Abroad (BCA). I will meet the rest of the group in Quito for the first time. Then we will begin an intensive 3 week language and cultural course before University begins. I will be taking classes at the University of San Fransisco Quito until mid December. At that time I will fly back to Cusco where I plan on joining my brother and Sister-in-law, Dano and Tara, for some backpacking endeavors. Our travels will take us to Peru, Bolivia, Panama, and Costa Rica. I plan on flying back to the states on January 22.
As I depart on this journey I ask for your prayers. The next couple months are full of opportunities and adventures for me. I also know that along with adventures often comes misadventures and frustrations. A few things I would particularly appreciate your prayer for are: my travels (I have a lot of flights, connections and layovers), the process of learning a new language, and transitioning to life with a host family in Ecuador. On another note I love getting emails so feel free to send me a message at smilee9007@gmail.com.

Risa