This summer God has provided me with an amazing opportunity to spread his love all the way across the globe in Africa! I have always wanted to go to Africa..ever since I was little. Psalms 37:4 says "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart". This verse is said over and over in our church services but it has really been proven true in my life. If you delight in the Lord he will grant you desires that will give him glory and praise and that is what I intend on doing while on this trip.
God's timing is so evident in all of this, He has shown me so much that some days I can't help but to just stand in awe at what he has done and is doing in my life. This opportunity has come to me at a time when my heart is so very ready to be opened up and shown new things. A time when I am no longer focused on myself but on those that are around me. A time when the power of His love and healing is so overpowering in my life that I cannot go a single day without thinking about it.
To show his love to others in Africa is going to be both challenging, scary, and a blessing and it WILL change me. I am ready to take on this challenge with Him and go to where He told me to go.
There are many different places I will be travelling during this time! I will be departing for my trip on June 16th from Minneapolis with my fabulous roommate Ellen and one of the other girls from NDSU (Kaylin)! We are getting very anxious, a little bit stressed, but very excited to go! From Minneapolis we will fly to Amsterdam where we have a layover, to Rwanda where we have a layover in which we only stay in the plane, and finally we will arrive in Uganda on Sunday night. We will be studying there until July 15. At this time I will be flying by myself (yes NERVE-RACKING!!) from Uganda to Burkina Faso. When I arrive in Burkina Faso I will be joining my good friend Mari for our medical mission trip! A couple of weeks after we arrive a team from Williston will be coming as well and we will be joining them! I will be testing kids for Malaria and Mari will be treating malnourished children alongside others who are already completely educated in these subjects. The other members of the team will be doing an optometry clinic and preaching. We will depart from Burkina on August 3rd and have a day layover in Paris. From Paris I will be flying to MSP and returning home on August 5!
While still here in the states I am trying to have an "impact" attitude. Living every day with the thought that I don't come across any one person on accident. Whether I am sitting at the cash till at JCPenney or working in the greenhouse at the USDA my intent every day is to impact who I see and show them just a little bit of Jesus. Whether that is GENUINELY asking how someones day is at the till or having a meaningful conversation in the greenhouse, nothing happens by accident. This is helping me to prepare my heart for what is to come and I cant wait to see what is going to go on while in Africa.
I challenge you to live with an "impact" attitude every day. You never know the power of your words, good or bad! You may never know, so influence people positively today. I invite you to join me on this journey through this blog and I cannot thank you all enough for all of the support that you have given me. Whether we have known eachother forever or are just starting to get to know eachother now. I love you all!
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