Hi Everyone!! Believe it or not, we are flying out TODAY!! I've had just a great time of orientation at SIM. It's almost been like a 4-day missions retreat! I've learned tonnes, been challenged and inspired like never before. THere's no place more humbling than to be in a room full of past & present missionaries. At the retirees prayer meeting on Thurs night, I was close to tears several times as they prayed over us and encouraged us with scriptural promises that had brought them throught their decades of service. WOW. Well, I'm at a loss of words yet again. I"m too excited to write anything profound. Keith and Helena are great, we've been having fun, maybe too much fun. True to my "Alma" self, I led Helena and I to the direct opposite bus route to town yesterday. HA!! I should be re-named "Finch East" from "Alma"-my nickname (you Vancouverites, you know the Alma bus, the #10 from downtown to Alma Street?). I'll leave you all with 3 things: 1) THANKS-for all the encouragment, prayer support and emails. PLEASE keep it going. I have no idea how often I will get access to email there, but please do write, I will be counting on this! 2) Psalm 91. I desire in this 2.5 months to claim the promises of God and depend on it!! I desire to learn, grow and surrender and have FUN. God has brought me there not for destruction, but for CONSTRUCTION. I"ve been praying Eph 3:20-21 alot as you all know, and now I am asking God to help me to actually believe it and eagerly wait in anticipation and expectation that He will indeed do that. 3) Please PRAY: -for our flight to Amsterdam, then to KKano, Nigeria to be uneventful & safe. We spend the night at the Kano SIM station, visit the Kano Eye Hospital, before riding the 2-3 hrs by car to Jos. You can imagine all the details to pray for regarding travel. Thanks! -please also pray that Keith and I willl tolerate the side effects of our anti-malaria drug well. So far so good, although Keith has had vivid dreams and I have had trouble sleeping. (I got the first good full night of sleep just this Friday night). [Mefloquine has been known to give neurological side effects like this: sleep disorders, psycho dreams, emotional stuff etc...] Helena's on a different drug, pray that she will not have any bad side effects too, although hers is less crazy. -please pray that the continued peace iin Jos will reign and that we will be a blessing and support and encouragement for the long-term missionaries that are there. Pray for our adjustment into the new culture, for sensitivity, and for boldness. THANK YOU! I love and miss you all! shermeen --------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out this web article/profile: www.iamnext.com/premed Peek at my personal webpage: www.geocities.com/shermeenchan/