Pictures

.....since I can't' seem to update with words...this little dog you see here, looks all cute and innocent, but she is a ball of fire.

Well, clearly, I have not updated in a long time. over a month I can see... Well, the good news is that I haven't fallen off the earth of anything, but school started...and I've been busy! Anyways, I promise an update on here real soon for what is going on in my life! School is overwhelming at the moment, but I'm making it through by the grace of God!

I love you all and prepare yourselves for a rather large entry in the week to come!

p.s. I was on the jumbotron at Saturday's game, and I'm pretty stoked about that might I add.

school!

Today, is my last official day of class, well until August 27th.. but this excites me so much!

Ever since I stepped foot back into College Station, after arriving home from Africa, all I have done is schoolwork, I'm not kidding...

Someone was crazy enough to enroll for 12 stinking hours (cough. me. cough) And was so overwhelmed...

Well, somehow, I forgot to pay for one of my classes, which was an english class, that I should have taken sophomore year, but I hadn't yet... and so I got dropped from the class... which was a complete blessing!

My A&M classes are over after today, and my business class will be over this Sunday!

I will finally get to sit down and make copys of all the DVD's I made and send out my testimony to my supporters... I didn't forget!! I love and appreciate you all so much!

I will finally get to breath.

But most importantly, I will finally get to spend some wonderful time with God! I'm going home this weekend, back to good ole Frankston, where my favorite thing to do, is ride out into the pasture on the 4-wheeler and just sit out there,

to think,

to read,

to pray,

to just be still and listen.

Right as the sun is setting, looking across the water, it doesn't get more peaceful to me.

Sweet Chocolate

....because I love chocolate, and I LOVE my friends!


I got to see this sweet friend of mine on Wednesday. She has been in China all summer ministering on a college campus there.

It's amazing how God can take us both all around the globe and then bring us back together so we can share how He is working in our lives and all that He taught us! I love how we can be apart from each other for one month, two months, and come back and we pick up just where we left off. She is such a blessing!

For 2 hours we shared our stories, just sitting there telling each other our tales from around the world and constantly learning from each others experiences, encouraging one another.

I just love how God created fellowship and how wonderful it is.



This incredible woman you see here... I've really only known since about January of this year, but I feel like I've known her for a lot longer than that. She is such a blessing, and I love getting to have her and her family in my life.

Getting to watch Kendra be a mother to Taylor and a wife to Allen is such a blessing. I learn so much just watching her, them. I love every chance I get to hang out with them. They have been gone on vacation, and I'm so glad their back so I can see them!

She shows me how to live the life that I desire to live by the way she lives her life! Love you Kendra!!!

God is SO good! All the time!



making cookies during exams!! much better than studying!! ha, she'll love I posted this one!



We went to the ICE 2006 at the Gaylord Texan.

Rachel! My sweet roommatee. She's been gone all summer, not that I have been here a lot, but on the days I am here... I DO NOT like being here alone.

I hate staying by myself, especially at night... I have some huge fears that I'm dealing with here people, and I don't think my 2 chihuahuas are going to do ANYTHING if something happens!



I mean, does that really look terrifying?

Anyways... I can't wait for Rachel to be back, I can't believe we're Seniors and this is are last year to live together! I have missed her so much, but I know that this time of being apart will make us be even closer!

God works things to the good of those who love Him!

distractions

So apparently I'm terrible at blogging, it looks like its an every two weeks thing for me. Not because there is nothing going on in my life, but simply I don' tknow why. I sit at a computer for 5 hours a day M-F at work, normally not busy, but for some reason not wanting to share... I"m not so sure.

Anyways. I've been back almost a month, and I promise you it gets harder as the days go by to be here. Let me tell you why...

Distractions. Interference. Disturbance. Hindrance.... is mostly what I've been finding since being home.

In Africa...my prayer was that the Lord would reveal Himself to me completely. I prayed for Him to give me HIS heart for this kids, to let me feel their pain, to give me their burdens, to let me weep for them when they couldn't.... And He did. He gave me just that.

Walk with me through this analogy.

I have been home a month...but I'm realizing my eyes are adjusting to the brightness (busyness) of what is America...and my relationship with God is starting to fade into the background. I mean, I have so much to do! Right, but wrong. If I would only adjust my focus to Him, all my stress and worry would disappear.

So He gave me this picture:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

When we focus our eyes on the Son, Jesus, then the things of this world, it's temptations, fears, worry, and hurts pale in signfigance.

I have prayed against this, but it has happened. I prayed that I would not fall back into the ways of this world, that I would keep my eyes just on Him.

I desire to live my life to have purity of heart, being single-minded, focused on what will please the One who created me.

Testimony

So I know it's been long awaited, and here it is. My fear is that some of you will read it and think that it's not true. However.. it couldn't be more true to reality than it is.
----------------
Camp LIFE – Zambia 2007

April 2007 would be the month that would lead to the 2 ½ weeks that would change my life. The Lord called me to Africa, and I was ready to go! I asked my parents, and to my surprise, they said I could go! When I first signed up to go to Zambia with Camp LIFE, I don’t think I knew what I was in for. I hadn’t heard anyone’s testimony, all I knew was what was on the website and then the information I received in the mail. I had no idea that Camp LIFE would change my life for ever. June 21 would be a new adventure for not only me, but my whole family. Never before had anyone traveled overseas alone, and no one had ever been to Africa. I was filled with excitement about what the Lord was going to do and could not wait to arrive in Zambia.

After traveling for 36 hours and spending two nights in the air, we finally arrived in Zambia. (It was completely worth the long flight.) Saturday and Sunday were spent getting settled in and meeting our Zambian partners. Monday was our first day of camp.

We had 650 orphans during week 4, 52 small groups with about 13 in each group. I cannot begin to explain to you, on paper, how 13 girls can change your life. Words cannot express the effect that going to Zambia had on me. Things that used to be really important aren’t so important anymore. Some of the things that I used to worry about don’t seem so important by comparison. They praise Him heavily with so little, and it’s so hard for us to praise Him with so much. From the moment I saw my girl’s faces, I knew that the week was going to be incredible. I have never felt less equipped to do something than I did at this point. From hearing the heartaches of these girls, most of who have seen much more than many of us will ever see in our lives, to crying for them because they can’t cry…Zambia changed my life. I’m going to attempt to share with you my experiences from Zambia, some of the stories will be so true they will sound like they are made up, but the reality is – they aren’t.

A normal day of camp looked like this:

The Americans arrived at camp around 8:15am, we prayed with our Zambian partners and sang a song or two. The kids started arriving around 9, and after the first day, I didn’t have to look for my kids…they knew who I was and couldn’t wait to find me. In the mornings we reviewed the previous day’s lesson, prayed, sang a song, danced a dance, and had a few one-on-ones. When lunchtime came, the girls were given 4 slices of bread, an apple and a juice box. It sounds like so little to us, but it actually is a lot to them and to some would be their only meal of the day. After lunch, we had the ‘Large Group Session” where we would sing, dance, pray, and learn. Greer gave the lesson during this time as well. We would then go back out to the field and discuss more in-depth what Greer went over. They would ask us questions and we would ask them questions. Before I knew it, it was 3:45 and time to line up to get on the busses. The days went by too fast.



Highlights of my week:
Leading 4 of my girls to Christ; seeing the girls smile; seeing how they depend on one another; watching them dance and praise our God. Seeing the smiles on their faces when we told them they got to color…they were so excited!! Coloring is huge to them. On Thursday, we gave each child a new pair of socks, shoes, a t-shirt and a bandana. They were so thrilled. A new pair of shoes to them is like a new car. A couple of my girls had no shoes until Thursday. The joy in their faces was unreal. To us, shoes are nothing. We’re so ungrateful. It was such a humbling experience to get to put brand new shoes the children’s feet. It reminded me of how much we take for granted in America…so much that we don’t even think twice about a new pair of shoes, and most of us have at least 10 pair in our closet. Also on Thursday, the Americans loaded the busses with the kids, to go back to their compounds. The idea was that for four days, we (the Americans) had been evangelizing to them and now it was their turn to get to go out into their communities and spread the Gospel. I’ll admit that at first, the idea of going out into their communities frightened me. Especially after we had been told where we were going, and I was going to one of the worst…where we were told to not take anything with us. How wrong I was. After a 15 minute bus ride, I saw where these girls, MY girls, lived. It was unbelievable. As we walked into the communities, my girls surrounded me, all fighting to hold my hand. They were so proud to be walking with me, to have their hand in mine. I definitely didn’t blend into the crowd and so I received a lot of stares, but nothing more. Kids in the compound just started following us around and listening to what my girls were saying. I got to listen to girls 10-13 tell people about Jesus, it was so amazing. They prayed for people and just loved on people. It was incredible.

Heartaches
Hearing what my girls experience daily. Many of my girls had terrible nightmares. One of them had a dream where her mother, who had previously died, would appear in her dreams, trying to force her to drink blood. This is witchcraft. Although these are dreams, they might as well be reality to these kids. Another girl had nightmares that the devil was trying to kill her and at night she would hear footsteps in her room and see a light flickering; this same girls father’s side of the family lives in the Copperbelt…and they cook human flesh. Can you imagine the lives of these children? It’s the devil’s playground. To know that these girls experience these nightmares kills me. Why these girls, why my girls? To hear that they are abused when they go home, even if they haven’t done anything wrong. To know that one of them was raped at 4 years of age because there is a myth that if a man with AIDS has sex with a virgin, it will cure him, and so she was the victim. Many of these girls are single, double and maybe even triple orphans. This causes them to live with people who don’t about them, let alone children are seen as a problem in Africa. Could you imagine being told that you are the child of a dog, that you are worthless? I couldn’t and they can’t, but that is what they’re told growing up.

The good news is, they still have dreams and passions. The good news is that there is a God who paid a mighty price for them, and this week, they were told that. They were told that in Christ Jesus they are Loved, Accepted, Secure, Significant and Victorious. The truth is that the lies they are told and have been told are false and they know that now.

It’s truly amazing how 13 girls that I have never known before have wedged their way into my heart. Telling them goodbye on Friday was perhaps one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. When you know what they’re going home to, you’re just not okay with it. Hearing them tell me they love me, that they’ll pray for me, that they hope to see me next year…just brings me to my knees in tears. For maybe the first time in their life they experienced love and priority in someone’s life. When you know what a child is going home to, you’re really just not okay with it. All I can do is pray for them and look through all the pictures I have and watch the few videos. They will forever be in my heart. I find myself looking at my watch, counting forward seven hours to see what time it is in Zambia, or perhaps what’s going on at Camp LIFE at that time.

America sees Africa as a Third World Country, a country that is being killed because of AIDS, but it’s so much more than that. The Satanism and witchcraft that exists there is unreal. Being back in Texas has been hard, especially when your heart is somewhere else. There truly is life before Zambia and life after Zambia and there is a huge difference between them. Thank you so much for all your contributions to my trip whether it was a financial donation or prayer. I could not have gone without either one of those things.

As you can see, my heart is in Zambia, and if I could find a flight back sooner than next summer I’d be there in a heartbeat. The reality of the fact is that I probably won’t and I have to go to school. However, I know that the Lord is calling me back for next summer and I have committed to go; this time for two weeks of camp…one week just isn’t enough. I’ll be going from June 19 – July 13. I know that He is calling me to go I am confident that He will provide the way.

So I don't know if any of you have ever heard of this band... I hadn't. A girl I was in Africa with had it on her iPod...and she had this one song I just loved, called "Tears of the Saints" which really just fit so perfect with Africa! (I included the lyrics below).... however, ALL of their songs are SO great. So true. You should lyric search Leeland and just read the lyrics to the songs, they're AMAZING!!!

Tears of the Saints

There are many prodigal sons
On our city streets they run
Searching for shelter
There are homes broken down
People’s hopes have fallen to the ground
From failures

This is an emergency!

There are tears from the saints
For the lost and unsaved
We’re crying for them come back home
We’re crying for them come back home
And all your children will stretch out their hands
And pick up the crippled man
Father, we will lead them home
Father, we will lead them home

There are schools full of hatred
Even churches have forsaken
Love and mercy
May we see this generation
In it’s state of desperation
For Your glory

This is an emergency!

Sinner, reach out your hands!
Children in Christ you stand!
Sinner, reach out your hands!
Children in Christ you stand!

And all Your children will stretch out their hands
And pick up the crippled man
Father, we will lead them home
Father, we will lead them home

tick tock ...tick tock....

So I realize that I have promised you my testimony really soon. The good news is that I'm working on it, the bad news...it's not quite finished. It's hard for me to sit down and write it without crying, therefore....I've been taking breaks and doing it in sections.

Thanks to the amazing Kendra Duty I'll be creating a DVD of my pictures, with much of her help, to music and who know what else will be on there. You will definetly be getting one of these if you donated for to trip...however, even if you didn't, I'd love to give you one so you can see how God is at work in Zambia.

I'd also love to talk with ANYONE about my time in Zambia. Or share ALL my pictures, which is the grand total of 1167. Anything, I'd love to tell you about it!

a few more pictures...

a few pictures from my trip

I have over 1000 pictures, so here are a few..because I know a lot of you are eagerly awaiting them!!!

Back in the States

Well, it's Tuesday. I realize that I got back to the States on Friday...however I just haven't had time to update this thing.

I'm currently working on my testimony, that I'll post on here, because I want the world to know what God is doing in Africa.

I'll just say that I can't go a moment without thinking about my 13 girls that wedged their way into my heart.

When I look at my watch, I find myself counting forward 7 hours to see what time it is in Zambia, and I try to see what they're doing.

My heart is in Zambia...those children stole it. I didn't want to come home, had I not had to come back to school and work, I would have stayed the rest of the summer. Zambia is better than Texas.

Next summer cannot come soon enough. Although I was ready to see all my friends and family in Texas, if there was a plane tomorrow that I could get on, I'd be on it.

How wonderful it was to truly get to be the hands and feet of Jesus. It was such a beautiful picture of what we are called to be.

Muli Bwangi

Let me just tell you, this is a mini post compared to what I will post when I get home. However, I want to tell you all something.

I have been in Zambia, as most of you know, woring with orphaned children due to AIDS. Sometimes double or triple orphans. It's terrible. Zambia is a dark place. We served over 650 orhpans this past week, they are serving and telling over 7,000 this summer about Jesus.

I had no idea what to expect. And, I never expected what I got.

The first day, they just start clinging to your heart. I had 13 girls, between the ages of 10-13, and the stories they told me about their homelife and what happens to them, is just horrible.

This is satan's playground. The satanism and the witchcraft and medicine men over here are ridiculous- they are everywhere.

I had girls tell me things from how they are beaten by their caregivers, for no reason. To having the most horrific nightmares, girls seeing their moms, who are dead, standing there, trying to force them to drink blood - that's witchcraft. A girl who was raped 3 times when she was 5 because her stepfather thought it would cure him of AIDS. She told her mom and her mom didn't care. She told her grandfather and the man was arrested and died in jail.

The disparity here is unreal. These girls walked into my life, I had no clue who they were, and I found myself crying for them, EVERY night, asking the Lord to give me their pain, wake me up when they have bad dreams, asking Him for His heart for them.

In America, we dont' see the witchcraft or the satanism. It's everywhere here. They power of prayer is incredible. Allan had a boy in his group who was 10 years old. He had been brought into satanism and was used as a weapon to kill other people. He had demons inside of him. He could not say the word Jesus or God without hissing or having convulsions. They prayed over him numerous times for great lengths of time and the demon was released. As they were praying the boy just started hissing "you're killing me, you're killing me" but it was the demon saying that. Not the boy.

God is at work here. We have been His hands and feet. Breaking the kids chains for them, telling them how much they ARE loved, accepted, secure, signifigant and victorious in Jesus.

I'll be posting my testimony soon after I return home. This is just a glimpse of what I've experienced. These 13 girls stole my heart, the fact that I know what they have to go home to, absolutely kills me. But all I can do is pray. They had tears in their eyes when they boarded the busses on Friday - I just could nothign but cry.

I may update again while we're here at Victoria Falls, I may not. But either way, I'll update a week from today for sure.

I love you all and miss you all so much!!

Camp LIFE

So the theme for Camp LIFE in Zambia is "Freedom In Christ."

These are our verses:

Who I am in Christ

I am Loved:
*John 3:16 - I am loved by God.
John 15:9 - I am loved by Jesus.
Romans 5:8 - I am loved no matter what I do.
1 John 4:18 - I have no fear because I am loved.

I am Accepted:
*John 1:12 - I am God's Child
John 15:15 - I am Chrit's Friend
Romans 5:1 - I have been justified
Ephesians 1:1 - I am a saint

I am Secure:
*Romans 8:38-39 - I cannot be separated from His Love
Romans 8:1-2 - I am forever free from condemnation.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 - I am established, annointed and sealed.
Colossians 3:3 - I am hidden with Christ in God

I am Signifigant:
*John 15:16 - I have been chosen & appointed
Matthew 5:13-14 - I am the light of the world.
Acts 1:8 - I am a personal witness of Jesus
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 - I am an Ambassador of Truth

I am Victorious:
*1 Corinthians 15:57 - I am victorious over sin and death
Romans 8:37 - I am more than a conqueror in Him
2 Corinthians 2:14 - I am walking in triumph.
1 John 5:4 - I have overcome the world.

************************
While preparing for this and going over all these verses, it was such a good reminder for me. A reminder for how true all this is for us, and how wonderful it is.

I love you ALL. and will miss you all! I will post on Sunday the 24th and July 1. Zambia is 7 hours ahead.

I cannot wait to share with you all that will happen! I'll also bring lots of pictures back, but I'm sure you already knew that!!

one more day

So, tomorrow, I leave for Zambia. I couldn't be any more thankful and excited.

Thankful for getting to go and share with these children about how amazing God is and how He will love them and protect them and how they are ACCEPTED AS IS in Him.

Thankful for how much He is going to change me in this process, change me into who i am in Him. Thankful that I'll never be the same again.

Throughout this entire process of preparing to go to Zambia, HE has only continued to bless me. Giving me abundant fellowship during the week, full of people who are transparent, who know we are sinful, who knows that we are not perfect, but we come together and bear each others burdens and we're a family - there for one another. He's teaching me a lot about fellowship, and how important it is...and how you really! cannot do anything on your own.

Philippians 2:1-4 says...
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Well, here I am...6 days til I leave for Africa. Up to this point I have been not nervous at all and thinking how wonderful it's going to be. Well I think reality struck a few days ago, and I'm realizing all that's going to happen, which don't get me wrong - I could not be more excited about all that is going to happen while I'm there. However, I'm definetly going out of my comfort zone, out of all that I know as 'convienient' to serve the Lord and come back perhaps, changed for ever.

satan has started throwing his lies back at me really hard this week, just like he did when I first committed to go. so, keep me in your prayers.

Africa will be and is a huge step for me in my faith with the Lord and trusting Him in every way. I know without a doubt He is calling me, and I'm answering. Faithfully. Submitted to the authority that is above me. God and my parents (because remember, they told me I could go, WOW!!) It's going to be just as hard if not harder for my parents and my sister, well my whole family. Because, see...we're all really close and we talk every day more than once a day, and that's something that is not going to happen while I'm in Africa. Only on Sundays will I get to email them to tell them how amazing my God is and how is working and just changing the lives of these children, but also me.

While I know I'm going to share and love on these orphans and tell them about Jesus, I have no doubt that He is going to completely change my heart and everything I know and that when I come home, I'll be a different person - which praise the Lord, I can't wait for.

I'll post twice while I'm over there, so look on Monday morning for a post from Sunday!

I love you all.

Oh. So last night I went to the College Hangout at It's A Grind, and it's just another great reminder of how faithful the Lord is and how He brings fellowship. I had the best time just sitting around drinking coffee in the cool crisp air and just talking with people that I hardly know, but feel like I've known for for ever. Butch and Michelle Smith are absolutely wonderful. I just love them. Butch asked me how much time I had left in school, and I was like well.... it's either August of 08 or December of 08, it'll just depend on how things fall into place....and Michelle goes, December is good...we're not ready to see you leave yet! It's just so wonderful having a home away from home, and knowing that I have people I can call on who would be there in a heart beat. I love my LHBC church family!!

photographs!

oops!

So I know I promised you guys that I'd update this thing while I was in Italy. Well, that fell through. I got wrapped up in the scenery and every night when I was online for my class, all I could do was finish my assignments just before I fell asleep! However, Italy was absolutely beautiful! The flowers you see in the pictures are so true, they line the corners and the streets, everywhere! And since I love flowers, it was pretty perfect! We flew into Milan, took a tour around the city, and saw The Last Supper. We took the train to Lake Como for the day, which was beautiful! From Milan we took the Eurostar to Florence. I absolutely loved Florence! It was my favorite. Our first day in Florence, we took the train to Pisa, and pretty much all there is in Pisa is the "Field of Miracles" which includes the Duomo (church), Baptistry, and the Leaning Tower. We had quite the hike up to the hill, about 5 miles I believe. (A bit much!!) However, standing and looking at it was incredible, it was just neat to think I was actually looking at it and not a picture. We had an excellent tour guide in Florence and got lots of good Italian history! We were in Florence for 3 nights and then took the Eurostar to Rome for 4 nights. I haven't quite figured it out why yet, but Rome was my least favorite place. Don't get me wrong, it was cool to go, but eh, it's not as impressive as it looks in the pictures. It's a very large, dirty city! We did take the train to Naples and a driver picked us up and we went to the Amalfi Coast, which was beautiful! The water was so blue, almost neon...it was amazing! I couldn't dare start to explain every detail on this...because I'm pretty sure you wouldn't read the whole thing anyways!! The trip was a wonderful blessing, and I'm so glad I got to go with my mother and sister (who is 3 months prego by the way!!!, I'll be an aunt times 8!)

Anyways... I just thought I'd post on here...to let everyone know I am home safely! And back to the real world. However, it's a huge blessing to be back in this town with the people that I love and missed!

This week I'm a helper with 1st Grade for LHBC's VBS! Today was our first day and it was tons of fun! Our verse for the week is Ephesians 2:8-10. Our theme is "The Search for God's Big Plan"

In our Bible study today we talked about how that in order to be an astronaut you must have all these things, like a PhD, be a certain height/weight, have good vision, etc. that there are all these requirements. But with God there are no requirements only that you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins. For it is by grace that you have been saved!

These little kids are so precoius and teach us so much!

I leave for Africa in 15ish days! I couldn't be more excited about what the Lord is going to do and I can't wait to share it with you! For those of you who don't know, I'm going to Zambia, Africa with FLMI. We love on and tell the AIDS children in the orphangages about Jesus and who He is and how much He loves them. I cannot wait to see the Lord move this summer!

Ciao :)

Firenze (Florence)

Im writing to you from Florence, Italy. It is 10:40 p.m. here. We got to Milan on Thursday evening at 5:40 and went to our hotel. Friday morning we took a tour into the Duomo, Cathedral de Milan, went to La Scala Opera House, saw Leonardo DaVincis 'Last Supper' and then took the train to Lake Como, which was absolutely beautiful! We took a boat ride there, ate some Gellato and then took the train back to Milan. We left Milan this morning and came to Florence by train. 30 minutes after arriving in Florence we took the train to Pisa, which was amazing...I can not believe we are walking through and seeing some much history. One thing I have noticed is how all the shops and cafes are all centered around the Duomo (Church). Its all very wonderful but I miss you guys so much! The trip will be over before we know it! I have so many more stories then just what Im saying here, but I dont want to make this post too long! Cant wait to see you all so soon! CIAO!

first time!

Well, this is my first time writing a blog...I leave for Italy tomorrow and thought it would be a fun way to post updates while over there, even though it's only for 10 days. I had been wanting to get one before I went to Africa as well, so this will be good for that too! I'm supposed to be packing right now, but I just can't seem to focus and do that!

Hmm... so about my life, there is a lot going on!

Life is really amazing right now. I could not ask for more and the Lord is just doing some amazing things. This Spring semester was a blessing from God and so many areas of my life that were hurting were healed. For long time I have been praying that the Lord would just surround me with Sisters in Christ and that I would have that fellowship in my life, because I definetly didn't have it- and I think that is part of the reason my relationship with God suffered a lot in the fall. I had no one holding me accountable and it seemed that I couldn't find anyone who actually wanted to talk about God and what He was doing in their lives... and that was frustrating. Through it I learned a lot, but the process was challenging. This semester the Lord opened so many doors and it's just been an amazing ride.

I started attending a different Hope Group this spring because the one I had been going to didn't fit into my schedule as well and the fact that I wasn't going to a HG because of the time conflict wasn't acceptable... I had to be fed and it wasn't going to happen by sitting at home and not going to a HG. I started going to Allen & Kendra's hg and it was amazing and I fell in love with the people there. It felt like home.

For several years I have been praying and asking the Lord if I were to go and do international missions. I looked and prayed and nothing ever came about until this past Easter and I came across Family Legacy Missions International. The go to Zambia and work with the AIDS children in the orphanages... immediately I felt my heart hurt and already begin to love these kids. I would be seeing my parents the next day and that would be when I had to ask my Dad if I could go...thining he'd say no. Well, I asked him and he was like "IF this is something you believe in, then I'll support you." That was confirmation that I was to go...the only thing I had left to do was raise the $3800 to go with about 2 1/2 weeks til the deadline. I trusted the Lord that if He wanted me to go, He would provide a way, and indeed He did! I leave for Zambia on June 21 and I'm just incredibly excited and cannot wait to see what the Lord does. It will be a life changing experience and He's teaching me and going to teach me so much. I

Something else new this semester, well really, 4ish weeks ago... Kendra invited me to dinner at the Smith's house.. and that is just another blessing from the Lord. The fellowship that is had there is like no other- and I absolutely just love everyone that I have met there! Living Hope is church a wonderful place and I'm so blessed to get to know so many amazing people... it really feels like home here!

Well, I suppose I should get back to packing now! I didn't intend to type this much, but oh well! I love you all and will miss you so much!! See you in June!