ready, set...

All packed! Zoe thinks she's coming along too...
I packed my suitcase about a week ago. Then I repacked...
I think I finally have it about right. All set.

And praise the Lord- all funds have been raised! :)

Today a friend of mine asked me about what I hope to get from this summer. What am I expecting to bring back from this trip? We talked about this for awhile... It's kinda hard for me to answer this because I feel like the experiences and things that I will go through in Kenya are just so unknown. After some thought, there were things that I was able to list as expectations for this trip and a few others that I have thought of since our conversation...

I expect to see what God is doing in Kenya- at the Baby Center and in the city. He is so much bigger than I can fathom and I'm so anxious to experience His same infinite and unimaginable love for a culture that is different from mine.

I expect the Lord to work in my heart during this trip. He will continue to mold me and shape me, using this experience as just one of many tools to broaden my worldview and deepen my understanding of who He is.

I also expect to be stretched and challenged along the way. I will be on some unfamiliar turf with lots of unfamiliar faces and lots of new experiences... One of my favorite quotes is from the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe in reference to Aslan:

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king I tell you."

He isn't safe, but He's good. And He's faithful...

The journey thus far...

I have been looking at my final itinerary for my flight to Kenya, and I can't believe it's almost here! A mere 6 months ago I had no idea that this trip would even be in existence. For over two years now I've really had a desire to travel and give a chunk of my time and gifts over for the Lord to use in whatever way he pleases, and because I'm in school summer seems like the prime time to go. In November I really began to look at what options I had to travel and work. In December, two of my friends shared with me about the Volunteers In Action program through World Gospel Missions. The more I read about the VIA program, the more intrigued I was. I've been praying about this trip for some time now, and as I began applying I felt like there were so many doors that opened for this all to work out.

Once I was accepted to the program I was asked where I wanted to serve. I really didn't know where the Lord wanted me for the summer. There were three places that had opportunities that aligned with my heart for kids and especially orphans. I applied for all three one of which was Kenya. Soon after I heard back from the other two sites. They said that they would love to have me. I felt some disappointment when I didn't hear back from Kenya. It didn't sound very promising that I would be accepted there, but I decided hold out to hear from them and the longer I waited the more excited I became to go to Kenya.

A couple weeks later, I was at Bible study with several people from church and school. One of the guys at the study had brought his little 7 month-old daughter along. I was holding her as we talked. She was so precious! She kept looking up at me and smiling and then she started chewing on my hand- drooling all over me... Hah! I can't tell you how much holding this little girl brought me joy in that moment... and I felt so much that Kenya was exactly where I was supposed to be for the summer- spending time with the little ones at the AGC Baby Center... Two days later I got the good news that I had been accepted to go to Kenya. In the next days and weeks I was blessed to speak with several people from Kenya and who had gone to the Baby Center. All these interactions have been such an encouragement and blessing! The Lord is faithful...

Less than two weeks left now! :)

Shots today!
Yellow Fever and Hep A.

Overflowing

It's unbelievable how much love can be felt in a home. I don't realize quite how much I miss it until I come home from school. I literally laughed until I cried and couldn't breathe today. These are my favorite moments. My mom, sisters, and my sisters' boyfriends, and I are all just hanging out, playing games, eating ice cream, and talking... Just doing life together and completely enjoying it. The Lord knows just how much our hearts need this. I need fellowship and love and care and all this fills me to the brim, but from there where does it go? I can sit and revel in this moment (and I am) but I hope that I don't keep this to myself. Love and joy need to be given away, and I know that there are a lot of people in this world who are very much with out tonight...

Here we go

Here are the postings of an admittedly poor writer and journalist. In fact, anyone who knows me well will probably tell you that I'm quite awful at articulating my thoughts, so here goes nothing... I do hope, however, that this will be a place where I can share my experiences and thoughts... some of which may be exciting and lots of which may be rather mundane. :)

In any case, I cannot convey to you how much I am anticipating this journey. This past week was spent in preparation for the trip at World Gospel Missions headquarters in Marion, IN. The experiences and relationships that I built there were such a blessing to me and such an encouragement... girls and guys that are going all over the world this summer- all with the common goal of showing the love of Christ and giving their time to serve others.

I'm back home now. I have two weeks and three days till I get to dust off that passport of mine. During this time my to do list consists of:
1. mulching the flowerbeds around our house- at the request of my loving mother :)
2. receiving immunizations for my world travels- bleh
3. celebrating my 21 years of life
4. cleaning the disaster of a room that followed me home from college
5. a trip to cedar point
6. figuring out what to put in the giant suitcase that is traveling with me to kenya.... (this might be the hardest task on the list)