Graduation

Graduation is over! Finally! I have just one more exam to write tomorrow (Math 12, UGH!) and then I'm completely finished high school! It is interesting, knowing that this is what I have been waiting for for so long! Grad was fun, though. We had our prom on the Thursday, and that was fun, then Friday was grad. We had many activities taking place before hand, and we were all pretty tired from the night before. Then the parade, buffet, and ceremonies came. They were nice and short and it all went by quite quickly. Which was nice in a way. I received a few scholarships and was very pleased with the recognition of my accomplishments. It was lovely also to have members of my Rotary club come and be at my grad. It meant so much to me. :)

I have come to the conclusion that I will survive next year. Fundraising and donations as well as other sources of support are coming in quite steadily within the past two weeks. It has been very nice - now I am not so worried about being over there - it will be nice. I have anticipated that I will be alright. And I may also have some money to leave here, so that I don't come back with an empty bank account. Which will be nice. It has been such a blessing to be helped out in so many ways with and from different people. It really does make you feel loved. It is amazing how much one can accomplish with a bit of help and encouragement. I owe a lot of support and encouragement to many people. It is so great! :)

Anyhow. I head off to camp on the 25th - I am very excited, but also very nervous. I know that I haven't been to this camp, and I don't know much about what they do, but I'm sure it will be fine. I am excited to see how God will use me and what I will do with what He has given me. It will be interesting, to say the least. Please pray for me, that I find some support for camp, and just for prayers in general. Thank you!

These last few weeks, mom and I have been running around, trying to get all the documents I need before I leave. It is nice to have everything done now. Especially since I will be gone for the summer. Anyhow, I better get back to studying. I hope that my exam goes well! Wish me luck! (I'm going to need lots of it...)

K

Pins!

There is only one week until graduation and I have been excitedly collecting pins from all over Canada to trade with other exchange students! It has been really interesting to request provincial and city pins with MLAs, Premiers, and MPs. They have been very helpful in assisting me with my exchange year! I have been in good contact with my host family, although, I'm sure they must be getting bored with all my questions! :P However, things are winding down for now, just waiting on the travel information and collecting some last minute documents. I was also able to get in contact with a couple of Rebounds that went to Germany years before. They have proved to be most invaluable resources and it is nice to get helpful feedback from people who have "been-there-done-that!"

Graduation is drawing very close and school is almost over! Other grads are getting excited about prom and the traditional festivities. I'm a little more nonchalant about everything, however, am anticipating being finished with school. (After two and a half years of pain-staking slavery to high school, it will finally be over! Yay!) Things have proven to be looking up as well. Math is demanding most of my time, although procrastination has taken over my mind. Although, I guess all I can say, yet again, is "suck it up, I'm almost done." Except, this time, its within a month's time!

I can hardly believe that within the next three months I will be on a plane on my way to Germany, into a new world for practically a year. It is a thought of terror and curiosity! Meanwhile, I am off to Sunnybrae Bible Camp! I am very excited to see how God will use me to transform the lives of others, as well as within me and vise versa. It will be a mini adventure in itself.

Thank you to all who have been so extremely supportive of my year in many ways! I am forever in your debt and hope that throughout my life, I may be able to repay you the support in one way or another. Especially my mother - I will be sure to put you in an extremely lovely old folks home. (:P) Thank you all, once again!

K

Guarantee

My guarantee forms are back! I was informed yesterday that my Rotary Club has the forms signed and back from Germany! I was very excited. I have been in contact with my first host family and they seem very excited that I am coming. I also emailed my school and YEO (Youth Exchange Officer) the other day. They seem quite happy that they will be hosting me. My business cards are also in! The outbound students received them at the District Rotary Conference in Elensburg a couple of weekends ago. It is also tradition to trade pins with other exchange students to put on our Rotary blazers. I recently received some "Spirit of BC" and "2010 Legacies Now" pins from Altitude. I was very excited to get them in the mail.

Now that I have the guarantee forms, I am able to get my flights booked. I will be leaving the first week of September, and I am looking forward to it! It has all been quite crazy within the last couple of months. I have been trying to get ready for this exchange, and finish with school, yet, now that the end of school is approaching and the beginning of my exchange year is drawing near, it almost seems surreal.

It will be nice to spend the summer with friends and family before I leave, and get to know God a bit more deeply before I leave. Although, I am waiting very expectantly for the next couple of stages in my year. I am loving every minute of it! Germany, here I come!

:) K