March Update

Well, I had nearly an hour to complete this update for it to count as my monthly update but my computer decided to give me problems so now I have a matter of minutes. If this posts as an April 1 update, I apologize. I really did write it on March 31, 2012. Anyway, here goes. I wanted to say a very sincere thank-you to everyone who has supported me so far. I am now at 100% of my fundraising goal and my plane ticket has been purchased! I am to fly out of Denver on June 9 and arrive in Ulaanbaatar on June 11. Pray that I am coherent as I go through Chinese and Mongolian customs and meet up with whomever picks me up from the airport. I am scheduled to leave Mongolia on July 10 and arrive back in Denver on the same day! This is possible because I will be crossing the International Date Line. My last step of medical preparation will be to receive my final Hepatitis A vaccination at the end of May.
I am also making my way through a rather in-depth mission theology class that will be finished by the end of May. This class is a prerequisite to my trip and I am finding it to be much more difficult than I had expected. Pray that I would successfully complete the class and understand it!
I  have had a little bit of communication with my contact over the past six weeks and feel that I need to reach out more. Pray that God would show me how to do this...and give me the courage to follow through. It is difficult trying to establish any kind of workable, teammate relationship with someone whom I have never met and who lives halfway around the world.
It is hard to remember people (and a people) who live so far away, whom I have never met when I am busy living my comfortable American life, much less to remember to pray for them. Pray that I would remember to lift up my will-be teammates as well as all Mongols who I will come into contact with. Also, please pray for the following:
#1. Open hearts for those whom I will be sharing my testimony with
#2. Discernment on my part as to how much I should share and with whom
#3. Cultural sensitivity, especially that I would learn how to avoid using my left hand to gesture or receive something with. (In case you have forgotten, I am left-handed!)
#4. For my heart to be open to receiving instruction, not just in cultural matters but spiritual and personal as well.
#5. For peace about flying through China (I'm ridiculously paranoid about that)
#6. For safety

Once again, thank you for all of your prayers and support. Please keep praying for me and for the Mongolian people.

Looks like this is now an April update but oh well :)