Farewell! (but not forever)

This is my last night in La Crosse, and it's hard to believe this day has come! Over the last few days I have said my goodbyes to family, church family, and friends, and it has been tough, and yet as I now look at my suitcase, backpack, and small drawstring bag all packed on the floor and ready to go, I know I must be ready. I leave not without some sorrow--I will miss the closeness I feel here at home because this is all so familiar to me, and it's hard to leave it all behind. This trip, I know, will mark a shift, the end of one period of my life. But I know that another phase begins, and as it does I go buoyed by prayer and supported by many back home; your friendship is a cherished blessing to me! Thank you.

Allow me to elaborate a moment on communication. As you have read to your right, I will be able to receive letters from the United States (and other countries, I guess). According to the research I've done, it should cost about $0.98 to send a postcard or regularly-sized envelope to Ghana, and about $1.18 to send an oddly-shaped envelope, like a square one. Please remember that I cannot receive packages, as they require payment not only when you send them, but also before I can receive them--sometimes as much as $60 to $80. If you send me a letter, it needn't be anything too elaborate or fancy; I would simply love to hear from you! I would welcome a picture or two if you wish to include one, but really I would just like to keep updated while I'm gone.

If you need a little bit quicker method of reaching me, you may either email me at jessica.n.haley@gmail.com or comment on my blog (super easy: click "0 [or whatever the number happens to be] comments" at the bottom of each blog post next to where it says the time I posted, then type your comment on the page that opens and press "post comment"). However, as mentioned in the address column, please be aware that my internet access will be via internet cafe (I am not bringing my own computer) and therefore intermittent at best. After I leave the capital city at the beginning of January, I will not have much internet access, and you can expect blog postings to slow accordingly.

That's all there is from me for now; I am going to bed so that I can spend my last few morning hours in La Crosse hiking up to bluff to watch the sunrise.