I'm In Miami... You Guys

I am in Miami, the starting point of my travels. It is thundering and raining but still 35C out! That is almost un heard of in Canada. Rain or no rain, I am still so grateful to be here and am so giddy the 3 hours of sleep isn't phasing me all that much.

In a hour or so I am heading out to pick up the last couple members of my group and then we are off to dinner. I am really excited to meet them all, I have been anticipating meeting them for so long I am so glad it is finally here!

A little story from my first day:
While checking into the hotel today they asked me to spell my name so I did I told them E-l-l-a  - - - - z  I said the "z" as "Zed"... The receptionist looked at me and said "You mean "Zee"?" in a southern drawl. That made me chuckle... The fact she looked so bewildered when I said "zed" instead of "zee". I guess America is all that different then Canada.

Too Good To Be True

I leave here in a couple hours! Wow! Today really snuck up on me..  Every once and awhile through my running around getting everything packed and my house clean I stop and think "Wow, It's really today, this is actually happening." It blows me away every time. I really never thought I would get this far.


When I came back from my last trip down there and the leader of the group mentioned there was going to be a program next summer I could join I was ecstatic, 5 weeks in a beautiful country sounded like paradise. It sounded too good to be true. Later, when I registered for the program I did it just to open the option, I thought it would be great to go, but again... Actually doing it? Too good to be true. I was accepted into the program and it came time for my down payment, that was when my heart stopped. What? I was actually going to do this thing. Leave all my friends here and go? I did it, I had payed... My journey had started.


I Will Go - Starfield
I will go, I will go
I will go, Lord send me
To the world, To the lost
To the poor and hungry
Take everything I am
I'm clay within your hands
I will go, I will go, send me.

"Let's start at the very beginning, It's the very best place to start..."

I am starting this blog mostly to keep everyone up to date on whats happening in my life this summer while I am away, but also slightly out of boredom and looking for something to do, I figured blogging is a good thing to do with that time. 

6 more days until my adventure begins. I am spending 5 weeks and 4 days down in Central America. Guatelmala to be exact. I am feeling so blessed and excited to be going down again (for the fourth time!) to work with the kids there.

I will be spending most of my time in a children's mal-nutrition center in a small town in the mountains. These kids are dropped off by their parents when the family does not have enough means to keep them fed and healthy, They stay for *usually* 6months to 1 year... but some kids have stayed as long as 4 years. 

I can't imagine the grief that is happening for the parents and the family when they know that if they don't leave their child he/she will die... It must be a very emotional time, not only for the parent but for the child. They must not understand what is happening and why they can't stay at home. The poor little things. 

Anyhow, this is just the beginning and I cannot wait for more news and stories to share.

Lots of love,

Ella