Hey guys! I decided it would be a
good idea to start a blog so I can keep you all updated on my trip. I’ve never blogged
before so here goes nothing…
I’ll start by saying that with the
help of funding from my wonderful family, friends, and an amazing offering from
my church, today I paid the final payment to IVHQ to ensure my spot in the
teaching program for three months in Uganda! How exciting!! Now, all I have to
do is wait……I JUST WANNA GO NOW. The good news is I don’t have too much longer
left! 54 days from now, I will be in the airport probably crying my eyes out as
I say goodbye to my mom and dad (keep in mind I’m their youngest of six
children) and the rest of my family and friends. Then I’ll hop on a plane and
this girl will be on her way to Africa! What a crazy thought. Sometimes I still
catch myself wondering if I’m really about to do this. It’s always been a
farfetched dream that I couldn’t really grasp. I definitely think dreams come a
few sizes too big so we can have time to grow into them. I finally think I’m
ready and equipped with the knowledge, faith, and strength to face the daily
trials in Uganda, and to truly appreciate the rewarding feeling of helping to
mold innocent children’s lives. Of course I have fears, but my yearning to make
my mark in the world far outweighs any fear imaginable. I absolutely cannot
wait to be in the presence of amazing little faces every single day.
As some of you may know, I recently
got back from a mission trip to Haiti. This trip eliminated any doubts I
could’ve ever had about making the choice to spend three months in Africa. The
feeling of pure happiness and joy that I felt while in Haiti is like an
addiction that I can’t get enough of. It was like I found my meaning in life,
and I knew I was supposed to be there. I’m counting the days until I get to Uganda
and the same feeling consumes me. I cannot wait to get my feet in that red clay
and my arms around those sweet children. As much as I’m ready to go, I know
some days I will miss the “normality” of America, but I’m so ready to get away
from all the distractions here and see the world from a new perspective. I
wonder who I will be when I get home; I wonder what my eyes will have seen and
what my heart will have felt.
It’s bizarre thinking about how
things really do happen for a reason, and how God uses trials and tribulations
to create something remarkable. I was dealt a pretty tough hand this past year,
but that only provided me with the strength and ability to make this
life-changing decision. I’ve learned that sometimes the most dreadful of things
we experience are still blessings in disguise. I never thought taking a
semester off from college would be in my plans, but then again that was MY plan,
and God’s plan is completely different. I’m just grateful He lets me be a part
of His plans. I can’t wait to see what He has in store for me and how He is
going to use me in Uganda, but I must admit this is a bittersweet feeling. All
my best friends will be starting their junior year of college, and it makes me
think how different I had my life planned out just last year. I would have
never believed you if you told me I would no longer be attending ECU, or that I
would have no desire to major in apparel merchandising anymore. It’s so crazy! God has something even bigger and better in store for me, I know it. So that's why I am here, typing a blog on my MacBook about traveling to Uganda. Not because everyone thinks it's the best route to take, because believe me, I've heard my fair share of opinions along the way, and not because it's what's expected of me, and definitely not because it's going to be easy.
Before
I call it a night I would like to personally thank anyone who is taking the
time to follow along with this journey, and to everyone who helped make this
possible. You will never know how precious each of you are to me. And to my
sweet parents, I don’t think you guys will ever truly know how much I
appreciate your support and for always believing in my dreams. I know most mom
and dads would have a hard time when their daughter drops the “I’d like to take
a break from school and move to Africa” bomb. You two handled it with grace and
have never made me feel like I can’t accomplish anything I set my mind to. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Below are some of my favorite pictures from my trip to Haiti so you can all see what I've been up to this summer! LOVE to you all!
