Mission Minded 2013

Dearest friends and family,

As you may know, I spent some time last summer doing mission work in Guatemala.  I was blessed by the Lord in ways that transformed my life and made me mission-minded.  This trip truly changed my life.  I saw for the first time what love really means.  I experienced medical missions for the first time – a dream come true for me!  I fell in love with a country and its people: GUATEMALA.

This summer I will return.  Guatemala is number four in the world for starvation and malnutrition.  I will be working alongside Doctor Gomez in a medical clinic, as well as loving the community and helping out with water purification projects.  My team and I will be digging wells and educating the public on how to minimize infection and the little things to do in order to remain healthy.

Being a part of a medical mission has always been a dream of mine; something the Lord laid on my heart years ago.  More recently, this dream has exploded inside of me.  I am so excited to see what the Lord does in and through me during this trip.  I cannot wait to learn even more from Dr. Gomez this time around and be the Lord’s healing hands in Guatemala!

I am going with a team of 8 people from Bethany Bible Church and we leave Thursday, June 13 and return Saturday, June 22.  We need your help in this mission!  We can’t do it without you.  I ask that you would pray for my team as we prepare for this trip and prepare our hearts and minds for the work we will be doing in Guatemala.  Each team member is to raise $2,075.  If you can’t give financially, please pray; prayer is so, so powerful.  But if you can give financially, know that your money is going to a great cause and that we are ever so thankful for your gift.

XOXO

$$ Update

My faithful followers,

It has been much too long since I've last written. But the weeks have flown by! Business catches me off guard at times but I'm here with an update for you. About Guatemala!

As I informed you in my last post, for my exciting trip to Guatemala this summer, I must raise a total of $2,075. Yikes. That's a lot of money. And little time to raise it in. BUT the Lord provides.

As of today, I have $1,040. And I KNOW there are more people that are going to donate!

This money came in ONE WEEK. Half my trip paid for in ONE WEEK of fundraising.

I am blessed beyond belief and I know that this trip is where the Lord is calling me and leading me.

I won't lie, I'm nervous. A little scared. But fear of the unknown is inevitable. And as Brad Pellish (a man I have grown to respect so much) once told me, "If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough."

I know my dream is big. They all are. But with Him I can do ALL things.

Not only did all of these amazing people surround me with their financial support, they have given me love and prayer support as well. These things are priceless and I can't thank you enough.

XOXO

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Fundraising

My mission trip to Guatemala is approaching all too quickly! As I write this, it is exactly 57 days till my departure. That seems so close!

This means I have 57 days to raise the $2,075 needed for my trip. Please keep myself and my team in your prayers as we have much fundraising yet to do with little time before we leave.

I know the Lord will provide and it will all work out according to His plan in His perfect timing, but it's good to know we have fellow believers and mission-minded people behind us helping with the power of prayer and generous gifts.

I sent some support letters out earlier this week as a fundraising project, but I am open to any ideas you may have of another fundraising opportunity. Please leave comments with suggestions!

Thanks a million ;)

XOXO

Dreamer.

If you know me - I mean really KNOW me - you know that I'm a dreamer.

Tonight I got to listen to a speaker who is very near and dear to my heart. His name is Josh Riebock. Heard of him? Well, you're about to!

Tonight Josh talked about dreams. About being a dreamer. There couldn't have been a better message for me to hear tonight. I have so many dreams! BIG ONES! And the words flowing out of him were so real. So raw. So passionate. Powerful.

One of the things he said tonight was something I have learned over the past year. That when you share your dream with another person, you are giving them the power to kill it. If they laugh at it, or mock it, or say it'll never happen. It sucks! It hurts! You see, dreams are a part of who we are. They are like our children. And as I learned so quickly, sharing my dreams with others wasn't easy. But if you don't share your dream with someone, you're killing it before it even has a chance.

Everyone has their own dreams for a reason. And no one dream is any better than another. They're ALL special. One person's dream to be a doctor is no better than another's dream to be a teacher. They're both dreams. They're both special. They're both beautiful. And they're both perfectly fit for the individual whose dream it is. If your dream is to be a teacher, and other's make you feel inferior because their dream is to be a doctor, DON'T LISTEN TO THAT. You would be stooping if you then changed your mind and decided to become a doctor. Stooping? Yes. Stooping. You're stooping down to be something you aren't. To be someone you are not meant to be.

But I'm a person who really thinks about my dreams. I mean really really thinks about them. As Josh pointed out tonight, dreams aren't born in the clouds, whims are; dreams are born in the mud.

I love that. I know from experience that I am changed more by my failures than my successes. That when things are hard and life gets rough, THAT is when dreams are born. You dream of something greater.

What do I dream of? Not WHAT I'll DO. But WHO I'll BE.

I don't care about the things I accomplish or the great things I do. I care about who I become. And who I am will be shown through my actions.

I know that my dreams come from above. The Lord lays something on my heart and I so desperately want to serve Him with my life. Dreams of medical missions in Africa, donating a kidney, figuring out a water purification system for countries in need of clean water, and so many others that I have come from Him. And I know this full well.

So often when I share my dreams, people look at me like I'm crazy. Like I'm a little kid believing that one day I'll change the world. They look at me like I'm dumb and naive to think that I can make a difference. But let me tell you something, my dreams come from above. And I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength. If He puts it on my heart, and I am willing to be His servant and to be His hands and feet, nothing is impossible.

So the next time someone tells you a dream of theirs, don't roll your eyes at them and brush it aside thinking it'll never happen. Don't kill someone's dream. Anything is possible and all of us have specific dreams for a reason.

Don't give up on your dreams! Don't let them die! Believe in yourself and believe in the One above.

As Josh Riebock says, there is a hero and a monster inside all of us. Don't let the monster kill your dreams. Let the Lord bring the hero out in you. And TOGETHER we CAN make a difference.

XOXO

Heartbreak, Closed Doors, and Jesus Led Me Here

As I mentioned in my post about Free to Laugh (which you should all go to by the way!!), there is a pastor at my home church that is very near and dear to my heart. BRAD. Brad is someone I have such respect for! Honestly, he is one of the people I respect most in the entire world. He just "gets it."

What do I mean he "gets it?" Let me tell you. Brad is someone who is so passionate about missions. Helping others. Sharing the love. Social justice. And so much more! I can't even describe his passion and his understanding for what we as Christians are not only called to do, but expected to do.

He gets me so fired up about ministry and missions and social justice and love and. . . You get the point. Soo as you can imagine, when Brad asks me to be a part of something, I am on board!
But wait. . .

I shared with him a few months back something that hurt my heart. I shared some news. News about something so important to me. So meaningful. A huge part of my life. A huge part of my being.

It broke my heart to sit and say the words that the Lord was calling me to do something other than go to Jamaica this summer on a mission trip. Jamaica sounds like all fun and games and beauty and vacation - think again. Just yards away from the resorts and "honeymoon capital of the world" is a third world country. A country in dire need of Jesus. In need of love. In need of clothing. Food. Clean water. Purpose.

Jamaica has been a part of my life for three years. And each year was a roller-coaster of emotion. Each brought new battles, new children, new love and a new outlook on life. It was extremely difficult to build the courage to tell BRAD of all people that I wouldn't be a part of his mission trip this year.

He understood completely.

I shared my heart about something else as well. My dream to do medical missions in Africa. It's a subject that is so close to me. Something I haven't really spoken to anyone about on a deep level. I knew he would share in my excitement and my passion. And I was right. He was so encouraging and excited for me. . .

So I began my search for a trip to Africa in summer of 2012.

Well, I found about 20 trips. INSANE right?! Wellllll hold up a second! Each and every one of them had a certain something that made me incapable of going. Whether it was age, deadline, or date. Whatever it was - all 20 trips were ruled out.

I'm gonna be honest with you; I was very discouraged.

Now, there's something you should know. Brad has mentioned a certain mission trip to Guatemala a handful of times over the past few years. Each time saying I would be the perfect person for such a trip. And each time, I dismissed the idea without a second thought. You see, it was a construction trip. And, well, HAVE YOU SEEN ME?! I'm clearly not cut out for that sort of work. . .

WELL, God has a funny way of working things out.

This year, the trip to Guatemala is a MEDICAL MISSION. Hold up - did I hear that right?! A medical mission?? YEP!! I heard right. Okay, now you've got my attention.

As Brad and I sat over coffee and he spilled the details about this trip, I knew right then it was what I've been waiting for. I knew right then, why God had closed the doors to Africa for me this summer. I knew right then what I was supposed to do.

Before agreeing, though, I told Brad I would pray about it and talk to my parents. I have done both. And it's official! Guatemala, HERE I COME.

(More details to come)

XOXO

Dreams

I came across a very wise quote just the other day. It said "If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough." It really got me to thinking about my dreams in life.

One of my dreams is to become a Pediatric Orthopedic PA. I have been wanting to work in Pediatric Orthopedics since I was little kid. Yes, a little kid. You're probably thinking "how would a little kid know what a Pediatric Orthopedic is?" Well, I spent a lot of time, I mean A LOT of time at the doctor growing up. Pediatric Orthopedic doctors to be exact. Since my first visit, I knew that's what I wanted to do. Dr. Stephen Milliner (with the greatest English accent) was instantly my favorite doctor and a hero in my eyes. When Dr. Milliner left the practice due to cancer, I was devastated! But then, Dr. Gregory White stepped in and became my new favorite! And after Dr. White, Dr. Jeffrey Vaughn. These three men have been so helpful and kind. It is these doctors who sparked my interest in this field. And now, I am a Pre-Med major at Grand Canyon University pursuing my dream!
(And hopefully I'll work at Phoenix Children's one day!)

Does it scare me? HECK YEAH! It's a lot of work. A lot of time. A lot of responsibility to study this field and to work in it. A dream of mine closer to coming true with each moment of class and each moment of study.

Another one of my dreams in life is to do medical missions somewhere in Africa. This is something the Lord has placed on my heart and sparked a fire in me to do. I don't currently have a trip planned out or anything, but I'm still so excited because I know I'm going to go there one day and fulfill this dream and listen to the Lord's call.

Does this dream scare me? OH YEAH! This one scares me more than becoming a PA. But I think it will be so rewarding! God doesn't promise easy. He promises possible. And through Him, we can do ALL things.

I can't wait to accomplish these two dreams of mine. I think these dreams are pretty big. But the most important thing about them is that I don't want to accomplish these dreams for myself. I want to accomplish these dreams because I know I will be helping others. And that's what we are called to do right?

XOXO