“I am, I was, I will always be”

Time is inevitable and inescapable. No matter what we do time will always pass. Seconds will turn to minutes, minutes to hours, and hours will become days. In retrospect, time is a man-man subject that stands to bring about consistency, routine, and stability to our lives. God gave us time because we cannot handle the unknown. How many times do people stray away from new adventures or experiences because they are simply scared of the time they will waste? We all consider our time “valuable” and heaven forbid we take time out of our self-absorbed lives to give it to others or to the Lord. Over the past few weeks, the more I am immersed into the Kandaria community I truly have learned that what I considered “my” time is in actuality not my time at all. God has given me the ability to wake up each day, breath, eat, and grow in His name. Time is not something we can own. It is something that as much as we want we will never control.

            As I come to the ending weeks of this humbling journey I have begun to realize that time has become a constant, uncontrollable, companion of mine. There are so many instances when I wish that I could stop time and breathe in every moment in Kenya. The atmosphere, the people, the culture is so embedded in love and forming relationships. Everywhere we walk we are stopped, greeted, and talked to. Being one who has always respected personal space, at first it was overwhelming, but greeting people has honestly become one of my favorite parts of the day. 

Originally, one of the main factors in my desire to go on a long term mission was to form lifelong friendships that are based in Christ. Being able to minister to people comes easily when the Lord has built a relationship that is enveloped in trust and love. This morning we were told that to trust there must be intimacy…there must be trust in a relationship for belief in words and wisdom to be established. When told this I couldn’t help but smile. I looked around and my eyes were filled with tears. The community looked at us with affectionate eyes listening intently to every word that was said. One woman in particular, Joyce, saw us from a distance and ran up to us with open arms. Joyce is one of the women in the community who has helped form “Bridges for Women” (essentially a womans bible study group). She is compassionate, giving, and has a contagious personality that makes you want to sit with her all day long. Two days ago, she invited us to visit her house for lunch. Upon arrival she greeted us with hugs, kisses, and prayers. We spent all day with her, stuffing our stomachs with delicious foods and endless cups of chai tea. At the end of our visit she looked at us and said, “I am very happy you are here. Thank you, thank you, thank you. May God forever bless you.” Her praises and thanks continued as we walked out the door. It is people and relationships like Joyce’s that have imprinted my heart. She is a true woman of God and like all the other woman of the community have impacted me more than I could have ever imagined. The time I have spent with her and the women are blessed moments that I will always treasure.

Each weekend we use our time on Saturday mornings to take house visit to those who are in need. Many of the people we meet, we have met within the community whether it be on walks, church services, or teaching their children in schools. As we walked to the second house of the morning, we turned a corner and a small mud-hut came into plain sight. Adjacent to the house was a small plot of corn maize, various crops, and vegetables. Running along the parameters of the house were multiple children ranging in age from 4 to 16. Many of which were familiar faces. Arriving at the house we were greeted as always with friendly handshakes and an invitation into the home. The interior of the house was dark, as there was no light, and consisted of two rooms that were filled with wooden chairs and dirt floors. We sat and talked to the woman and her family for about ten minutes to learn that she was caring for her four children along with four of her grandchildren. The woman was widowed and had minimal income. Most of the children were sponsored by organizations and given just enough to provide for a meal a day and schooling. Needless to say the family was in need. In the midst of the conversation I felt something hit my leg and next to my foot sat a chicken. Everyone laughed and one of the little boys came and picked up the chicken and handed it to David (our host).  At the time I had no understanding of what was going on because Luo was being spoken. After the visit walking home David had told us that the woman had given us the chicken and because of the culture, when given a gift one has to accept. I was amazed. This woman was attempting to feed and raise about eight children alone and here she was giving us their source of meat.  I was aghast and immediately humbled (this happens on many occasions). Later that afternoon the girls and I discussed the events of the day and felt like God had laid a burden on our heart. Because of the many donations given on the trip we were able to donate money to buy beans and rice for orphans in the community!! Giving the children the food that will sustain them for the next couple of weeks was one of the many moments that was to fleeting.

Both of these instances are only two of the many relationships that we have made throughout the hours and days we have spent in Kandaria. The relationships that we have formed over these past few weeks have been the biggest blessings and as much as I wish I could stop time so as to spend more and more time with the people, I know I cannot. But then I think of the old saying, “time will come and go but friendships will last forever”. Then it dawned on me..God gave us friendships through Him that are eternal. Though we lack time on earth we have eternity in heaven. As my time comes to an end in Kenya and I say goodbye to people I have grown to love and respect I know that in a week I won’t be saying “goodbye” but an “I’ll see you later”. 

Pulling off the Band-Aid and Letting Go

            The sun begins to descend into the mountainside and we realize we have once again been captivated by the picturesque view of the African skyline. Realizing natural light is dissipating and darkness is soon to settle in our hike turns into a race against the clock. Us versus Time. We scan the horizon to see the best path. Spotting one, without thinking we trust our judgment and begin the trek down the rocky path. Halfway down I come to a halt. I look up and see the people in front of me strain farther ahead. I’m at a standstill, stuck, balancing on two unstable rocks that are at any moment going to give way. For those of you who know me then you fully understand that I am not an “outdoorsy” person. I’m clumsy, unbalanced, and cannot walk in a straight line on level ground. So you can imagine the predicament I had gotten myself into on a path full of uneven surfaces and thorny plants.

 As I cautiously sway back and forth, quickly trying to formulate the best strategy to avoid the big fall, I hear the girls in front of me saying just jump, let go. I think let go? Are they crazy?  At that point I think okay, I have two options; I can trust what they say and hope I survive or I can stand immobile, stuck, bringing myself and the group down. I take a personal leap of faith and let go. Immediately, I stumble but find myself in the arms of safety. Hands had stopped what would have been a disastrous face plant. A couple of laughs and a sigh of relief on my end are exchanged and we are back following the arduously rocky but adventurous path home.

Continuing to play in what seemed like a long, tiresome, game of follow the leader I found myself repeating let go, let go, let go, letting go, the rest of the walk home. I repeated the words to myself silently and wondered, God what do I need to let go? Why does this one phrase keep recurring in my mind like a broken record? Am I not giving something up? There were of course various trivial topics that entered my head but deep down I knew what I needed to finally let go of.

I think often times when one is bothered or upset, as humans, it is our nature to put up walls and say we are okay or fine. We have become great actors in creating facades that mask our true emotions or feelings. I myself have become a master in the art of personal trickery. In many cases when I am upset I force myself to act okay and eventually I trick myself into really believing and feeling okay. Ninety-nine percent of the time this puts a band-aid on my wound for a short period of time. What I never realize is underneath the strong exteriors of my band-aid I am only creating a deep, septic wound that will eventually need to be examined and fixed in order for me to move forward.

Understanding that I needed to face a couple of subjects in my life and really give them up to the Lord I thought how? The few thoughts that penetrated my mind were ones that I hadn’t faced or thought about in months. Honestly, I had felt that I was okay. Once again without meaning I use the word “okay”. The word itself needs to be removed from my vocabulary! It took me a moment to really say maybe I am not okay. Maybe I ran from my emotions when I needed to jump in the ring and confront them face to face. Maybe I had let words rule over my actions. Though I had on multiple occasions spoken to the Lord and asked him to walk with me in my struggles and help me be more than okay; I wonder did I really mean it? Did I truly lift my anxieties and worries into His hands? To be boldly honest with myself I didn’t. I couldn’t. I wasn’t ready to be freed of memories and thoughts that lingered in my heart.

Since the hike yesterday evening I have been struggling with figuring out exactly how to truly let myself let something or someone go. I am an emotional person. Unlike others, I do not easily forget or let go. I am a “packrat”. Anything that is at all sentimental to me I keep. Even if in the long run what I need to let go may be beneficial to my well being I struggle with giving it up. What scares me the most is when we give something up to the Lord we ultimately lose control over the situation. We have been raised in a world that yearns to control everything! Why are we so afraid to truly lose control over our lives?

Honestly, I have read this paragraph over and over and wish I had an exact answer. But I don’t. At this point I have to turn to faith. Faith that through constant communication and prayer the Lord will enlighten me with the answers I seek. In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen Him” I have to have faith that this is the truth. We have to believe that in Him we have everything we need for both this life and for the life that is yet to come. The challenge is to keep our eyes fixated on the Lord when there are times of trial, bewilderment, and confusion. Remain steadfast in Him.

Hunger for Love

            Love. By definition love is an intense feeling of deep affection or a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone. At first, I looked up the definition of love to get a general idea of what society depicted love as in an academic sense. I was not surprised to find that the multiple definitions where stark, impersonal, and stagnant. As I read through the various definitions of what love is I found myself feeling ill at ease. Never once was there mention of love in conjunction with spirituality or religion. We love because God first loved us. We know and understand love because God gave us the ability to love. In my mind, love itself is rooted deep in the Lord.

 Starting from infancy we are taught depictions of what “true” love is through social media and pop culture. People strive to find love whether it be through means of family, friends, materialistic items, or other entities. With the idealization of love comes short satisfaction followed by a vast array of heartache and pain. Love has an intoxicating effect on people giving them the power of imagination and hope. It has become a versatile matter that takes shape in many forms. Though in retrospect, I have lived a minimal amount of time in the grand scheme of life, I feel as though I have already learned so much about love through relationships, family, and media. But I often wonder am I searching for the right kind of love? Is the type of love that we all search for the kind of love that the Lord tells us to exemplify and find? Or do we fill our souls with an artificial love that at the end of the day leaves us unsatisfied and discontent?

Currently in my bible I have pictures of my family so that when I open the pages the first thing I am reminded of is them. The pictures put me at ease and fill me with feelings of contentment, warmth, and safety. They are my home and reassurance. I trust in my family with everything that I am. I love them unconditionally. “Unconditionally” is a word that I often hear when people are describing something they feel passionate about. In church I grew up hearing that God loves us unconditionally. But if God loves us unconditionally then do I really understand the meaning of unconditional love? I would like to think yes and I would hope that the love I feel for my family is the same love that the Lord feels for all his children; indescribable, undeniable, and everlasting. Yet his love is greater than any love I can articulate and image. The amount that He loves us is not comprehendible to our minds.

Watching the people of Kenya, I see love every day! Two days ago we went to the woman’s meeting in Kandaria and were taught basket weaving from the local women. Women’s meetings are held every Monday under an enormous tree within the Kandaria community. In anticipation of the meeting, we prepared our Lou phrases of “hello”, “how are you”, “God Bless You”, ect. From what we had seen from the community thus far we felt confident of what was to come; friendly greeting, laughter, and LOTS of hand shaking. However, we were not prepared for the intense greeting we were actually given. As we rounded the corner to the big tree we saw the woman all sitting conversing and tediously working on baskets under the tree. The moment we came into sight there was an immediate change in atmosphere. Women jumped out of their seats and began chanting, dancing, laughing, and singing at our welcoming. Our hands were grabbed and we were thrown into the middle of the group being hugged, kissed, and danced with. We could do nothing but laugh and be joyous with them. After minutes of being loved on we were seated in chairs in front of all the women. They looked at us with eager smiles anticipating what we would say and do. After introducing ourselves we were sent out among the women to learn their ways. Sadly, I will have to admit that basket weaving is not my strong suit and I probably messed up hours of work but still they sat patiently with me showing me the correct hand work. Never once did they stop smiling or grow short with me. They loved me. When I think about the type of love that the Lord wants us to embrace and epitomize I would think that it would be an unconditional love similar to the one that the woman displayed to me. Though they had known us for only five minutes they accepted us calling us “sisters of Kandaria”. They seek to live in the Lord’s love with every inch of their being.

As I continue to live amongst the community one of my prayers and hopes is to truly understand and seek unconditional love through the Lord. In 1 Peter 4:8-10 the Lord says “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms”. I offer you to do the same. Find the Lord’s love and wear it like a cloak of light, covering you from head to toe (Jesus Calling Devotional). Do not fear being vulnerable by loving others for the Lord says in 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us”. Remember God was your first love, gaze at him and learn how he loves, and with his guidance together we will learn to love people through his lenses and it will please Him. 

Unspoken Truths

Have you ever taken the time to think about the way you live your life? The way you go about your day. Do you stop and help a stranger? Do you use words of affirmation? Do you go out of your way to meet the needs of others? Are you thankful? Have you made a difference? Today, my mind has been flooded with these constant thoughts. Day by day I walk through the streets of Kenya and see poverty, sickness, and deprivation. People need medical treatment and food but lack the money to provide for their basic needs. For many, everyday is a struggle. Yet through their hardships they live a life full of compassion and trust. Signs, buildings, and cars are covered with biblical verses or sayings. Many people have a love for the Lord that is indescribable. Religion is not just a tiny facet of their daily Sunday routine; it is their life. I cannot watch these people who are so gracious but have so little and not feel convicted. My mind has been overwhelmed with realizations this week.

Thinking has become a major part of my days. Waking up by 6:30 every morning, days are filled with gaps of time where I can do as I please. It is in these times that I have come to fully know and love silence. I know this sounds silly but silence is something so simple and understated that I never realized the beauty in it. In all honesty, my favorite part of today was standing outside on the hilltop watching the sunset in complete and pure silence. Watching the sun go below the horizon, becoming lost in clouds of pink and purple, my mind was flooded with forgotten memories and avoided thoughts. Usually, I keep myself occupied with trivial tasks or projects to prevent my mind from wandering to truths that I don’t want to accept, but today in the eyes of such beauty I couldn’t run from the reality of my life.  I have been blessed with a life of luxury yet often times I look at others and seek more. Want often pervades into my life becoming an unnecessary idol. What I have failed to understand is that the more I yearn for that “perfect” life the farther away I grow from the Lord for within the Lord and his teachings we find perfection. It is the simple things, such as a sunset, that God has created to personify true beauty and grace. Not us. We have to seek him to attain a glimpse of His perfection.

In Isaiah 16-20 it is written,

 “Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

What a powerful couple of phrases! Because we are human we will always find failure. We will say the wrong things, make many mistakes, and take things for granted, but because God is a loving god we can take refuge in Him and through his help try to do better. I challenge you to take a time of silence and think about your life. Is there an unspoken truth in your life that you need to face? Be obedient and willing and the Lord will walk hand in hand with you, keeping you strong in your times of weakness. Look at what you have been given and take thanks. Love on those who often times love you and be thankful.

Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.

            Where do I even begin to start writing of this amazing journey? I have been in Kenya for not even a full week and I feel as though I have been here for months. Already, I have fallen in love with the atmosphere, culture, and people who surround me. The community of Kandaria is filled with people who are always full of joy and love; expressing their immense passion for life daily. Africa is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen (I have yet to take a picture that can show its true beauty..its indescribable)! The country itself is very lush and tropical, embellished with exotic plants, animals, and communities. Life here is simple. Unlike the United States, days are not fully packed with lists of things to do, but instead are laid back and more carefree. I never realized how much worry and stress I bring to my life by constantly keeping myself overwhelmingly busy. At first, I didn’t know what to do with the “free” time but through prayer and conversation I have learned to embrace the time and use it as an opportunity to grow with the Lord and learn more about myself. I feel like it is God’s way of telling me to take a step back, stop planning, and live life in the moment.

Though I cannot imagine leaving Kenya at this point, the first couple of days were definitely ones filled with fear, self-doubt, and challenges.  Upon arrival we were immediately faced with a lot of unknown cultural differences such as bucket showers, outhouses, new foods, mosquito nets, and the overall way of living. The cultural differences posed as major obstacles for me and I found myself for the first time on this trip really wondering what the Lords plan is. I was overwhelmed with thoughts of confusion and uncertainty. Why had the Lord brought me away from family and friends to a whole new world of the unknown? Each night the girls and I sit and talk through the day; our problems, prayers, and concerns. As our second day in Kandaria came to an end we were talking about the cultural differences when we stopped and realized that we were being foolish and selfish. We were NOT here for our comfort and benefit. We ARE here to fulfill a calling from the Lord, to serve him in every circumstance whether it is easy or difficult. Realizing and understanding our weaknesses the next day became easier. I began to embrace everything the Lord had given me; the opportunity to serve and grow in His name, the opportunity to build relationships embedded in Christ, and the overall chance to experience life through the eyes of others. Honestly, I cannot imagine being anywhere else right now. I feel at home and comfortable..funny how the Lord works.

We have been staying with David and Justine O’Kongo. David is the doctor at the medical clinic we have been working in. I am eternally grateful for their hospitality and generosity. They have certainly been a blessing from God throughout this journey. Justine is an amazing cook and provides us with delicious foods covered in rich African spices…SOOO YUMMY!!! My favorite dishes so far have been chipati, mandazi (similar to a beignet), and tilapia. I have made it a goal to be open to trying new foods (I’m usually a very picky eater) and I have discovered that there are fish I like as well as different fruits and beans. Some of my favorite parts of the day are when we just sit and talk to David about his life. He is such a strong man of Christ and has achieved so many of his dreams! He has been a great teacher in both medical aspects and aspects of life. One of my hopes of this trip was to learn better ways to develop and form IOD (International Outreach for Diabetes).  After talking with him, working in the clinic, and learning the role of diabetes in Africa I have begun to form new ideas for IOD. I cannot wait to get back to the US and share my new ideas with my team members and get started!

The Okongos are a part of the Luo tribe. We have been adopted into their family and have been given Lao names. Mine is Apiyo meaning second twin, Carolines is Atieno meaning born at night, Emily’s is Awuor meaning born in middle of the night, and Camerons is Owuor also meaning borin in the middle of the night. O= boy; A= girl. Yesterday we walked around and met a lot of people from the village. All of them were so inviting and nice. It’s been great to feel welcomed everywhere we go! We have been working hard attempting to learn both Swahili and Luo. Thanks to Caroline, the reinforcer of learning the languages, we are well on our way to being fluent!! I would love to write more but it is pouring and I must go. Please send your prayers and blessings!!!

"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise" Luke 23:43

Typical day at the clinic

Embrace All Circumstances

I wrote this a while ago and just never posted it. Sorry its so late!! 

John 15:5

Hebrews 13:6

Deuteronomy 31:6

Isaiah 43: 1-5

Twenty days until I arrive in the town of Kimusu, Kenya! The thought is completely unattainable right now. It seems like just yesterday I was searching endlessly among various internet sites attempting to find the one group or organization that I could give my heart and services up to. Honestly, the closer the departure date comes the more I become awestruck at the Lord’s magnificent power and glory! Who would have thought that the Lord would guide and bless me along a path that gave me the opportunity to go and share His grace abroad? At this point, in my eyes, His will is completely indescribable. Anytime I think I’ve got my plan figured out; God definitely shocks me with a new turn or twist, changing every direction I thought I was meant to go.

Two weeks ago my father gave a sermon in the absence of our church’s main pastor. Being at school, preparing for finals, I sadly wasn’t able to hear the sermon that he labored over for weeks. Fortunately, while working on his sermons he would tell me bits and pieces of what he was discussing, and overall I felt like I understood the concept and points he wanted to achieve. But I guess the saying “you can never judge a book by its cover” could suffice here. Today, while eating breakfast I happened to spot the DVD of his sermon adjacent to me on the table and figured that while I enjoyed my food I could watch ten minutes of it.  I was mistaken. You best believe I sat at that table for over an hour. His sermon was captivating and phenomenal in my mind; truly showed me how absolutely blessed I am to have a father who is such a strong man of God in both his words and actions. Overall, his sermon discussed communicating with the Lord whether it be through prayer, dreams, etc. Within the contexts of the sermon he stated that at times it is our unanswered prayers that can be the biggest blessings in life. How true!!! How many times do people try to micromanage their life, praying for something to go one way or another when what happens among our lives and those throughout the world is all in God’s plan.  He is the ultimate plotter of life. I believe that one of the many aspects of God that makes Him so amazing is His ability to be the calming strength in times of weakness. No matter where our path leads us, God’s right beside us, assuring us to trust in Him because He already knows the outcome of the greatest events that will take place in our lives. And though at times His plan may seem ill logical or hard, we are too childish and unknowing to comprehend that our self-planned way is wrong.

            Being back at home, I now find myself being just as equally stressed and busy as I was at school. There are so many things to do in the twenty-four hours we are allotted in a day. Between work, unpacking, repacking, and preparing for Africa I find myself feeling overwhelmed at times. Sometimes I get so busy, I notice that I focus more on the “Me” and less on the “Him”. I begin to act like I can do it all on my own; which usually ends in a major failure of some sort. Upon hearing my dad’s sermon this morning I went into my prayer/quiet time with a refreshed outlook on communicating with the Lord. Being exhausted by an array of emotions the past couple of weeks, as soon as I opened my devotional and started to read I immediately wanted to laugh and say “real funny God”. My devotion for the day started “Do Not Resist Or Run from the difficulties in your life”. That may not seem funny to you but to me it was hilarious because I was beginning to reach a point of RUN!! The devotion went on to say that our problems are not random mistakes; they are hand-tailored blessing designed for our benefit and growth. Embrace all circumstances that He allows in our life, trusting that good will come out of them. Furthermore, one should view their problems as an opportunity to rely more fully on the Lord.

Between unanswered prayers and feelings of stress, at the end of today I found myself reassured that through all the hassles, God is only preparing me for what is ahead. I have never been on a mission to Africa, but I can imagine that I will be faced with at least one, if not many, situations full of un-comfort or stress. As I continue to prepare for my journey, I pray that while I’m abroad the Lord will continue to remind me that He is ALWAYS by my side, simply using me as a vessel for His words and love. I want to be an open-book for the people of Kimusu showing them the compassion and strength of the Lord so that when they are also in times of tribulation and weakness they know that they too are not alone but have the Lord by their side as support and guidance.

One Sweet Love

Throughout the years I have been blessed with being surrounded by supportive family and friends who have shown me the love and compassion of Christ through their actions and words. Often times people struggle in the early years of their life searching for that one hobby or interest that really captivates their emotions and uses their strengths in a positive fashion. For some they just know it, but for others including myself we have to dabble in various activities in search of finding that one entity that brings passion to our hearts. For me I first discovered my passion when I first opened my childish eyes to discover the glorious things the Lord can do. My personal relationship with the lord truly took form my junior and senior year of high school when I was blessed with the opportunity to travel abroad to Peru and Mexico to help build churches, homes, and worship with the community. It was on both of these trips that the Lord introduced me to two individuals that will forever impact my life. One, was an elderly woman who had just been diagnosed with diabetes and lacked the medical supplies that were pertinent for her survival. The other was a vibrant high school boy who struggled with the emotional side effects of his diabetes in both his personal life and his families. Being a diabetic, hearing the stories brought a burden to my heart that left me changed at the end of both trips. Since then, with the help of my peers and family, I have started a Christian organization on both Auburn and University of Georgia campuses called International Outreach for Diabetes. Through constant prayer and faith in the Lords will, the organization is continuing to expand into what I hope to someday be a state non-profit organization that will focus on sending supplies and support to other countries through medical missions teams.

I first heard of the trip to Kenya at the end of my freshman year of college. Being at school and away from the mission field for almost a year, I had a yearning to go abroad and serve the Lord. Within the first days of being at home I had complied a packet of Christian organizations to present to my parents in hopes of their immediate approval. In my overly ambitious mind I had formulated the idea that I would simply take a “sabbatical from school” and go abroad. As if it was that easy? My parents of course were not keen on the idea of me simply taking a break from school and after multiple conversations; they felt strongly that I need to go back to school. Though my dreams of spending the fall abroad were shattered, I kept feeling a tug at my heart and voice in my head telling me to keep visiting the thought to serve overseas. Thus, I told my parents that I would not be at home the upcoming summer because I was going on a mission trip. Not sure whether they took me serious or not, I took matters into my own hands and partnered with Gaylyn to discuss the potential opportunity to work with David O’Kongo in a medical clinic in Kenya. When first told of the trip I was cautious simply because I am not specifically in a “medical” major, but because I hope to work with medical non-profits I felt that the Lord brought me this amazing opportunity as not only a way to glorify his name but as a learning experience. After months of back and forth communication via Facebook, email, and phone it was decided that I was going on the trip!

As of now, we have about 34 days until we leave!! So far, I have sent out support letters to family and friends and have received a vast amount of emotional and fiscal support. The gospel says that the Lord will provide and throughout this process I have seen that he surely does! I don’t think I could emphasize how eternally grateful I am for all that people have given.

Overall, excitement is probably the main feeling that overwhelms me day in and out. Anticipation of seeing the beautiful landscape and lush area that we will be staying in, along with the differing culture and people of the community, has made schoolwork extremely arduous and toilsome. Though excitement of the unknown often distracts me from my habitual activities, as I count down the days till we depart I find my nerves slowly being shaken. I feel that my world is about to be completely rocked and as much as I can try to prepare myself for what is to come I have no idea at the audacity of what the Lord has planned. Specifically, the past couple of days I have been praying for the Lord to strengthen me and prepare me and my sisters in Christ for this trip. I pray that God will keep me humble and only glorify him in this whole experience because in the end He is the reason that we exist and are able to go and spread his word. I absolutely cannot wait to spend the summer forming relationships with the other girls and the community that are rooted in Christ!!!