.....Tuesday???

So, I wanted to start doing Mission Photo Monday from
http://iamone143million.blogspot.com/, but its already Tuesday. I missed it. Darn.



Can I get away with doing Mission Photo Tuesday this week , and try for next Monday???

I realized that I haven't really posted much at all about my first mission trip to Africa. When I was 11 years old my mom and I travelled with some people from my church to South Africa and Kenya for two weeks on a mission trip with African Leadership: http://www.africanleadership.org/.

That trip totally changed my world and God used it to inspire my love for orphans as well as the African people.

This is me and my friend Patience who lives in South Africa. She is the same age as me. She is the exact same height as me. She has a family. She is a fabulous artist. She is a Christian. I love her very much. And I have never seen or heard from her again since we spent a few hours together that day.

Patience is the very first person ever who taught me the difference between a project and a relationship. Between a statistic and a person. Between thinking that mission trips are all about me coming in to save the day and me knowing that mission trips often involve me being blessed by the Lord and His people far more than I could ever bless them.

Patience was the first person to teach me that.

I can't wait to see her in heaven.

I need Africa

Have you ever heard of African Leadership?



They are an incredible organization working in 22 different countries with many different projects, but focusing on pastor training. When my mom and I first went to Africa in 2004, we went on one of their short-term, vision trips and our family has been involved with them ever since.

Anyway, the reason I bring that up is that they have started to spread this idea that totally makes my heart sing: "I need Africa more than Africa needs me." How incredible is that? If you've got Africa (or any people group/country) on your heart you know exactly what I mean. They are selling these incredible t-shirts (there are more on the website) for just twenty dollars as a fundraiser, and I'm hoping to give a lot of them as Christmas gifts this year.








In case you're interested. :)

EDIT******
ok, so when I just tried those links none of them worked, so here they are in order:
African Leadership: http://www.africanleadership.org/
"this idea...": https://www.mochaclub.org/i-need-africa
T-shirts: http://www.zambooie.com/mochaclub/

try that.... :) sorry for my lack of computer skills!

Welcome

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for visiting. I don't have a super clear vision of what this blog is going to look like so far, but I am excited to have a place to record this time in my life.

A little bit about me:

More than anything, I am loved by my Savior, who I seek to glorify with all of my life. His faithfulness is unfailing and His mercies are new every morning. I am very blessed with a amazing family who loves me and accepts me. I am the oldest of five children with two younger brothers and two younger sisters (Joseph 13; Lela Grace 10; Michael 3; Julia 3). Michael and Julia are twins and they came home to our family from Ethiopia when they were 6 months old. I have attended the most amazing classical Chrstian school in the world since my sixth grade year and am blessed by the my teachers, friends, and education there every single day. My family and I are renewed every Sunday at a beautiful little church in my town that is associated with my school, so we get to fellowship with many of the same families in both places. Finally, and the biggest reason for me starting this blog to begin with: When I was 11 years old, my mom and I traveled to South Africa and Kenya on a mission trip. Since then, the Lord has slowly but surely called me to serve His children in Eastern Africa. When I was almost 13 Michael and Julia came home and since then I have had a tried to use every oppurtunity to spread African Adoption/Orphan awarness in my community.
My desire for almost 5 years was to return to Africa, and this past summer God fufilled that dream as I spent a week in Ethiopia and a week in Uganda on a mission trip visiting orphans. It was definetly a learning trip for me, and I know I'll be going back one day. I hope to live there either full time or at least for a while whenever God directs.

"To whom much is Given, much is expected."

The Lord has definetly blessed me immeasurably, even though many things aren't perfect and evey day there is something new to wrestle with and to learn from. But more than what God has given me, I am blessed by who He is. Lord help me to keep that in front of me at all times, and to not get caught up in what is going on around me and loose sight of who You are.

ps. I am somewhat modeling this blog after another girl's who I met in the blog world who also has a heart for orphans. Reading her blog (http://guatemolly1.blogspot.com/) encourages me all the time. It is also somewhat modeled after the first blog I ever followed, a friend of mine's from church (http://raechelmyers.blogspot.com/).