High Dive

Whew. 


This past semester was crazy. Going, going, going. Always having to be on top of my game, always ready to perform, always prepared for evaluations, presentations and whatever else came my way. During this time, I did short sprints toward the end of the week, just needing to survive until Friday afternoon so I could just crash.


Next semester begins the marathon. The continued going. Not only will I be student teaching in both a 5th grade and 7th grade Social Studies classroom but also delving into some hardcore fundraising for The World Race (only $14,000 to go...). I can already feel the tiredness creeping up on me as I prepare for my last semester at school and giving up everything I own to go around the world. 


Oh boy. It's going to be a rough one. 


I'm sitting on the edge of the high dive, ready to take a leap and free fall into the pool below. I'm ready. I've been working up to this moment. I can't wait to actually do it. Finally experience what I always thought of as the future. But I can't jump in just yet. There's a knot in my stomach. What if I fail? What if I find myself climbing down the ladder, shakily holding onto the rungs, disappointed that I couldn't make it and full of shame? 


I can only close my eyes and hope for the best.




This post went nowhere near where I intended it to go. Maybe that was necessary. 

A Christmas Wish

This morning a friend of mine emailed me a most unexpected email. She works at a recreation center in town and her department is in charge of the Santa's Mailbox each year. Around Christmastime, children put in letters to Santa and her department has the special responsibility of answering them. 


Yesterday, she received two special letters in Santa's Mailbox, not from children but rather a husband and wife. Usually I don't read cheesy emails like this but the sincerity of their hearts struck me and their letters reminded me about the basic message that the birth of Jesus brought to the world: There is hope for tomorrow.

Transcript: 

Dear Saint Nicholas,

it has been a long time since I have written you a letter, but Christmas is a time for child-like faith and so this year I choose to believe in you.

I am not asking for the latest Xbox game, Cabbage-Patch doll, or shiny new bicycle. Instead, my wife and I are adopting two children from the Democratic Republic of Congo and we would like to ask you for a favor.

You and your reindeer travel the world on Christmas Eve delivering toys to girls and boys. We do not know if our children have been naughty or nice, but we are certain that they are loved. Although we have never met, we already miss them more than words can express. 

This Christmas Eve, when you visit the orphanage in K***, could you make sure that our chilren are tucked in and safe? And we would ask that you whisper to them a simple message, in French, while they sleep:

"Votre mere et votre pere vous aime beaucoup. Ils viennent a vous ramener chez vous bientot."

(Your mother and father love you very much. They are coming to take you home soon.)

Thank you Santa, and next year we look forward to welcoming you to our home and delivering presents to two children who will be enjoying their first Christmas in Tennessee.

Grace and peace this holiday season,

Ken J. 

Transcript:

Dear Santa, 

I know I'm a little old to be writing you a letter, or even to be telling you what I want, but before you put me on the naughty list, know that this letter isn't for me. It's for my kids.

My kids are Rose and Emmanuel. They are ages 3 and 5, and they live in an orphanage in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We're in the process of adopting them, and things have come to a standstill since October. There had been an election, and rioting, and much instability in the country. We were hoping to be traveling to get them this time of year, but we still have months of paperwork and processes to go through before we can get them. I don't know for sure if they even know we exist, or know that they are loved. 

So, here are my Christmas wishes:

• Would you let Rose and Emmanuel know that they are loved and that we are desperately trying to bring them home?
• Would you make sure that their mosquito netting is snuggly around them and that they have a toy or blanket to cuddle with?
• Would you fill their caregivers with an extra amount of love, joy,  and patience, and help their security guard to be brave and strong?
• Would you give them the gift of laughter on Christmas day--even though they may not even realize what day it is?
• Most of all, would you protect the places in their hearts that are meant to be occupied by a mom, a dad, and Jesus, so that they don't give up hope too soon?

I know this is a lot to ask for, but I'd appreciate your help. I know you have lots of connections. Next Christmas, I hope to be helping Rose and Emmanuel to write letters of their own.

Merry Christmas!

Robin J.

Bigger or Better

Oh hey...


It's been a rather long time since I've updated hasn't it? Sorry about that, first there was this nasty paper about the character of Satan in Paradise Lost (it was a rather demonic time to say the least) (pun definitely intended). Then a crazy portfolio demanded all my attention like a needy boyfriend. Now we're onto finals week and while it's been chaotic, I think I've just gotten used to pandemonium in my life.


But let's move on to the fun things that I've been managing to squeeze in, shall we?


A few weekends ago, I was able to lead a D-NOW weekend with my very own youth group back home and wow, what a blast!


D-NOW weekends are youth group retreats that last a full weekend. A short glimpse of what happens goes like this: eat junk food, talk about Jesus, eat more junk food. Go to a church service, go sleep at a somebody's house, get in our jammies and eat more junk food. While talking about Jesus. Wake up at an ungodly hour after getting <4 hours of sleep and pretend to be hyped up for life while trying to wake up seven-ish teenage girls. Go back to church, eat junk food, play some ridiculous games and talking more about Jesus. Repeat for another full day. Sunday morning challenge: staying awake throughout the entire church service while only getting seven hours of sleep during the whole weekend.


No joke, D-NOW weekends are the highlight of my month. Ultimate party.


While I work at an incredible ministry where I lead DNOW weekends once every few weeks, to come home and be able to do this was incredible as I got to be with my Jesus family!

____________________________________________________________________

Jesus Family (noun): In the Bible, Paul talks about how once we accept Christ, we become sons and daughters of God and all other believers are our brothers and sisters (Galatians 3:28). A Jesus Family is merely the group of fellow believers that meet with one another and encourage/love/sometimes rebuke each other. Yes, basically this is a church but I prefer Jesus Family for two reasons: 

1. Church has become a tainted word in that it no longer means 'the body of Christ' but rather a building. I don't love a building, I love people. It's hard to communicate with someone about the intimacy of God's love when they're constantly thinking of a building or even worse, a group of distant cold-hearted people that judge a person once they step through the door. 
2. I like the word family because it's real. Coming from a family who's experienced brokenness, I love seeing groups of people practicing true love in encouraging one another, seeking advice from each other, and merely asking how one is doing without simply taking "fine" as an answer. Of course there's fighting, just like a real family. There's arguing, disappointment, and jealousy as we're still human but there's still love that transcends all of that, as families do (Romans 12:5, Hebrews 10:25, Matthew 12:50, 1 TImothy 5:1-2).

I like to think of this as my Jesus Family's awkward family photo

_____________________________________________________________________________

So anyways, back to my adventures. At one point in the weekend, we played a game called "Bigger or Better".

The rules of Bigger or Better are simple. Each team is given a small object like a golf ball. They then have a certain amount of time to go to random strangers and ask if they would be willing to trade for the golf ball that's bigger or better than the ball. Whoever brought back the best thing won.

So with a 1.5 hour limit and a group of middle school girls to join me, we set off to auction off our ball. 

I was expecting to come back with some cheesy item that even Goodwill wouldn't accept, but boy was I wrong!

Our first trade happened in a random neighborhood as we saw a man unloading groceries. Luckily for us, he loved golf and traded us the golf ball for...

A blue velvet sombrero!

Then we knocked on the next door and tried to convince the lady to take our sombrero. At first she thought we were crazy, which was acceptable, and said she didn't have anything to trade. But as we were walking away, she stopped us and said that she did have something:

Elvis. Cardboard, life-size Elvis. Who was motion-sensored and spoke Elvis-y sayings.

Oh the things people have in their houses. 

Although we knew that we would definitely win with Elvis, we decided to keep on trying since we had a good hour left in our adventure.

Then we arrived to another house who's garage door was open. We tempted him with motion-sensored Elvis and although he didn't want Elvis, he did have something to give away:

We hit the mother lode.

Unfortunately, I don't have the picture with us and the piano as another girl took that photo but there's nothing better than calling your youth pastor and asking to borrow his truck. "Why?"  "...because we found a piano". I bet he wasn't expecting that one.

So we did win, but here's the kicker:

We got back to the church to show off our goods and between the nine groups that went out, this is what we acquired:

• 1 piano
• 5 couches (yes 5!)
• 3 various other pieces of furniture
• 1 bunk bed
• 1 horse from a carousel
• 1 laptop missing its battery
• an old xbox
• a firepit
• 1 puppy (turned out that that group went to their house, no worries he has a good home)
• Various other things like: a dollhouse, a Predators hockey stick, a punching bag, other stuff that was found in people's garages.

Turns out many of these people had these things for a long time but just never had the transportation or manpower to get rid of the big objects like the piano so when a group of teenagers came knocking on doors to take anything, it was more of a godsend than to them than anything else.

*Note to self: when furnishing my first apartment, play Bigger or Better first before buying anything!

(also, sorry for the long post! Like I said, it's been a while!)

21 Things I'm Thankful For

I am thankful for...

Ten person fort. Tangled. Love.

• My family because they understand that I'm weird and they still accept me
• Friends that will spend hours with you in silence as they do their own thing, because they're that comfortable with you
• My brothers and sisters in my Jesus family who will build giant forts and watch Tangled inside with me.
• Hammocks. And beautiful days to lay in hammocks and read.
• Jesus. Because He's really cool and loves us even when we don't deserve it.
• Sleepovers. Just because we get older doesn't mean we should stop having them.
• My job. Although I hate going, I'm still blessed to have a job.
• My mom's cooking and that she's teaching me to share it with others.
• My dog. Sometimes you just need someone to love you without judgement.
• Potlucks. I really hope heaven involves a massive potluck and all the joy that comes with it.
• Roommates who understand how stressful life is and will burst out in crazed, stressed laughter at 2 am to elevate the tension.
• People who sincerely promise to support me on The World Race.
• Hugs. Not just a greeting hug, but those strong yet comforting, gripping hugs that is a reminder of how loved you are.
• Serious, I-want-to-know-your-life chats. That's how you know people care.
• Dreams coming true:






• Kids that share snacks with you because they want to be your friend.
• The moments where an acquaintance becomes a friend
• Roadtrips with awesome people. They didn't even have to be your friends when you started, but they are now.
• Pictures of basset hounds running. Gets me every time.

• Good hair days. It really does make all the difference.

Thanks to you guys also for going through all these adventures with me!

Upcoming Adventures: The World Race

I want to change the world.

I know this sounds rather forward, but, then again, pastors and Sunday School teachers have been quoting Luke 1:37 (“Nothing is impossible with God”) to me my entire life, so I decided to dream big on this one.

In May, I will be graduating from Lee University with a degree in Middle School Education. Then, in July, I will be headed off with a missions program called The World Race to 11 different countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala for 11 months (11 countries in 11 months). Through The World Race and its parent organization, Adventures In Missions, I will be working alongside various churches and organizations to assist the missionaries living full time in each of these countries in reaching out and sharing God’s love among the nations. During this time, I will be involved with many various ministries, including youth ministries, orphanages, teaching English, manual labor, evangelism, and ministries reaching out to prostitutes and victims of sex trafficking.

However, I can’t change the world until I’m changed first.

So, for those 11 months, I will be joining with a team of about seven other World Race participants and live in a close and raw community with them. I’ll be giving up a home, adequate sleep, food, and even basic hygiene, and instead choose to live out of a backpack and on only $3 per day for food. In doing this, I will experience the world as, well… the way most of the world does. In breaking out of my protected and comfortable world here, I have the opportunity to experience life with bodies of believers in other nations and cultures other than my own.

If you’re wondering whether or not I’m crazy, that’s OK. I wasn’t entirely sure about the whole thing myself. But my passion has always been to serve people, especially “the least of these,” and I truly cannot wait to show people the love of God on this experience.

I’m so excited, and, honestly, completely nervous about this trip. To change the world, I must be changed first, and I cannot wait to see where the Lord takes me on this adventure.

I am asking for your support on this journey. I need A LOT of prayer. Like I previously stated, I will be traveling to 11 different countries, most of which are NOT Christian nations and involved in ministries that bring light to dark, dark places such as prostitution ministries in Thailand, sex trafficking in Cambodia and Moldova and ongoing conflicts in numerous nations. Pray that we can reach out to the outcasts of the world and bring them hope. Pray that God brings to us the people who need to hear about God’s love and for open hearts. Pray for safety and protection for us as we continually travel.

To be completely frank, I must also raise $16,000 for the trip, and I have absolutely no idea how I alone can raise that amount of money. I know things may have been tight lately, but if you can help me out in any way, I would greatly appreciate it! To send donations, you can mail your tax-deductible contribution to:

Adventures In Missions

P.O. Box 534470

Atlanta, GA 30353-4470

And be sure to indicate the purpose of your gift in the memo line: The World Race (Pookie Vergara).

You can also visit my blog at http://pookievergara.theworldrace.org and click on the “Support Me!” tab to contribute online, as well as get updates on my adventures before and during my time on The World Race. (This blog will still be up and running of course, but it will probably be better to check up on my activities on the world race blog once I actually go).

In the coming year, I hope not only to be a blessing to those I serve, but also to you. I would be honored to go as your representative to bring Christ Jesus to nations around the world. May God bless you as you prayerfully consider partnering with me in this ministry.

If you would like to know more about The World Race and the plan that God has been putting in my life, please feel free to email me (stephanieprvergara@gmail.com) and I would love to get in contact with you!

Thank you,

Stephanie “Pookie” Vergara

Top Ten: Favorite Songs

So I'm in the process of writing a huge 20-ish page paper but I'm taking a short break since my attention span completely died a few minutes ago. 


Since I'll probably be out of focus for the next few weeks, here's a few of my favorites in top 10 form.  Tonight, we'll be starting with my favorite songs:

1. The Call: Regina Spektor.   By far my favorite song of all time! With the past few years of my life involving seasons of meeting lots of crazy amazing people and having to say goodbye, this song reminds me that there's no need to say goodbye to the people you love.
2. O' Blessed Child: The Candy Shop soundtrack. First of all, watch the movie when you can. It's a 30 minute movie about child sex trafficking but so incredibly good. This song basically wraps up all emotions that comes up when dealing with hurting people. Yeah, all that in a song.
3. Beautiful Things: Gungor. Favorite worship song of all time, no doubt. Who hasn't felt like a discarded piece of trash before? Well, God takes junk and makes it beautiful. 
4. Through Heaven's Eyes: Prince of Egypt soundtrack. The best 3:42 of instant bar mitzvah one could ever want. Try and listen to this song and not dance, it's impossible.
5. All About Us: He Is We feat. Owl City. I'm pretty sure the first day I got this song, I listened to it about twenty times. And it didn't stop for at least a week. After listening to this song, you can't help but smile really goofy and have a strong urge to dance. I hope this is what love sounds like. 
6. Wunderkind: Alanis Morissette. Ok let's be completely honest. Practically every single song from any Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack is my favorite. This includes "This is Home" by Switchfoot, "Can't Take It In" by Imogen Heap, "There's A Place For Us" by Carrie Underwood and all the musical creations by Harry Gregson-Williams.
7. Indelible: Brooke Fraiser. This song just inspires me to be more. That doesn't entirely make sense but sometimes, just remembering how much a great and incredible God loves me motivates me to strive and be a better person. This is also the song that inspired me to go on The World Race.
8. Expressions: Helen Jane Long. Just listen to the song. If I had a soundtrack to my life, this would be in it and in my crazy, bouncing off the walls life, being able to listen to this  song for a few minutes helps me to relax and refocus.
9. Lions!: LIGHTS. Lions make you brave. Giants bring you faith. Death is a charade. You don't have to feel safe to feel unafraid. That's all you need to know.
10. Falling In Love In A Coffee Shop: Landon Pigg. I listened to this song once and had a crush on the song. It's beautiful, it's real, like number 5, I hope that this is what love sounds like.

Never Praying For A Distraction Again

Warning to all my male readers: caution.


I just spent the last half hour talking to a young girl from a D-Now that I led a while ago about her first period on Facebook chat.


That's the last time I ever go on Facebook praying for a distraction.


Oh, and I AM SO NOT READY TO BE A PARENT.

"The horror! The horror!"

--Kurtz in The Heart of Darkness 

(Basically the same meaning) 

Night Wanderer

The crisp, cool night air wakes up the great lion as it breezes through his majestic mane. Aslan looks up to the clear and cloudless night sky where the stars reign. His friends are up there, but they are hard to see. Although the lighted campus brings safety, it also pollutes the night sky, hiding the brilliance of the stars’ light. Sadly, sometimes, even the best intentions can block what’s true.

Yearning to fully gaze upon the stars, Aslan stretches from his slumber and jumps through the windowsill onto the plush grass below. Strolling through the university’s campus, the majestic beast revels in the solitude that comes from the hours just before sunrise. He finds a lonesome soccer ball and plays with it for a while, tumbling and wrestling with his prey. Victorious, the champion hunter leaves the deflated kill and continues on his mission to see the heavenly hosts.

The gurgling sound of the fountain is pleasant to the untamed creature’s ears as it tones out the sounds of cars, factories and a passing train. This is his favorite spot, a garden laden with flowers blooming in this tiny utopian corner. Aslan walks up to the fountain and sits on the ledge to drink the cool, clear water. Then, he looks straight up at the stars. He misses them and once being able to walk among the stars. He knows them all, by name, and silently greets them, admiring their beauty. Yet although Aslan wishes to be with them, he knows that he must stay here for the time being. He is needed.

Yawning, Aslan sees that the sun will be coming up to greet the world soon and wordlessly says goodbye to his old friends. The lion begins to make his way back into room 206. Ambling back through campus, Aslan happens upon a poor college student walking home for a few hours of precious sleep. The young man stares at Aslan from across the street, enraptured by the great lion’s size and magnificence. The student’s eyes connect with Aslan’s and in that moment, the boy experiences peace and a trembling fear of being near something so great. But then, he realizes that he is staring at a lion in the middle of campus and shakes his head, muttering that he really needs to stop drinking so much coffee late at night. As he walks off, Aslan watches him go. Sometimes people can’t even believe what their eyes are seeing.

As the night wanderer goes back into small apartment room, he gazes back up at the sky. The quiet pale streaks of the sunrise have already overpowered the light of the stars but Aslan can still see a lone faint star clinging to the night. As the sun gets brighter, Aslan says one final goodbye to the star until the next night and curls up for his sleep till his next adventure.

Gentle Whisper

The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
   Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 

1 Kings 19:11-13

Student teach at a school. Class. Work. Class. Quick lunch break. Work. Meeting. Three hour long class that makes me want to crawl in a hole and die. Frantically write a paper due before midnight. Meeting. More paper writing. Pull an all-nighter.

This is generally how each of my weeknights go. Going, going, going. Sleeping and eating take a backseat in lieu of schoolwork. These past few weeks I've been stretched rather thin, leaving me fearing that I'm headed for a serious burnout.

But then, in the hectic ridiculousness of my day, something happens that helps me to remember that I'm not just a machine.

Laughing with friends in hammocks.

Eating tacos and deep conversations.

Goofing off with my roommates.

In the midst of all the chaos, while I'm struggling to finish everything in my day,  desperately wishing for a little help, there's always a quiet whisper, reminding me that God's still there, knowing exactly what I need to keep me going.

Sometimes the gentle whisper can't be fully appreciated until the chaos is experienced.

Today Is Just One Of Those Days

You know those times of days.


It's been drizzling miserably all day, meaning that my hair is ridiculously frizzy


I change into warm, comfy sweatpants and walk outside for a few seconds only to find that the bottoms of my sweatpants are soaked.


I try and be nice to people, but instead I fail. 


I have no reason to be on edge, yet I am.


I should be working on a project but I just don't care about it


So instead, I spent about two pointless hours in my already crammed day to aimlessly surf the web.


I can't stop being such an angry badger.


(Honey Badgers are one of the most fearless and worst creatures to come across, especially when angry. I have a friend that refers to people as angry badgers as a more creative term for 'jerk')


___________________________


It's just one of those days, an Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day type of day.


Nothing wrong happened to set me off and in all honesty, it wasn't that bad of a day


My attitude just needs to get checked.


Then, hopefully tomorrow won't be like today,


For today can be a very dangerous type of day.

Move Over Disney Princesses, There's A New Heroine In Town

Sorry about being gone for so long, school has been rather demanding lately and I've haven't been able to sit down and write. Except today. Today's just been one of those "who needs school?" days. Anyway, a while ago, I had mentioned that I was reading Mark Twain's Joan of Arc. 


One of my favorite things about this book is that the great American writer, Mark Twain, has such an admiration and fondness for Joan that he writes about her in the same affection as one would write about their first love. The usually biting satirist was quoted saying, "I like Joan of Arc best of all my books; and it is the best; I know it perfectly well.” and considered this his most important work as Twain spent twelve years researching Joan's life. This was how he described her, 

"In the history of the human intellect, untrained, inexperienced, and using only its birthright equipment of untried capacities, there is nothing which approaches this. Joan of Arc stands alone, and must continue to stand alone, by reason of the unfellowed fact that in the things wherein she was great she was so without shade or suggestion of help from preparatory teaching, practice, environment, or experience. There is no one to compare her with, none to measure her by; for all others among the illustrious grew towards their high place in an atmosphere and surroundings which discovered their gift to them and nourished it and promoted it, intentionally or unconsciously. There have been other young generals, but they were not girls; young generals, but they had been soldiers before they were generals: she began as a general; she commanded the first army she ever saw; she led it from victory to victory, and never lost a battle with it; there have been young commanders-in-chief, but none so young as she: she is the only soldier in history who has held the supreme command of a nation's armies at the age of seventeen."

At age twelve, Joan saw her first vision, of the saints Michael, Catherine, and Margaret, telling her to drive the English out of France, who had been invading France for over ninety years. Generations had passed, and the French people had simply gotten used to living under English oppression. But Joan knew that she was called, and she never gave up hope. She had to drive the English out of France.


At age sixteen, she went to court to ask for an army. She was immediately laughed at and turned down. Yet Joan knew that she couldn't give up. So she went back.


Through her persistence, Joan of Arc found herself before the Dauphin (to be king) of France. A lowly peasant girl who didn't know how to read was meeting with the Dauphin. I can only imagine what it would be like, a young girl meeting with the President and his cabinet. She would likely be laughed at, patted on the head and told to leave the important things to the adults. 


Instead, Joan got herself an army. Historians of The Hundred Years' War write about how King Charles must have been at the last resort stage, willing to accept any offer for help, including that of a sixteen year old girl. 


Within the year, Joan had driven out all the French around her. 


She led an army, got severely injured twice (once being an arrow to the neck), and saved a nation all by the age of seventeen.


When the Dauphin, now king, asked Joan what he could give her in return for saving his kingdom, all she asked was that she could go home and that the king never tax her village.


She didn't want riches, or a lifetime of living in a castle. She just wanted her neighbors to not have to live in poverty.


And then she was captured by the English and accused of being a heretic. 


Yet, she did not lose heart.


For three months, the nineteen year old, uneducated, illiterate girl held her own in court against the best minds in England. And although Joan was convicted, later readings of the court transcripts show that the English clergy prosecuting her had doctored many of the court records, meaning that a group of over 30 of the most educated and powerful men in England had to cheat their way into winning a trial against a teenage girl.


She was burned at the stake a few days later but later was canonized by the same church who had convicted her. 


One girl. One young girl who simply heard the voice of God. 


Who believed the voice of God.


She encountered countless dragons, and through only faith, overcame every obstacle thrown in her way.


And in her small steps of obedience, she saved a nation.

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them...There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."                                                                      Hebrews 11:13-16, 35-40

Why  more movies haven't been made about her is beyond me. 

Around The World In...11 Months?

Prayer. Prayer. Prayer.

Answer.

When I was sixteen, I told God that once I graduated high school, I would go anywhere He wanted me to go and do whatever He asked of me. I was ready to hop on a plane and serve the outcasts in a far away country to live out the rest of my days.

Then, He called me to the exotic country of the United States of America. 

That's not exactly what I was thinking. 

 A few months later, there was a last minute opportunity to be a counselor at my church's middle school summer camp, so I went.

And I loved it. 

That's when I realized that God was needing me to stay here in the United States to work with middle schoolers. 

Really God? When I said I would go anywhere and I would do anything, that's not really what I had in mind.

But God gave me a passion for teenagers and I've truly loved every minute and every opportunity that I've been given.

But still, I kinda wanted to be a missionary.

This summer, for the first time in years, I asked God if I could go out and serve people around the world.

He said yes.

Simple as that. I asked my Father for something and He agreed. Looking back, I definitely wasn't ready as a teenager. He had other things to show me and people who had to help me grow and become vulnerable with. 

So now I go. Well, after I graduate. 

In July, I'm headed out with Adventures In Missions' The World Race where I travel to 11 countries in 11 months so that I can serve all the nations of the world. Right now, I'll be headed to Bulgaria, Romania, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, but it will most likely change in the upcoming months.  

I'll update more later about it all when I know more exact details but I did want to let you guys know. I'm going to need a lot of prayer as I prepare for the next ten months, especially as I'll have to raise about $16,000 and having to finish off my last year of school (student teaching...grrr) but I am so excited for what's to come!

It's funny though. As soon as I come back from my crazy adventures, I'll be headed right back to where I planned: teaching middle school in America. 

God gave me a plan and I intend to follow it. But He also knew my desires and what I wanted and took that into consideration. 

I asked and received. 

That's how the Father's love works. Sometimes not how we expect, but all in His time. 

"You say you have a plan for me

And that you want the best for my life

Told me the world had yet to see

What you can do with one

That's committed to Your calling

I know of course what I should do

That I can't hold these dreams forever

If I give them now to You

Will You take them away forever?

Or can I dream again?"

--Surrender by Barlow Girl   

Is This The Real Life? Is This Just Fantasy?

Get random text message telling me to go over to my friend's place


Go over to find a dance party happening


End up dancing with the band Family Force 5


Also Bohemian Rhapsody is one of my favorite songs to sing to while in heavy traffic.


Welcome to my life. 

Blog Hopping

This week I've been guest blogging for my good friend and mentor, Amy Beth, so be sure to check out her blog (Ministry So Fabulous)! She's absolutely fantastic!

(And I enjoy making random appearances whenever I can!)

Rainy Day

You know that annoying thing that you swear you're forgetting whenever you move/travel somewhere? That thing would be my umbrella. Of course I didn't realize it until it started flooding outside.

The rain won't stop pouring down and half of the day has been spent fording rivers that suddenly sprang up along my college campus. This could be one of the few days that I have an excuse to come to class barefoot and not having to care about my appearance as everything can be blamed on the ongoing monsoon. 

The other part of my day has been spent baking bread in my warm pajamas while listening to the Lord Of The Rings soundtrack. 

Secret family recipe. 

So sacred that I keep it written down in my personal journal with my innermost thoughts

No Computer= More People Visited, More Books Read, More Adventures To Be Had

Tonight, I cooked about 5 pounds worth of pasta.

Then, I invited anyone that I could possibly grab ahold of.

Soon, my tiny apartment was filled with people. I kept having to wash plates as soon as people were finished so that others could eat and people shared silverware.

So much laughter and joy danced around as stomachs were filled and college students finally had a satisfying meal.

Later, as I sat in my now empty apartment as dirty dishes overflowed the sink, I rejoiced.

No matter how hilarious a movie or TV show may be, it could never compare to the amount of laughter that came from simply having conversations with people.

Community was built tonight. Not just friendships or connections, but unity.

All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.

--Acts 2:44-47

Moments like these help me to remember that the greatest things that God has given us are what can never be duplicated or experienced on TV.