Day One

Schedule for the first day: Get up at 4:00am. Well, we started out off schedule, but early! Our big dog decided that we needed an extra half-hour to get ready, so after our barking alarm clock, we got up and ready between 3:30 and 5:00. It ended up that we needed that thirty minutes, because with pictures, girly talk, and good-byes, it was 5:13 by the time we backed down our drive-way.
So we were thirteen minutes behind, but not too bad. The drive was beautiful the entire way, and cameras were clicking the whole time. We started chattering after everyone knew everyone else's name, and then stopped about two hours from home for breakfast.

At our first stop was were we started to see God's protective hand. When we stopped for breakfast, I locked the keys in the car. Mrs. Callis called Triple A, but instead of just waiting for who knows how long, we girls tried to do something about it. One of our windows doesn't latch shut, so we were able to pry it open, but it was a window that only opens three inches sideways. We tried to stick a couple things in the window to reach the lock on the other door, nothing worked until Eden reached in with a cord and lassoed the lock. After a quick yank, the door was unlocked, but we then faced another dilemma. That door does not open from the outside. God does still work miracles, though, as was proved by the fact that we opened that door (though we haven't for months, and cannot now).After that show of God's protection on us females, we had a fairly uneventful, though long, day. We drove through five states, switching seats at every stop in order to get to know all of the girls in the van.

At 11:30 that night we pulled into the hotel parking lot, tired, but excited. God had used conversation to begin to knit our hearts together, and encourage us in Him. And this was before we even got to the conference!