Here is my first blog! I have never blogged before...lol So this should be an experience for all of us!! :)

This time in two days I will be on my way to Peru. That is so crazy! I'm not sure if all of you read my bulletins on myspace, but it has been an unpredictable ride thus far. I am leaving 5 days early because of a transportation strike that has been going on for a little while. They have decided to have a 10 day truce to negotiate, and so I had to unexpectantly change my ticket in order to get there during the truce.

God has been showing me that He is in control and this trip is definitely all for Him and His work. It's all about the Big Guy!! I want to thank everyone who has included me in their prayers, I appreciate it more than you know. I would be so grateful if you could remember me in your prayers while I am gone. I know I will need it!!

So here is the plan....I leave from Atlanta at 5:25 pm and arrive in Lima, Peru at 11 pm. I will stay the night there and on Thursday I will board a 2ish hour flight to Pucallpa, which is where I will be spending the next FIVE months!

So in case you might be wondering WHY I am going to Peru, here is what I will be doing. I will be doing work for the community and the church in Pucallpa. There they have a big problem with girls having sex and getting pregnant at a very young age. So I have been working here in the US on gathering information and tools for an abstinence program. They hope to first educate about the body and sex. They want the girls to know that they have a choice to say NO and not have sex so young. The big task will be getting all the information into Spanish and making it culture appropriate. My second task is working with the pastors wives and conducting interpersonal skills trianing, specifically dealing with spousal relations. They are hoping to become better educated with topics such as conflict resolution, anger managment, etc. so they can put together teachings for their congregations. For me this has been a great topic and area of research. From the information I have gathered, I have learned very valuable and helpful information for my own personal relationships.

That is my take on everything at this point. I hope to keep up with this blog pretty regularly, but at times the internet down there can be unpredictable, so we will see how it goes!

Also, I will not be sending out e-mails unless someone e-mails me first....so if you want a personal e-mail from me then you can write me at amberv@southern.edu I will be more than happy to hear from you all!

These next couple days are going to be busy and perhaps trying too. I get emotional everytime I think about being away from my family, friends, and my love Jason for so long. This will be a first for me, but I know that God is leading, so I am putting all my faith and trust in Him. That is the only way to go, right?!

I look forward to the adventure ahead. Please keep me in your prayers!
God Bless,
Amber :)

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. Proverbs 16:3,9