Preparations Part II

A multitude of heavenly hosts

Imagine being surrounded by
millions of angels surrounding you so closely that the enemy can’t even see you;
He can’t get in because there are so many standing tall hovering over you.

Imagine an overwhelming feeling of peace and
comfort because of it.

This is what I
experienced Sunday morning at

my church,

the church I grew up in, the church I
call my second family.

As the elders,
deacons, mission committee, and my family gathered around to pray for me with
tears in their eyes, I knew God had brought many to pray for me and many angels
to protect me.

I can not even begin to
tell you the overwhelming feeling that came over me as they prayed.

I am blown away by how many people have
committed to pray for me faithfully this year and gave me a verse to remember
throughout the year.

I am in complete

awe of God’s goodness and the amazing
people He has placed in my life.

Thank

YOU for praying and for your support of
me.

You are a part of this trip is so
many ways—you have given me the resources through prayer, money, encouragement,
supplies, and your all around support – I’m just the one God is sending to go,
you helped send me!

Last Minute Preparations

Farewell Open House

Sunday afternoon, I had
lunch with some of my extended family to say good-bye and later on an open
house for friends to see me again before leaving for a year.

Some I hadn’t seen in a very long time and it
meant so much to me to have them come.

Some drove three hours or more just to say good bye and show their support.

I have the best family and friends
ever!!

We had so much food for both
lunch and the open house and it was all because of aunts and cousins who worked hard
several days to prepare for the event.

Saying good-bye

As I stood at church talking
to people after the service (the last sermon I will hear from my home church before I go), it did not hit me that I would not see these people for a year.

I will miss my church family very much, but
no matter how many miles away I am, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I have
hundreds of people thinking of me and praying for me.

As I was saying good-bye and hugging friends
and family throughout the afternoon and as they came and went, it seemed as
though it was just an open house celebration for graduation or something of the
sort.

And then it hit me at the end of
the day, ‘woah, I won’t be seeing these people for about a year,’ but I didn’t
view it that way as they were departing.

One of my best friends reminded me in an e-mail this week, “

Remember Kari,

it is not good-bye, it is just see you later

!” and she’s so right.

Oh, at that moment, as I read her e-mail, I
needed the reminder.

It is a surreal
feeling to be leaving for a year, that I am this close to actually doing it
instead of just talking about, but it is an exciting and exhilarating
feeling.

The verses people gave me were
just the

perfect verses to encourage
me and God knew they were just what I needed to hear now and throughout the
year!

How to Stay Updated and Contact Me

This year, I do not know all
the details of when I will be able to call, have access to a computer and
internet etc…but I will give you the information I can:

The first website I will
always update when I have access to internet will be my World Race blog
at:

www.karistembel.theworldrace.org

I will also be able to
receive e-mails on my blackberry phone when I have service, so feel free to
e-mail me at: [email protected]

We will also be using Skype when
available.

When I am on and you are on,
I will be able to communicate as an instant message system by typing as well as
have access to talking as it were a regular phone line, all for free!

My Skype name is

kari.stembel if you are interested in trying that out when I am
online.

Facebook,
MySpace, and Xanga will be
checked as often as possible and when time is available, but will not be my
primary sites for updating.