Training Camp Awesomeness!

I am in awe of the awesomeness of God! He is always amazing but I do not notice it nearly enough, so He is constantly reminding me.

Today a girl at training asked me if I wanted to go to the store with her before we left, she was taking a cab and said she would pay but just didn't think she should go alone. I didn't have anything to do, but a part of me just didn't want to go for somereason. However, as most people probably know, I hate saying no to people so I figured "why not?" and agreed. When we got in the cab our driver turned out to be from Ghana! (This is another country in Africa for those who don't know). How crazy is God?! What a small world, right? I heard another girl today say that "Our world is pretty big, but our God is WAY bigger!" :)

Anyway, we ended up having a great conversation just about Africa, Ghana, what we would be doing and other interesting topics. He had a really cool perspective on a lot of things. This whole experience so far (and by that I mean 2 days! Crazy!) has made me realize how much I have missed deep, spiritual conversations, conversations about actual issues, healthy discussions...all of it! I'm someone who thrives on things like that! I am awful at small talk but I will totally dive into deep stuff with people!

There's just something about being with people who you just met, who don't know your past or your friends, who have the same ultimate desire as you, and who just love that Lord that makes for accelerated friendships and deep talks! I love it! I already feel like I've known everyone forever and we all know such deep, personal things about each other (which is kind of uncommon for me this quickly with people).

God has also used them to speak such truth into my life and bring so many things to my attention. Today a big focus we had was speaking truth over one another and being open and encouraging each other. It really is amazing! God has already shown me so much! Some of you (more high school friends than college) may know that I consider myself to be a pretty shy, reserved person (until I get to know you) and definitely not a social butterfly or huge people person. But I decided to try and work on that and to just be myself and not worry about what people thought of me, to an extent and I've found that I actually can be pretty social! :) Of course, being with people you won't be seeing for an extended period of time does make it easier but it is just nice to know that I can be myself and be accepted. I don't think many people here would assume I'm shy, which is so strange to me, but I love it!

Our leader was talking about how she always thought that God spoke to people but just not to her and then how she realized He speaks to us all differently and how she processes through writing and I just realized that is so true of me! I now feel like God reveals things to me as I write or talk things out with people, so this blog may get intense-be ready :) There were so many other things as well, overall it has just been such an amazing time of growth and encouragment. I cannot wait to get to Africa and continue on this journey!

I've heard this before, and a girl here brought it up today, that "I need Africa more than Africa needs me". That is such a truth! A couple of us were talking about how God reveals things to us in Africa and through mission work and we come away feeling more changed than changing others. Some people can learn the lessons we learn right here in America but we need to get out of our daily lives and comfort zones and continents! The joy they have there and the lives they lead just show me so much. Selfishly, I like who I am there, more than when I'm comfortable and at home. I truly desire to live that life all the time and continue it when I come home, but I find it so much harder! Some of you may know that I'm more scared for God to call me to stay in America and live some wealthy, priveleged life than for Him to tell me to go live in a hut! But God has definitely shown me how essential people who are blessed are to the ministry that I, and others like me, feel called to. Without support, we would be nowhere!

Wow, so this is crazy long! Sorry! It's just everything God's been teaching me all at once! :) I'm flying out today at 3pm so please keep my team and I in your prayers! It's going to be amazing! God bless! :)

God is So Sovereign!

So I'm with my first "team" (meaning the girls-and one boy-who I'm flying out with but then we'll be splitting up further to go out to different countries and regions) and they are incredible! It is just amazing to see how God brings the perfect people into your life and the perfect time! We have already had amazing, Godly conversations full of wisdom for each other and amazing perspectives! I'm already learning from them! They all have such amazing hearts for God and his people! I cannot wait to see how each of them are used by Him over the next month and beyond!
There will be two girls going to Swaziland along with me (the rest will be in South Africa) and one of those girls will be on the same world race team I am joining. They are both amazing and so Godly and fun! It is just incredible to see how God places such different people together who just work with each other! It's only been a few hours but I already see so many similarities and wonderful differences that are just so encouraging and helpful!
I am so excited and I cannot wait to learn more about what I'll be doing and see everything God has in store! I am also amazed by God's planning as there is a guy I went to high school with who is over in Swaziland now as well! It has been great getting to talk to him a little just to kind of get a feel for the place. His name is Reh Harvey and I would encourage you all to pray for him and the work he is doing! He is presenting the True Love Waits campaign in schools in an effort to protect the students from AIDS and to share the love of Christ with them!
I don't know how often I'll be able to update this blog but as often as I can, I will! I love you all! Thank you for the prayers! They mean the world to me! God bless! :)
He must become greater, I must become less."
-John 3:30

Where I'll Be!

I finally got to talk to the team I'll be meeting up with in Swaziland! Team Fruit of the Groom! They seem really awesome and tons of fun! It was great to get to talk to some of them, plus, I found out where I'll be for the next month! I'm going to be in the Northwestern area of Swaziland in the Ekufikeni Valley which I think is in the Hhohho district. It's a pretty rural area so I don't know exactly where I'll be but that's my best guess :)
I'm going to be working in the El Shaddai orphanage (www.elshaddaiswaziland.org). I still don't know specifics beyond that but I know it's going to be amazing!
Swaziland is a small country within the country of South Africa. It has the highest known rates of AIDS/HIV. The average age of a person living in Swaziland is 18, most people don't live over the age of 30. It is estimated that by 2050, Swaziland will not even exist anymore because of the extremely high death rate due to AIDS/HIV. There is also a huge stigma attached to AIDS so people will not admit they have it or get tested for it so it spreads rampantly.
I cannot believe I am leaving for training camp tomorrow and then flying out THIS THURSDAY! SO crazy! :) I am so excited to see what it is going to be like and what God has planned! :)

Why I Love Africa

So I just spent the past hour looking at blogs and watching videos from other World Race participants and I am now so nostalgic for Africa! I cannot wait to be back there! The food, the houses, the grass, the trees, the flowers, the animals, the views, the sunsets, the people! I just love it all! I know this experience will be completely different from my last one but I'm extra excited about it! The hearts of these people have are just incredible. They are not perfect but they are just constantly striving to be more like Christ and get closer to him! That is such a beautiful goal! One that I want to have every moment of every day!

I cannot believe that I will be in Swaziland in about 2 weeks! That is just crazy! I have been looking forward to returning to Africa ever since I left last summer but it still hasn't hit me that I will actually be there next month! I can't wait to be changed, to see God change lives and to experience everything He has for me! I want my world to be rocked!

I have wanted to do mission work in some way, shape or form for a long time now. I've always had quirky characteristics that made my parents and family friends tell me I could be a missionary in another country (for example, I can survive off very few showers and I love sleeping on the floor). But once I experienced my first overseas mission trip to the Dominican Republic my senior year of high school and then got to go on a mission trip to South Africa last summer, God truly lit a fire in me for missions.
There is just something about getting out of our culture of wealth and excess and apathy and experiencing a different way of life that I absolutely love. People in these countries are similar to us in many ways, but it is the ways in which they are different that draws me in. Children who never stop smiling once a team of high school or college kids shows up with only stickers, strings, soccer balls and cameras. Adults who just want to sit and talk to you about how you are doing. Women selling various things in malls who remember you when you return and take the time to ask you how you're enjoying their country. Little boys who grab Bible passages in their language and, as opposed to other children who merely collect the nice paper books, lead a group of kids and try to evangelize to adults in their village even when they are repeatedly turned away. So yes the countries are beautiful and exotic but these are the things that inspire me, these are the people who challenge me.
And the thing that breaks my heart is that most of them are so lost! They don't know the love of Christ. They are living in horrible poverty and yet they can still be joyful, imagine how much greater their joy would be if they knew the Saviour! Another wonderful thing about these people? I believe that they WANT to hear about Jesus. That they WANT to be given a chance at a new beginning, a saving grace! They are not jaded to the gospel; many of them have never even HEARD the gospel! It is so refreshing to be around people who do not just dismiss Christians as judgmental hypocrites (though many people claiming to be Christians in America are, another sad fact that breaks my heart and frustrates me to no end). This is the reason I love Africa and why I cannot wait to go back.

Swaziland!

I just found out where I'll be spending the month of July...SWAZILAND! I am really excited about this because it is new and I have no past experience with it which means I will be completely trusting everything to God (which I should obviously do anyway). Now I can't wait to find out who my team is! 2 weeks until training camp!!! :)

Uncertainty

I usually hate uncertainty, but sometimes I don't want to know why. Sometimes I just want to sit back and enjoy the beauty, appreciate the miraculousness of it all. Those are the times I'm most amazed by God, the unsolved mysteries of life.

Being Content

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and i know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
-Philippians 4:11-13

I always used to think it was odd that Paul focused on learning to be content in good circumstances as well as bad. I mean who isn't content when their lives are happy? But recently I came to realize that sometimes, having plenty can foster the most discontent in me.
There was a time a few months ago where I thought I had everything I wanted. And I was happy. At least in the beginning. Then doubt, worry, confusion and discontent started to creep in. I realized that I did not know how to be content in happy circumstances. When I felt like I needed nothing, I did not know how to act. Before this time I had gotten used to constantly praying for certain things, asking God why He did not give me what I asked for, and looking to the future with hope of things to come. I had actually learned to be content in these difficult times because I knew that God had a plan for me.
But all of a sudden there was no more wishing and wondering on my part. I was taken aback. I realized that I had lived for so long looking forward to one day seeing the fruition of God's plan for me, that I did not know how to function with getting the things I had asked for. My reliance on Christ became less of a desperate need because I felt like I had what I needed. Of course that was ridiculous because I know that without Christ I am nothing. I just could not reconcile my heart and head knowledge.
In an effort to revert back to my former ways, I started to come to God with small things, but that simply turned into me making a huge deal out of every little thing in my life rather than trusting everything to Christ like I should. It caused discontent in my life where there should be none. I started to hold on to the things that made me happy, without fully surrendering them to Jesus. This just resulted in a huge mess of discontent and confusion.
Then I finally realized that I just needed to stop trying to control my life and to fully surrender everything over to Christ and praise Him! I needed to thank Him for His blessings and get excited about where He is leading me! I needed to give over every aspect of my life and not hold on to anything. Paul knew that no matter what he was going through, whether good or bad, blessing or hardship, only Christ mattered! His happiness was found in Christ alone so when things were going badly, his source of joy was still Christ. When things were going great, his source of joy was still Christ! If that was the way I lived my life then I would always feel joyful because the source of my joy is constant! Yes I can be sad when bad things happen and happy when I am blessed with the things I desire, but my true joy is in Christ alone! He is my ultimate desire so anything else He chooses to give me is merely sprinkles on the already iced cake of my life!
When I realized that the happy things became less important, but my joy grew stronger. I know now that as long as I keep Christ at the center and praise Him continuously, then everything else will merely be muted background noise in the symphony He has written for my life.

First Post

Okay so this is my first time ever doing a blog and I don't really know how it's going to work out. I love to write so basically my plan is to just write things that God is teaching me and document the incredible opportunities He gives me, such as going to Africa this July! I appreciate any feedback or suggestions! Thanks for checking this out! God bless! :)