53 days

It just hit me.  There are less than two months until I leave for Benin.  All my immunizations are up to date now.  I was a bit of a wimp about those, especially the typhoid/hepatitis A vaccine, which really hurt!  As I mentioned previously, it was also a requirement for me to have my yellow fever immunization.  It is recommended that I take anti-malarial medication, so my next task will be to fill my prescription at the pharmacy.

Preparations

There is so much to do to get ready, and I know I need to start packing, work on learning French, and get up to date on anything regarding pediatric nursing.  And then I have to book my flights!

This has been an interesting journey though, because a friend and I attempted to have a conversation in French the other day.  It was all present tense, and we forgot many words and phrases, but some of it came back to memory fairly quickly!  There are a lot of Spanish words I automatically substitute for French words though (:

If any of you speak French and want to practice with me, I'd be up for it!

Spiritual preparations

Another friend gave me some very wise advice as well.  He reminded me not to slack on growing spiritually.  If there is anything I do have keep up with, it would be Bible reading and prayer.  However, sometimes I find it such a struggle to regularly read my Bible and spend time in prayer.  Even though I know that the only way I will grow to become more like Jesus is to spend time with Him, I still make excuses and believe myself to be too busy.

You know how we tend to become like those whom we are around?  There is that phrase "you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."  Is this true?  Do people rub off on us for good or for bad?  Consider this verse from 1 Corinthians 15:33: "Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals."  As much as we like to think we are influential, more often others are influencing us.  We will not stay the same, and we will begin to take the shape of what is around us.  If we surround ourselves with crass speech, rude jokes, swearing, lies, gossip, etc., we will eventually resemble this in our own speech, actions, and thoughts.

Well the same is with Jesus.  The more time we are around Him, by studying the Word of God, the more He will work in and change us to be kind, loving, compassionate, and patient...just like Jesus.  These are all qualities I struggle with, and I want to develop them further.  It goes to show how important a passage like Romans 12:1-2 is, as only God's Word will renew my mind after a tough day at work, or after being around sexual jokes, negative attitudes, etc.  Apart from God and His work in my life, I am not just the same as I have always been.  We never stay the same.  But rather than soaking up what everyone else is doing, let's spend time with Jesus, and pray to become like Him.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:18