so, i guess i'm really going?

i decided to apply for ywam on april 3rd of this year. it was a thursday. i'll never forget this day because it was the day after the worst day of my life. (okay, dad, so maybe not the worst of my LIFE, but it was bad. really bad). i went into work on that thursday morning with my eyes nearly swollen shut (i looked really pretty) because i had cried so hard for so long the previous day. bottom line: i had pretty much hit rock bottom, and i think my mom can attest to that, having been a key witness (christy, you haven't seen an ugly cry until you've seen mine). one hour after getting into work that day, God introduced me to ywam waves, which is based on the sunshine coast of australia. i immediately emailed three of the most important people in my world about this opportunity: dad, mom and cori. their immediate, capital letter, bold faced "GO FOR IT" responses made me certain that this was something i should at least apply for.

despite my concerns about money, getting out of my apartment lease, leaving my job, etc., my family just kept reassuring me that if God wanted me to go, he'd open the right doors. sure enough, absolutely everything about the timing of this experience has been nothing short of incredible...up to the exact minute i received my acceptance, booked my flights, got out of my apartment lease, and left my job. God made it remarkably clear that this is exactly what i need to be doing.so now, almost three months to the day that i first learned about ywam waves, i'm packing up as much as american airlines will let me (problem: my bag was 10lbs over the weight limit when flying to seattle for less than a WEEK, and this time scott won't be there to bail me out!) and moving to australia, where i will spend the next five months of my life. am i scared? no. let's be accurate here: i'm absolutely terrified.

God knew my nerves needed to be calmed and i wasn't sure who could do that, so He brought Megan into my life: a 23 year old Wheaton resident who just returned in march from ywam on the sunshine coast, and will be returning in august to join the staff there. Megan contacted me and we met for coffee for over two hours -- two hours that i desperately needed to feel at peace with leaving. Megan answered so many questions, walked me through a typical day, talked about some of the staff that i will be meeting and told me some incredible stories from her time there. by the time i left, i didn't know whether or not to laugh or cry, but i knew i was finally truly ready to leave...despite the non-stop tears i cry while saying goodbye.

so, i leave on wednesday, july 2nd, and will fly to Los Angeles, then Fiji, then Brisbane. from Brisbane, i will have to take a bus for an hour and a half to the house i'll be living in. i will arrive there sometime in the afternoon of july 4th. and, they are FIFTEEN HOURS ahead there, so that transition should be interesting.

i know when a lot of you first heard about what i'm going to be doing, your initial thought was, "really? that doesn't sound like something mallory would do." and, you're right...i completely agree. but that's one of the reasons i'm doing it. as i've begun packing, through a ridiculously wide range of emotions, i found a simplicty in myself that i never was able to see before. let's just be honest: i've been really good at being really complicated for the past 24 years, but i am looking forward to what's to come because it just screams simplicty to me, and that is a beautiful thing. my sister recently asked me what i'm going to miss and i thought i would start rambling off the shopping malls, hair salons, television shows and movies. but i couldn't even get myself to say that. it's the people in my life that i love so much: that's going to be hard to live without. but, although i didn't think i'd ever be able to confidently say this: the rest is not only unecessary, but i'm actually kind of excited to have a break from it all.

yes, even the hair salons and shoe stores.

and, yes, this is still mallory...i haven't even left yet and i think i've already grown up a little bit. stay tuned...this is probably going to be a very interesting five months...

i love you all so much.






in the midst of my ridiculously frantic packing, jude found out that i'm leaving and won't be here for his 1st birthday :(
he was NOT happy about it, poor thing.

*a couple of requests*

-while i undoubtedly need prayers for safe travels, please also pray for peace of mind while i'm on my way there. to say i'm an emotional person is an understatement, and it's not an impossibility for me to cry from the minute i get to the airport until the minute i arrive at the house. seriously. it's scary to make such a long journey to something that is unknown by myself, so please pray that i arrive there feeling calm and confident...and my luggage arrives at the same time.

-as shocking as this may seem: i actually can be shy around people i don't know. i realize this is hard to believe, but i'm not kidding. especially in a situation like the one i'm about to enter: i don't want to hold back because i feel uncomfortable. please pray that i am able to live this experience to the fullest without apprehension.

-give my family members a hug every time you see them. walk into my parents' house and make a lot of noise, laugh too loud, talk too fast, exaggerate every other sentence, make sure my bed isn't made, and scatter shoes all throughout the house. it'd be nice to know that my presence is still felt there.


i'll be in touch...next time, from wayyyyy down under!

xoxo