So.. its been a while since I last posted and a lot of that is because things keep getting thrown at me and keep me occupied. I have been so busy this year so far, but living one of the best years I could ever ask for! However through all this busyness, I have learned so many things in each area of life:
Res Life: I think I went into this year as an RA kind of naively because last year went SO well. I figured that since last year was so great, this year would be to. But I'm struggling this year... I don't get along very well with many of my girls. So many of them have roommate problems or want to move rooms. I woke up this morning with lots of emails of my wing members angry at me because of the planning that went into a building event that had to be thrown together very quickly. I tried to fix the problem, but I still have the feeling that people are not happy. I think that the respect for RA's has decreased in my wing and it kind of drives me nuts. I feel like I'm doing a horrible job, and I don't even know how to go about fixing it. Especially since last year was so fantastic... I'm starting to wonder why God placed me as an RA for another year... I'm trying to teach myself patience in this area, but its something that does not come easily to me but something that I definitely have to learn.
College Classes: This is something that has been bothering me ever since the year started. I'm beginning to hate my graphic design classes. I don't learn anything in them and basically have to teach myself everything through tutorials and working on my own. It's pretty ridiculous. I'm beginning to not want to even be a graphic design major anymore, I like photography like 10x's better and its something that I'm actually good at and would be satisfied making a living out of. I'm even beginning to like my minor in Communications better than my art major. I still love art, and always will, but the fact that I'm not liking the classes anymore is probably a good indication that I'm not really doing something right. I have talked about this to numerous people and the same question keeps coming up.. what am I really doing here? I talked to my dad about this over the past weekend and he basically told me that you never use what you learned in college once you get into the "real world". If I never use that knowledge (or whatever knowledge) I have gained here, then what's the point of all the money that is going into my college education, just to get myself a degree and make myself look smart? I feel like I could be doing so much more right now in the world with what I have already learned then wasting my time studying stuff that doesn't entirely excite me anymore. Am I still here just because this is what my parents raised me to do - go to college and get an education? I'm starting to get the stage where I keep asking, What is God really calling me to do? I want to just get out and do what God's will is for my life right now. Sure I don't know what that is, but I completely trust that He will lead me and guide me what His will is for me.
Relationships: If you think about it.. there are so many different kinds of relationships in life. Relationships between your family, friends, teachers, coworkers, etc. These relationships are all SO important to me and I strive to build each one, but sometimes its hard. I have a hard time going home to my family because it is so hard to fit in. Living 12 hours away, I don't spend time with them to catch all their inside jokes and other recent memories that they have all shared. I come home and my sister and oldest brother get along really well and they do everything together, so its just me and my youngest brother who always hang out.. and don't get me wrong I love him to death, but i still feel bad that we all can't fit in together. I love my family to death but I wish that we could all get along really well that things would not always be so hard for me whenever I come home. Then it is also hard for me to not push away my life here at Dordt when I am home. I sometimes feel like my family doesn't understand my life here. It's hard for them to realize how much I enjoy it here and love all the new friends and adventures that I have had and am still having. Which brings me to another point of relationships. I'm beginning to realize that relationships are more important than school work will ever be. The friendships that I establish in college are going to be the friendships that last forever. So all those late night conversations, all those fun adventures... I've learned to ALWAYS accept them even if they don't come at the most convenient of times, because those things are going to be what you remember the most. Especially since being a junior, my time here is almost finished and I want to have lasting memories and relationships to carry me on through life. This year has brought about a new wave of friends, especially guy friends. There are 10 of us (5 girls, 5 guys) in our close group of friends, and the occasional people that float in and out. But we are already so close, we have our inside jokes, our adventures, our serious conversations, our Sunday dinners, and SO much more. It's fun and I'm SO blessed. The girls in this group have been my friends for the past 1 or 2 years and I love them to death. The guys are all friends with my boyfriend (which is also a new relationship for this year!) and we have all gotten to be such great friends. It's already made this year better. God is SO good!!! It's amazing to see what His plans are in life, because I definitely didn't have any plans for myself to get a boyfriend again this year. I thought I was completely content with being single still, but God had other ideas and I wouldn't change that for anything. I have an amazing boyfriend, someone who treats me with respect, encourages me, listens to me, someone who is always there and while we have our struggles with some situations, I know that he is always thinking of me and trusting me to help him out. We have a great relationship and one that we both hope continues to grow stronger in Christ. I'm scared for the future and excited all at the same time. I know God is in control and that's the only way I want it to be.
Well there are many, many, many, more things that I have been learning through life so far this year.. but already this post is so long and it covers a fair amount of topics for now. I have to save something for another post :) As I wrap this post up, I just want to end with some encouragement from 2 places: The first one is a Dove dark chocolate wrapper, it says: "the more you praise and celebrate your life, the more in life there is to celebrate." And the other one is from the Bible in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, rejoice!" I have learned that no matter what happens in life, God is in control and that we just have to rejoice in Him for everything. We don't have much time to live on this earth and I want to make my life something that counts and a life that I live to the fullest serving God. I may not know how I will be serving God after college or right now for that matter, but it is something I'm ready to learn and trust God to teach me!
So there you have it.. a few things that life has been teaching me!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Postcards from God
Have you ever been in that moment where you don't know what to do in life and you could just desperately use a sign?
I'm stuck there right now... I have so many things on my mind that I don't know what to do about. Situations arise on my wing, relationships with people are complicated and I don't know how to go about dealing with them.
It's times like these where I feel like a postcard from God would just be acceptable. Just a little note pushing me on the right track. But then I stop and wonder, "did God send me some sort of postcard already and I just missed it?" And with that thought, I'm just back to worrying about how to do certain things.
I have talked SO often lately with friends about everything, (believe me there is a lot going on and school hasn't even started yet) but the problem is that we have never come to a conclusion. All we keep saying is "Take everything to God and believe in Him above all, then everything else will fall into place."
That's so hard to do when sin is such a huge part of life. That sin is what is keeping me from not worrying about where God will lead me. I know with all my heart that he has a plan and that it is going to be perfect, it's just hard to believe that fully at points.
I'm stuck there right now... I have so many things on my mind that I don't know what to do about. Situations arise on my wing, relationships with people are complicated and I don't know how to go about dealing with them.
It's times like these where I feel like a postcard from God would just be acceptable. Just a little note pushing me on the right track. But then I stop and wonder, "did God send me some sort of postcard already and I just missed it?" And with that thought, I'm just back to worrying about how to do certain things.
I have talked SO often lately with friends about everything, (believe me there is a lot going on and school hasn't even started yet) but the problem is that we have never come to a conclusion. All we keep saying is "Take everything to God and believe in Him above all, then everything else will fall into place."
That's so hard to do when sin is such a huge part of life. That sin is what is keeping me from not worrying about where God will lead me. I know with all my heart that he has a plan and that it is going to be perfect, it's just hard to believe that fully at points.
Now is when I find myself thinking of verses to just calm me and remind me that God is there. I keep coming back to Isaiah 41:10 which says, "So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
I know I can not fear and worry about all these things in my life, God will help me out through all the difficult times. I just need to listen to him and watch what signs he throws my way. But sometimes, I still think receiving a postcard from God would be really cool!
Monday, August 8, 2011
The Next Step in Life
I have been home from Thailand for exactly two weeks now and I still talk about my experiences there everyday. I look at pictures and remember different things that we did there, and I can't help but get excited about going back someday. But for right now, I have another job ahead of me that has to be tackled with Great Love.
Tomorrow, the 9th of August, I will be leaving with my mom, sister Kayla, and brother Bradley to move back to Dordt. I'm leaving Dad and Joel home because of soccer and work. It's going to be so hard to say goodbye to them and then make sure I lead my Mom safely out to Iowa on our long drive tomorrow.
Thursday I begin RA training for the second year. I will be living by myself in the dorm building and I have a wing full of incoming freshman. It's my job to make these girls all feel at home and make it an easy transition into college life. I get to plan different wing events for every week – something fun we can do together as a wing and a way we can grow closer as friends and classmates and especially closer to God.
Thailand was all about working at the school with great love for the children and great love for God, and this is the same, but in some ways I feel like this is going to be harder. I have hardly had time to think of themes for my wing, or even begin to think about wing events. I'm excited about meeting everyone and going through training with a bunch of friends, but for some reason, I feel like nothing about this next step in life will be as exciting as visiting Thailand for 2 weeks.
This is where I need to spend more time with God, ask him to show me how this can be just as fun as Thailand and how this next step will be a challenge as well as a way to grow in faith and strength for God.
I know this is has been a lot of rambling, but i needed to talk myself through some things in order to make this next step be something as great as Thailand. I don't think I'll see how great being an RA will actually be until I step into the role and spend more time talking with God. I'm excited about this step but also a little apprehensive, because of Thailand. But I can't measure everything next to Thailand – this has to be something I measure next to last year and on a whole different scale. It's something I know that God has called me to do again and its something I have to spend doing knowing that while it may seem like something small compared to traveling around the world, its still something I have to do out of Great Love for others and for God!
Tomorrow, the 9th of August, I will be leaving with my mom, sister Kayla, and brother Bradley to move back to Dordt. I'm leaving Dad and Joel home because of soccer and work. It's going to be so hard to say goodbye to them and then make sure I lead my Mom safely out to Iowa on our long drive tomorrow.
Thursday I begin RA training for the second year. I will be living by myself in the dorm building and I have a wing full of incoming freshman. It's my job to make these girls all feel at home and make it an easy transition into college life. I get to plan different wing events for every week – something fun we can do together as a wing and a way we can grow closer as friends and classmates and especially closer to God.
Thailand was all about working at the school with great love for the children and great love for God, and this is the same, but in some ways I feel like this is going to be harder. I have hardly had time to think of themes for my wing, or even begin to think about wing events. I'm excited about meeting everyone and going through training with a bunch of friends, but for some reason, I feel like nothing about this next step in life will be as exciting as visiting Thailand for 2 weeks.
This is where I need to spend more time with God, ask him to show me how this can be just as fun as Thailand and how this next step will be a challenge as well as a way to grow in faith and strength for God.
I know this is has been a lot of rambling, but i needed to talk myself through some things in order to make this next step be something as great as Thailand. I don't think I'll see how great being an RA will actually be until I step into the role and spend more time talking with God. I'm excited about this step but also a little apprehensive, because of Thailand. But I can't measure everything next to Thailand – this has to be something I measure next to last year and on a whole different scale. It's something I know that God has called me to do again and its something I have to spend doing knowing that while it may seem like something small compared to traveling around the world, its still something I have to do out of Great Love for others and for God!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
So Hard to say Goodbye
Why is it so hard to say goodbye... I always find it hard to say goodbye to my college friends at the end of the school year, but then I know when fall comes I'll be seeing them again.
However, this is different, tomorrow, I'm saying goodbye to some kids that I have grown SO close to while I have been in Thailand these last two weeks. Kids that have finally learned my name, always want to say Hi and jump rope with me, and kids that have just touched my heart. I don't know when I'll ever see them again and it's so hard to say goodbye to them.
Sure, I'll have millions of memories, lots of great pictures of all the kids, but it will never be the same as seeing their smiling faces, cute little dimples, and beautiful dark brown eyes everyday when they arrive at school and greet you with a happy "Good morning teacher" and running up with a jumprope so that you will twirl the rope while they jump.
I've gotten used to getting up at 6 in the morning to get to a school that is so Christ-centered in the middle of a Buddhist nation, just to see those kids smile at you, pray to God and sing about how big, strong, and mighty our God is. It has been so much fun to be able to communicate with these kids that hardly know any English except a few words... and really just a few words, a smile, and laughter is all you need to be able to reach out to these kids.
Overall.. tomorrow is going to be a hard, sad day, I don't think any of the kids fully understand that it is my last day there. We'll say goodbye at the end of the day and that will be it, our final goodbye with a hope to see each other again sometime...
It's been such a blessing to be here, and while it doesn't look like much has changed on the outside, I know that my heart is forever changed on the inside through what God has taught me while here, how the kids and teachers have reached out to me, and just how special this area of Thailand really is. Sunday night, I'm getting back on a plane and flying back to the States. I'm happy to be going home and excited to get ready for another great year at Dordt, but I know that from now on, a piece of my heart will always be in Thailand and that someday, I need to find a way back.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Flying through God's Creation
Yesterday, Kayla and I, along with one of the English teachers, Rebekah, from The School of Promise, where we are volunteering (check out the link to the right!), went zip-lining through the jungle of Thailand!
The principle of the school picked the three of us up from the teacher's house and drove us into downtown Chiang Mai to the office. We paid for our trip and followed a driver to a van. The van took us on an hour's drive up the mountain and into the jungle. It was a beautiful road, but very bumpy and curvy... all to say it's a good thing I don't get motion sick!
When we reached the top, we got out of the van and were ushered inside of the office for Jungle Flight. We filled out release forms (basically with just our name and age, they don't really care about how old you are or anything here!), used the bathrooms, then got our harnesses and helmets on, and handed a stick of bamboo... which is used as a brake!
We walked a little ways down to a platform where the first zipline started. Our guide was named Mr. Boston... he was very crazy but definitely made things fun! He kind of read us safety rules and then basically hooked us up to the cord and let us fly!
Our course was the longest one, it consisted of about 33 platforms, 22 ziplines, sky bridges, and 4 repels. Our longest zipline was 300 meters long and looking below on that flight was breathtaking!
The jungle was beautiful! There was rushing water, gorgeous plants and birds, and plus it was raining so everything so much more beautiful! It's too bad the pictures we took can't capture what the jungle really looks like because its just so hard to put it into words, and pictures don't do the jungle any justice. It's a good thing God blessed us with great memories because I definitely used my mental camera a lot yesterday!
Have you ever stopped to wonder about all the different things God created? I don't think I ever really thought about it before, but spending yesterday flying through God's creation made me realize just how amazing God really is! I encourage you all to stop sometime and marvel at all God created for us, The world is His and everything in it belongs to Him, we just get the privilege of living in it and enjoying it! So take out a mental camera (because real cameras don't do God's creation a lot of justice) and snap some mental pictures of amazing memories and things you encounter because who knows when you'll ever get the chance to "fly through God's creation" again!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
One Beautiful Place
I have officially been in Thailand for 3 days now and it has been some of the best days ever!
The flight over to Thailand was long... we spent 12.5 hours on a flight from Chicago to Korea, then spent 4.5 hours from Korea to Thailand. They were long flights, but we were occupied with lots of movies and trying to sleep! Our cousin, Marvel, met us at the airport and brought us back to their house. She showed us our room and then showed us the rest of the house. Kayla and I are in a room at the front of the house which has two beds in it! We unpacked some and then decided to go right to bed!
On Monday, we slept in and then got to say HI to Kirsten and Hezekiah, our little cousins! After playing with them, Marvel brought us over to The School of Promise where Kayla and I would be volunteering. We went on a tour of the school and got to eat lunch there with the kids and all the teachers. We were introduced to all the classes and got to do some work in the library. We then left and went to a grocery store which is kind of like a Sam's Club or Costco. We got some groceries and then spent some time back at the house baking a cake and playing with the kids. For supper that night all the English teachers came over. It was really fun to meet them more and learn more about the work they are doing and how on fire they are for God and teaching these kids who live in a very Buddhist population about Christ! During dinner that night we also got to hear about the weekend plans since this coming weekend is a 4 day weekend because of a Buddhist holiday. We were so tired after dinner because of jet lag, so we went through the swimsuits that we brought out with us and then headed to bed.
Tuesday was our first day working at the school. We rode with our cousin Joel and got to hear about Thai culture until we reached the school. When we got there, we were able to sing some songs with all the teachers -- Thai and English -- It was so cool to sing songs together with everyone because all the Americans sang in English and the Thai teachers sang in Thai. To hear the same songs sung in two different languages at the same time was so cool! We prayed together and then all the teachers left and Joel gave us a little orientation about what the school's mission is. Then it was time to interact with the kids! Our first activity was working with Miss Brittany's class (one of the English teacher's). We got to do science flash cards with the kids and then watch them as they played a game. After that, Kayla and I each taught 3 PE classes. We taught the students how to jump rope and say the rhyme "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear." We had so much fun jumping rope with the kids, or twirling the rope for them. It was fun to hear them laugh! After the day at school, was swim club. I got to work with one of the classes and swim with them and play with the students during free time!
Wednesday, we spent the day at the school again. All the teachers sang together again before class started, and then Kayla and I moved to the library and started to sweep and mop it, then we washed down all the mats and chairs with Brittany and Joel before rearranging shelves and cataloging new books! During the breaks for kids, Kayla and I found a new little buddy, named Mai. She is a 1st grader and is super cute! She doesn't speak much English, but the fact that we can still communicate to her is amazing. During lunch, she pulled Kayla and I over to a table and set up a checkers game to play with her. It was so much fun and we had another little girl come and join us too! After lunch, we finished the library then spent some time in the music room talking with Brittany, Emily, and Rebecca, the other English teachers. When school finished, we waited for some of the students to leave; while waiting we jumped rope together out in the rain. Once again, it was so much fun to play with these kids and be able to communicate through smiles, laughs, and simple English words!
So there is an update for you all! It has been such an experience out here so far. The country is beautiful, very hot and humid, but beautiful. These students and teachers at the school are such beautiful children of the wonderful God we serve! My time here has been such a blessing to me so far and I can't wait to see what else God has in store for the time I have left here!
The flight over to Thailand was long... we spent 12.5 hours on a flight from Chicago to Korea, then spent 4.5 hours from Korea to Thailand. They were long flights, but we were occupied with lots of movies and trying to sleep! Our cousin, Marvel, met us at the airport and brought us back to their house. She showed us our room and then showed us the rest of the house. Kayla and I are in a room at the front of the house which has two beds in it! We unpacked some and then decided to go right to bed!
On Monday, we slept in and then got to say HI to Kirsten and Hezekiah, our little cousins! After playing with them, Marvel brought us over to The School of Promise where Kayla and I would be volunteering. We went on a tour of the school and got to eat lunch there with the kids and all the teachers. We were introduced to all the classes and got to do some work in the library. We then left and went to a grocery store which is kind of like a Sam's Club or Costco. We got some groceries and then spent some time back at the house baking a cake and playing with the kids. For supper that night all the English teachers came over. It was really fun to meet them more and learn more about the work they are doing and how on fire they are for God and teaching these kids who live in a very Buddhist population about Christ! During dinner that night we also got to hear about the weekend plans since this coming weekend is a 4 day weekend because of a Buddhist holiday. We were so tired after dinner because of jet lag, so we went through the swimsuits that we brought out with us and then headed to bed.
Tuesday was our first day working at the school. We rode with our cousin Joel and got to hear about Thai culture until we reached the school. When we got there, we were able to sing some songs with all the teachers -- Thai and English -- It was so cool to sing songs together with everyone because all the Americans sang in English and the Thai teachers sang in Thai. To hear the same songs sung in two different languages at the same time was so cool! We prayed together and then all the teachers left and Joel gave us a little orientation about what the school's mission is. Then it was time to interact with the kids! Our first activity was working with Miss Brittany's class (one of the English teacher's). We got to do science flash cards with the kids and then watch them as they played a game. After that, Kayla and I each taught 3 PE classes. We taught the students how to jump rope and say the rhyme "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear." We had so much fun jumping rope with the kids, or twirling the rope for them. It was fun to hear them laugh! After the day at school, was swim club. I got to work with one of the classes and swim with them and play with the students during free time!
Wednesday, we spent the day at the school again. All the teachers sang together again before class started, and then Kayla and I moved to the library and started to sweep and mop it, then we washed down all the mats and chairs with Brittany and Joel before rearranging shelves and cataloging new books! During the breaks for kids, Kayla and I found a new little buddy, named Mai. She is a 1st grader and is super cute! She doesn't speak much English, but the fact that we can still communicate to her is amazing. During lunch, she pulled Kayla and I over to a table and set up a checkers game to play with her. It was so much fun and we had another little girl come and join us too! After lunch, we finished the library then spent some time in the music room talking with Brittany, Emily, and Rebecca, the other English teachers. When school finished, we waited for some of the students to leave; while waiting we jumped rope together out in the rain. Once again, it was so much fun to play with these kids and be able to communicate through smiles, laughs, and simple English words!
So there is an update for you all! It has been such an experience out here so far. The country is beautiful, very hot and humid, but beautiful. These students and teachers at the school are such beautiful children of the wonderful God we serve! My time here has been such a blessing to me so far and I can't wait to see what else God has in store for the time I have left here!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The truth is...
...I'm getting a tad scared :)
So, it's only like 3 days till I get all packed up and drive with my family to Chicago.
We are spending Friday night in Chicago because Kayla's and my flight leaves at 10am Chicago time on Saturday and we have to be there around 2 hours early because it is an international flight.
I am so excited for this next adventure in my life, but I have to say, I'm also a tad scared. I spent all last night worrying about the plane flight and all the things that could go wrong—engine failing, bad weather, and so many more—then I would go through the whole list of people who have done long flights before and were made it safely there and back. And after reassuring myself, I would go back to worrying. It was such a long night of so many switchbacks going on in my mind. Finally I calmed down and prayed myself to sleep hoping that my fears would be relieved in the morning.
I woke up this morning and right away started worrying again. I had to run a bunch of errands today—going to appointments, picking up different jobs from work, etc. I was driving around listening to the local MI Christian radio station when the song "Lift Me Up" by the Afters came on. It came at just the perfect time, and I listened to the chorus and realized that God is lifting me up and is carrying me on this journey.
I want to copy down the lyrics so you all can read them and continue to pray for me and my sister:
You lift me up when I am weak.
Your arms wrap around me.
Your love catches me so I'm letting go.
You lift me up when I can't see.
Your heart's all that I need.
Your love carries me so I'm letting go.
It's so true, isn't it? God is surrounding us with his love and that's all we need. We don't have to worry, he's catching us and carrying us wherever he is leading us. I'm so beyond blessed to have God guiding me on this journey and to have so many family and friends praying me out to Thailand and back!
I couldn't do it without the love of God, and the prayers of everyone. How else am I going to stop worrying if I don't let go and rely on God?
Well, like I said earlier, this journey that once seemed like forever ago is finally beginning to creep up on me, and to state it plainly: I'm scared and excited. Scared about 22 hours of air time and being in a foreign country, but most of all, excited to see what God has in store to teach me during this journey!
And just a fair warning.. I won't be posting again until I'm either in Korea waiting for my next flight or in Thailand!
Keep the prayers coming my friends, and remember God's carrying us all with his love, we can let go and let God!
So, it's only like 3 days till I get all packed up and drive with my family to Chicago.
We are spending Friday night in Chicago because Kayla's and my flight leaves at 10am Chicago time on Saturday and we have to be there around 2 hours early because it is an international flight.
I am so excited for this next adventure in my life, but I have to say, I'm also a tad scared. I spent all last night worrying about the plane flight and all the things that could go wrong—engine failing, bad weather, and so many more—then I would go through the whole list of people who have done long flights before and were made it safely there and back. And after reassuring myself, I would go back to worrying. It was such a long night of so many switchbacks going on in my mind. Finally I calmed down and prayed myself to sleep hoping that my fears would be relieved in the morning.
I woke up this morning and right away started worrying again. I had to run a bunch of errands today—going to appointments, picking up different jobs from work, etc. I was driving around listening to the local MI Christian radio station when the song "Lift Me Up" by the Afters came on. It came at just the perfect time, and I listened to the chorus and realized that God is lifting me up and is carrying me on this journey.
I want to copy down the lyrics so you all can read them and continue to pray for me and my sister:
You lift me up when I am weak.
Your arms wrap around me.
Your love catches me so I'm letting go.
You lift me up when I can't see.
Your heart's all that I need.
Your love carries me so I'm letting go.
It's so true, isn't it? God is surrounding us with his love and that's all we need. We don't have to worry, he's catching us and carrying us wherever he is leading us. I'm so beyond blessed to have God guiding me on this journey and to have so many family and friends praying me out to Thailand and back!
I couldn't do it without the love of God, and the prayers of everyone. How else am I going to stop worrying if I don't let go and rely on God?
Well, like I said earlier, this journey that once seemed like forever ago is finally beginning to creep up on me, and to state it plainly: I'm scared and excited. Scared about 22 hours of air time and being in a foreign country, but most of all, excited to see what God has in store to teach me during this journey!
And just a fair warning.. I won't be posting again until I'm either in Korea waiting for my next flight or in Thailand!
Keep the prayers coming my friends, and remember God's carrying us all with his love, we can let go and let God!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Being Called
My summer has started out as a whirlwind. I came home from college and got right to work in CRC Publications as a freelance graphic designer. I was planning on also teaching 2 different art camps this summer when a new possibility came up.
For a long time, my sister has been talking about going out of the country for mission work and I always thought she was so brave to want to do that and thought that would be something just for her. But when summer came and she started planning on going to Thailand, I had no idea that eventually God would bring me into it too. My parents started talking over the possibilities of her going to Thailand to work with cousins of mine who started a school out there, but they didn't want her to travel alone. A week ago, I felt God calling me to say, "I'll go with her!" I had this feeling at the end of the school year, that I just had to go out and travel somewhere and do something out of my comfort zone. But I figured it wouldn't happen this summer.
Now here I am... Called by God. On July 9, Kayla and I are leaving for a two week trip out to Thailand to work with my cousins in their school. I'm excited and scared, but most of all ready to start out this big journey in my life! I don't know what this journey will bring, but I'm excited to find out and share what God is doing in my life!
I have lived by the quote "doing small things with great love." Now while traveling to Thailand is a big thing, I have a feeling that the different work I'll be doing out there will be done out of love and awe of God and will eventually lead to something GREAT!!!
I was reading my Bible this morning in 1 Thessalonians 4 and verses 11 through 12 say something that struck me... "Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make you love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else." That's exactly what God has done... only He could have so quickly cleared the path for my sister and I to go to Thailand and all I can feel right now is His love abounding through me to do something that makes a difference!
For a long time, my sister has been talking about going out of the country for mission work and I always thought she was so brave to want to do that and thought that would be something just for her. But when summer came and she started planning on going to Thailand, I had no idea that eventually God would bring me into it too. My parents started talking over the possibilities of her going to Thailand to work with cousins of mine who started a school out there, but they didn't want her to travel alone. A week ago, I felt God calling me to say, "I'll go with her!" I had this feeling at the end of the school year, that I just had to go out and travel somewhere and do something out of my comfort zone. But I figured it wouldn't happen this summer.
Now here I am... Called by God. On July 9, Kayla and I are leaving for a two week trip out to Thailand to work with my cousins in their school. I'm excited and scared, but most of all ready to start out this big journey in my life! I don't know what this journey will bring, but I'm excited to find out and share what God is doing in my life!
I have lived by the quote "doing small things with great love." Now while traveling to Thailand is a big thing, I have a feeling that the different work I'll be doing out there will be done out of love and awe of God and will eventually lead to something GREAT!!!
I was reading my Bible this morning in 1 Thessalonians 4 and verses 11 through 12 say something that struck me... "Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make you love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else." That's exactly what God has done... only He could have so quickly cleared the path for my sister and I to go to Thailand and all I can feel right now is His love abounding through me to do something that makes a difference!
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