Leaving soon!

21 hours and I will be on my way to Colombia! It's so crazy to think that God had all of this planned for me. When I was sixteen, my heart was led to visit orphanages around the world. Three years into college, I pray for a trip to open up, change my major, and this one came suddenly-yet the dream is still happening. I can't describe what it feels like to have this door being open for me right now. It's like I tried to plan out my life, God turned me around, but still read my heart. And while I'm not yet finished packing, am still a 2, 10, and 2 3 hour car rides, a plane to Texas, and a plane to Bogota, I feel full. I hope I will come back changed with a servant's attitude, a lot of memories, and a passion for God's love.

Tierra Linda Church

From Sara:

This week we are asking you to pray for the local church we will be visiting while in Colombia. It’s name is Tierra Linda, and we absolutely love this group of people! Tierra Linda is a smaller church that is very welcoming and friendly to visitors. They are doing great things in their community. One specific ministry is an outreach to a group of low-income families that live in a recycling community nearby. This ministry has gone on for the past 5 years or so, and slowly they are beginning to see results and changed lives in this community. Tierra Linda is also home to many North American missionaries that you will have the opportunity to meet on the trip. They church has faced some financial struggles in the past several years, as the neighborhood they are in is fighting to remove them from their building. Please pray for the church to continue to move forward in its ministry to those in poverty, for Pastor Santiago to be encouraged, and for the surrounding community to have a change of heart.

Yard Sale-ing!

Today we hosted a yard sale at our house and raised $72 for the trip! I'm so glad my brothers helped out by carrying tables and working the table. We didn't sell the things we thought we would, but we still made a good profit to put towards the trip. God is so good in providing money- even if it means selling things we don't find great, but that others might. Here's hoping the next sale is as good as this one, or more!

Blinking

Well, I'm back at home after my third year of college! Because I haven't found a job yet (which is frustrating beyond comprehension) I've been working on redoing the house and finding items for the yard sale next Monday. I'm hoping some of our "unwantable" items taking space in our house will be treasures for others so I can raise some money for the trip. :)

My Mom, brother, and sister have ben really helpful in finding things to sell and I'm really thankful they are being generous to donate and help clean up. (Let me tell you, it is not easy for teenagers to "give" away things without compensation!)

In the past few years Z has become a really awesome person to hang out with. I actually like hanging out with my brother-imagine that! We were talking about summer goals- 1) get fit (courtesy in part of the Wii) 2) clean and redo the house 3) become world travelers (he's going to Guatemala!)

Through my fundraising and talking to people about the trip, I've come across a lot of worry and criticism about going to Colombia in regards to the drug wars. The truth is that I wouldn't go if  didn't feel safe, but if God called me so strongly to go, I would. God commands us to go to the ends of the world and share His love, and when we accept the call to serve Him our lives are offered as a total  sacrifice. If our lives in America are a sacrifice why stay comfortable? Life is as short as a blink, and the tornado in Oklahoma is a reminder of that. The first picture I saw was of a school where children were being rescued. That could have easily been me and my students! Praise God for survival!

I want to fall in love with Colombia the way I have fallen in love with Romania. God has give me  a heart for orphans and as I become stronger in my faith, why not be open to new and exciting opportunities to share and grow my faith?

Girl Rising

Endings and Beginnings

Yesterday I sat in a coffee shop watching a five year old building be torn apart for no reason other than the fact that the land it was on was bought by someone else. I browsed my computer and marveled at how slow a building can be created, but how quickly it can be torn down. It was nearing 4:00 and I sighed. "Life just keeps changing" I told myself. It's a shame such a new building couldn't have found a new purpose. Was land just land? Did the building mean nothing?  I refreshed Facebook again.

BOSTON MARATHON RUNNERS BOMBED AT FINISH LINE

I didn't even know what to think. I hadn't even thought about this race until this hour. I kept refreshing my news page. Hundreds hurt. Casualties. 2 dead. 3 dead. Was this for real? Such a happy event- one thousands trained months for, the one moment of success, the dream of a lifetime simply- gone.

But there is the aspect of hurt- when many people share it at one time and one event, we turn to help each other. I can hear the stories of success come out of this tragedy.

AMPUTEES RUN MARATHON FOR FIRST TIME

ATHLETES RUN TO SUPPORT VICTIMS

AMERICANS LIVE WITHOUT FEAR

(to paraphrase) Lemony Snicket, "these are the words I so desperately wish I could type"

We can do this America. Stay strong and have faith.

So everyone has a celebration picture

Ironically I took this picture yesterday, but I had an idea. In the wake of this tragedy, I feel everyone who did not get to take a celebratory picture should have one-I challenge you to take a photo of yourself running with a smile on your face in memory of those who will forever remember this day as a day of sadness.