As I prepare to leave for Haiti I have some pressing questions...how hard will 24 hour shifts be?...will I catch malaria or dengue (I honestly, even as I nurse, am not sure what dengue is but the name itself is quite intriguing and somewhat ominous)??...will my nursing skills be adequate for the challenges I'm about to face??...and most importantly, I have to ask...do I take M&M's AND Fruit Loops, or do I leave out one and pack socks...I mean, really, there simply isn't room for all of it! Those enormous bags (that are quite conspicuous with their big RCR and GM Goodwrench emblems on them) that I borrowed from my dad are getting full fast...hope my carry on can handle some stuffing as well!

I think of the food question as most important because, well, I have to say I am simply trusting in God for the rest of it. I've been taken on a life journey this week that had me at the bottom of the barrel...I mean, honestly, the darkest days of my life. I don't want to get into details, because truly, to even talk about them, seems to invite the darkness to creep back in. Put simply? It was lies from Satan, the great deceiver. It's the only compliment I'll ever give the evil one. He is truly a great liar and he pushed my buttons hard this week. Through prayer, scripture, speaking with godly friends, and the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit, I can say that God won the battle, He is victorious, and in turn, I am victorious. That all being said, the path God took me down this week was one I've never traveled and pray I never travel it again. But it gave me hope...it gave me faith like I've never had or experienced before. God's love is infinite and perfect! It's a very easy thing for a soul to say to another, "have faith in God, He'll take care of you!"...when their faith isn't being tested. I know that now...I have a new perspective on that and now I can be of Christian service to others going through similar situations.

I hope to write about my weeklong experience some day...I pray it will encourage others, but mostly I pray it will exalt and glorify my King. Psalm 121 was powerful for me this week...so were various others in Ephesians, Corinthians, Phillipians and Hebrews...not to mention 1 Kings and other Old Testament verses. God brought them all to me in various ways...through my Christian sister and mentor...through a daily devotional via email (how did Greg Laurie know what I was going through???)...through a Christian sister, my cousin who has had more than her fair share of tests of faith...through a friend and confidant at church...and through plain ol' hitting my knees, rebuking Satan and digging in His perfect Word.

I don't want to have to go through what I went through this week again...but the closeness I have with my Maker...and the experience and lessons I have gained from this have changed my life and my relationship with God...for the better.

So now, I'm off to answer the highly debated question...M&M's...or socks?? Hmmmm....