I'm having a secret!

And now I'm going to tell. A number of you know this already, but it is time to go public. First some background. *cue the flashback*

As you all know, I've been a bit homesick at times here, and settling in has been challenging. All around me friends are making plans to go home for Christmas, or to have family come and visit them here, and I've been making plans to go to other people's houses because I have no money and no visitors! I was hoping to talk my parents into coming for a visit, but they spent 5 weeks in Europe this summer, and my mum is currently in California, so they told me that they just don't have the money. Dad thought that mum might come in June, right before I leave, but he warned me not to get my hopes up, since the budget is tight for international trips!

Being as it's time for me to make a visit to another country, I decided to go and visit Elly in Salzburg. I checked that it was Ok with her, and posted briefly about the trip on my blog. I was really looking forward to spending a weekend with her, and just couldn't contain my excitement.

That night, I got an incomprehensible email from my father, something about asking if I was free for coffee. After reading it about 73 times, I realized what he was telling me. He is coming to see me. It was supposed to be a surprise. He was going to just show up on my doorstep, and ask if I was free for coffee. He didn't tell anyone, not even mum!* He was afraid that if people knew, they would leak it to me accidentally. It is all my fault that his surprise was ruined. The weekend I was talking about going to Elly's is one of the weekends he is here for. He didn't want me to leave the country just when he was going to be in it! I know he was disappointed to have the surprise spoilt, but I also know that now we are both very excited! Yayay!

Now I have to go and see Elly on a different weekend. I will definitely go and see her. First I have to sort out when my week-long course is (please God, let it be the week before Dad arrives, and not the week that he's here), and whether or not Dad wants to do a short trip to Dresden or something. I imagine these things will be sorted out by early this week, so I shall keep you posted.

And that's my exciting news for the day! And it IS exciting! It felt like Christmas Eve the night I got dad's email; I hardly slept. And I leapt up in the morning to re-check my email to make sure it hadn't been a dream. Today and tomorrow I'm going to try and plan all of this week's lessons, and then on Thursday and Friday I want to plan all of next week's lessons, so that I can get myself a week ahead. Please pray that I stay focused and motivated!

I love you all. Thanks for your prayers. You know, Garth Brooks says to thank God for unanswered prayers, and I agree. But also remember to thank God for answering unprayed prayers, like sending your dad to visit even though you didn't pray for it to happen because you didn't want to get your hopes up!

Love,
Elizabeth

*He did actually tell someone. He had to ask for a short-term leave of absence at work (they wouldn't be too happy if he just didn't show up for a week!!), so a few of his colleagues know that he is coming. But no one in his personal life knew! No one! Not even, I mean, especially, me!! :D