Big news #1
We (yes, you and I, bc you're on this journey with me) are technically in the LAST week of support raising!!!!! Congrats for making it 13 weeks with me!!!
Big news #2
I'm typing this blog on my new MACBOOK!! I know this is a controversial topic for some of you...so let me explain...
Let me start off by saying my HP Pavilion is a trooper. I have had it for almost 5 years and although I have had my fair share of problems, it got the job done.
However, it's size, hard drive space, and the fact that it would take a century to open any program [[God forbid you try to run two at the same time]] was just driving me crazy.
Fortunately, I still had some graduation money left over (Thank God for grandparents) so the search for a new computer began.
I've always wanted a macbook...yes, I'll admit, partly for the ability to instantly increase my cool factor in a coffee shop with it. And kinda partly because of photobooth...that entertains me for hours. Anyway...I came across the price dilemma of course. Spend $650 on a Dell or HP or $1,000 on a macbook?? Seems like an easy answer, but when you reeeeally want a mac, you just can't fight that feeling (well, apparently I can't).
Don't freak out, I'm completely aware that I'm also in a unique situation because I'm raising support...I don't really have $1,000 bucks to be throwing around. So, here's my reasoning:
(this is purely to re-assure myself of my decision, but humor me by reading anyway)
1. It's grad $$$ from the g-rents
2. It's an investment
3. Both amounts are a lot of money...if I'm going to spend a lot, I want to love it and be excited about it.
4. With the student discount and free itouch ( to sell of course) I only pay $750 for a new macbook.
And if you need more convincing that this was a hard decision for me, get this: I walked into the apple store to buy the macbook 3 times and chickened out 3 times. I finally had to have my mom come with me to make sure I bought it.
But, of course, now I love it :)
day dreaming about Paris
don't underestimate me
dance party/ work out sesh @ LC's
Big news #3
“...we have officially approved NEW DECREASED mpd goals for you.”
This was an e-mail my team and I received about a week ago that had just about all of us (except for Lauren who doesn't cry) crying. As you know, we had a pretty high financial support goal to raise...for many reasons, one of them being that we are the first STINT team to be there for 1 year, so a lot of costs were estimates. Once some of the leaders living in Paris now looked over our budget and approved it, we were able to come up with a more accurate goal.
This decision bumped me up to exactly 80%, which is what I needed to book my flight to the training week in Chicago on August 13th.
Since last Thursday, the Lord has continued to provide and I am now at 90%.....I'M GOING TO PARIS!!!! sorry...that is still sinking in for me, so every now and then I just have to scream it.
Even cooler, the Lord's provision does not stop there...I still have some exciting things coming up, which leads me to....
Big news #4
Urban Flats: Thursday Tasting
About a month ago when I was around 40% and brainstorming any possible way to raise support, my mom suggested I contact Urban Flats. She had been to a few fund-raisers there before and they seemed to be pretty successful. I thought for sure they would turn me down, but I might as well ask (that's like the theme for support raising right there).
After a quick chat with the manager and an e-mail to the marketing director, I had a date set and tickets in the mail!
Thursday, July 29th from 5:30pm-7:00pm there will be wine tasting, appetizers, and flat breads for $25 per person.
And the great deal is that $20 goes back to my mission!!
So this is a great way for my friends to be able to support me AND have a fun night out.
**I'll still be selling tickets at the door, so if you haven't bought one yet, still come!! And bring a friend!!
To avoid overloading you (and so I squeeze another post in this week) I'll leave the rest of the updates for later.
Bonne nuit (goodnight),
