WHOA "To-Do Lists"

Surprisingly, I feel much less overwhelmed AFTER making the To-Do lists! Yesterday Chris and I went to Ames to get our passport pictures taken for our India Work Visas, and then we sat down at Panera and read the ENTIRE Woodstock New Employee Handbook out loud together. We wrote 6 pages of "To-Do Lists"...2 pages of "Stuff To Do", 2 pages of "Questions to Ask", and 2 pages of "Things to Pack". Here's some of our "Stuff To Do" list...

1. Find out how much weight we can bring on our airplane. Can we bring more since we're changing our residence?
2. Mail ahead of time: sleeping bags, seasonal clothing, sports equipment
3. Assign power of attorney to parents
4. Mail medical forms to Woodstock
5. Get a notarized copy of our marriage, birth, and teaching certificates
6. Decide: Travel insurance?
7. Think through China travel/expenses-how much to save? (this is a fun one...we're going to spend a couple of weeks with my cousins in Hong Kong over Christmas break, and hopefully see a good chunk of China!)
8. Get all medical history
9. Get work visas/fax copy to Woodstock
10. Prepare for teaching assignment...make copies of elementary material

That's obviously not the whole list, it is MUCH longer. But after yesterday, both Chris and I feel a beautiful peace and strong anticipation for this trip! It felt like we hadn't really connected about the direction we're going to take in making preparations, or who would do what. Processing out loud felt SO good, and really connected us.

And then, we had a GREAT church service this morning. Such a powerful body of believers, and we both felt a peace again that we are SUPPOSED to go to India. We already are feeling challenged and grown in ways we never could if we stayed here. So, today we are PRAISING Jesus, and smiling big smiles!