Well everyone, it's 1:24 am as I write this (the date on Daniel's website hasn't been updated to standard time *pokes Daniels in the ribs*). I've just finished getting my bags packed. I'm traveling fairly light (at least at this point). I've got one check-in bag that weighs 55 lbs. and for carry-on, my camo backpack which you all saw at training. I'm not sure how much weight is in there, but it can't be too much since it's got mostly just clothes in it, and not many of them. Mostly it's just got the stuff that I would be most likely to need between here and Kemantian, though it's probably unlikely that I will actually NEED most of it. It's there mostly because I couldn't fit it all in the other bag, and everything else was least likely to be needed. Also there's as little mettal in my carry-on as possible. The only things in there that I know of are the digital voice recorder with it's guts and batteries, my guitar tuner, my new harmonica, and a couple metal springs on my trail water filter. I don't think the spring on the water filter will cause any issues, and the other stuf is in a side pouch that I can get too easily if there are issues with those. I've also got one big box that Kent George sent to me to bring along since I've only got one check-in of my own. Since it could still hold a little bit more weight, I opened it up and put in a few bottles of spices to bring along, and two ziploc bags of TVP.
Other than that, my room is clean, my car is clean, and I THINK I've got everything taken care of around my computer (I'll check on that in the morning). I leave home around 6 am (ugh down to 5 hours by this point in the letter) to head for St. Louis (yeah, plans changed and I'm flying out of St. Louis now instead of Chicago). That's ok, though because my older sister lives there and we haven't seen her in a little over a year, and haven't seen her husband in longer than that. So we'll spend Sunday visiting with them, then spend the night at a motel, spend Monday seeing St. Louis (probably just the arch and the zoo), and then my flight leaves at 5:58pm CST! I'm not nervous yet maybe because I'm so tired), and I may not get nervous until I'm actually at the airport (possibly not until I'm in the air!) I didn't get nervous going to basic training until I was on the army bus and actually driving onto Ft. Benning. Even then I didn't get REALLY nervous until we were pulling up to place we would be unloading. So who knows how how things are going to go. The only nervousness I feel right now is worry that not everything has been taken care of here. THAT happens EVERY time I go away for long periods of time (even when I came to training, and that was only a month)!
Well, after preaching again this morning, driving home in pouring rain and hail for 1.5 hours, cleaning and packing after Sabbath was over (I only had about an hour to take a cat-nap between arriving home and Sabbath ending), receiving the bad news about my friend in TX (see the post "A Desperate Plea for Prayer!"), writing that post about her, and now writing up this one, I'm EXHAUSTED! Aren't Sabbaths supposed to be restful?!? So, all that said, I'm going to bed! God bless you all!
Love,
Jeremy
p.s. once again, PLEASE pray for my friend April. She needs so much! Thanks again!
