(Please see April's post if you haven't already.)
Well, we've gathered in our home for the last time before we all meet up to cross the ocean! The last time we met, our A&M Chelsea was able to be in town, and it was great meeting her; she has even selected her "free-travel" partners already. At this last meeting, we were able to introduce Vivi, whose family works with a church in Rome. They're here in Searcy this spring semester, so some of the students have enjoyed getting to know her. Vivi is Italian and has volunteered show us some Roman hot spots - after our on-site classes are completed, of course! We will see what travelers usually see in Rome AND we'll worship with Vivi's family (hopefully in Italian and English!) when we visit their magical city.
The students are ready. Some are full of questions right now, while some are content with winging it. Some are making travel plans already, while some are comfortable with the free-spiritness that makes others nervous! Some are planning out purchases and managing finances already, while some will be forced to think about such things later! Oh, it's going to be a fun group. We will ALL grow, be stretched, and develop physically, socially, academically, and spiritually because of our willingness to open our hearts and minds to people and ideas. How fortunate! If you are a parent reading this, I want you to know that although it might not be expressed as often as you would enjoy hearing it, your students are so very appreciative of the opportunity that you're giving them for such exposure and growth and have expressed such to us. They are excited beyond words right now before we even have departed; at the end of the summer, we hope that their (and our) hearts and minds will be deeper, more generous, more understanding, and more open to people, lands, foods, cultures, and thoughts.
