"It's a party in the USA!"

     The song "Party in the USA" came out shortly before I went off to DRC for three months back in 2010 and I played it constantly on my iPod when I was alone... I don't care how much you do or don't like Miley Cyrus - when you're literally on the other side of the world and there's a fun song about your home country - you listen to it over and over and over. (Yes, I do know all the words......)
     ANYWAY... In 11 short days (roughly 264 hours) I'll be headed to the other side of the world. I'm very excited about my first trip to Asia! I'll be heading to Tagaytay, Luzon, The Philippines as a voting-delegate (Young Adult) from the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church to the Global Young People’s Convocation and Legislative Assembly (GYPCLA). I've recently seen the final list of delegates from the SEJ and I believe I'm the only one from the Virginia Conference. I leave Charlottesville early in the AM on the 14th and after stops in the US to meet up with some more delegates I head off to The Philippines after a very quick layover in Japan. I'll arrive around bedtime on the 15th and our event is the 16th-20th. I know very little about what to expect except that we'll have Worship, Fellowship, Prayer and Holy Conferencing. (Yes, we'll be going paperless, we've already rec'd a link to the legislative stuff in all the languages... I'm sticking with English so that I know what's going on.)
     Here are some links that might help describe the Conference a little better: here's one and here's another.
     I'm very grateful to the GBOD for providing a scholarship and my conference, district, and church for helping with the funding for this. Without all this I wouldn't be able to go. (Don't you love a call where they ask you to be a delegate for something but then tell you you have to pay for all of it?!?)
     While I'm away I hope to have the time and opportunity (aka: energy and wifi) to update this blog a few times with stories and photos. I covet your prayers for safe travels and a wonderful experience for each and every person who is a part of this event! In the meantime just think about how excited I am to rock out some compression socks on the 13ish hour flight from Detroit to Japan... OH YEA!