"Home Is Wherever I'm With You."

First, I would just like to say thank you to all those who have sent letters and have been praying for me and this trip for the past few weeks. I have been completely overwhelmed with love and support from friends and family and I cannot say thank you enough. I feel that I am now a living testimony that if God wants you somewhere, He will provide the means for it to happen.   :)

It doesn't seem like I should be leaving for Guatemala City in just three days.  These past few weeks following finals have been very bittersweet.  I have gotten the chance to hang out with the most amazing friends in the world, spend time with my wonderful family, and prepare for the seven week adventure ahead.  When I say preparing, I'm not even sure thats the word for it because I'm not sure how much preparing I can do. I have bought clothes, gotten the passport, started to say goodbyes, but I dont think there are enough material things in the world to even begin to prepare me for what is to come.
In realizing that I will be in another country, without family and friends for seven weeks, I have really been taking in everything I can in the past three weeks.  I think that my eyes have already been opened to just how blessed I am to be surrounded by incredibly Godly family and friends.  I feel like this is an aspect of everyones life that can sometimes be taken advantage of. Personally, I feel like I have taken advantage it and its not until I realized that I will be without everyone for seven weeks that it became evident just how vital they are in my life and just how much i will miss everyone.
just a few things ill miss...

 



"Laugh until we think we'll die, barefoot on a summer night...

never could be sweeter than with you."

-Edward Sharpe



Mark 16:15

Hi everyone :) 
In just a week and a half, I'll be finishing my last exam, packing (probably over packing) my car and making my way down 40 for that three hour drive I've learned to love.  While I would normally be looking forward to a relaxing summer spending time with family and friends, lifeguarding and making trips to Target and Koumi every other day, God had a slightly different idea in mind for me this summer.  During the past semester, God placed a very intimidating/ exciting opportunity in my life and I have decided to take it and run with it. The opportunity has presented itself to travel to the Lake Atitlian region of Guatemala from May 26- July 16. This trip was organized primarily because of the increasing amounts of malnourished children in the area. While in Guatemala, I will be participating in several service projects and spending most of my time in hospitals and clinics learning from doctors. 
While having the service aspect of the trip as the "purpose" of the trip, I am praying that I will build relationships with my host family and others in the community and surrounding areas in order to be able to share the gospel. God has been doing so many amazing things in my life in the past two years and I truly feel that this trip is one that I am supposed to be apart of. In only a matter of a few months, it has been truly incredible the way that God has used sermons, family, and everyday conversations with friends to get it through my head that this is a  trip I'm supposed to be on regardless of how scary or uncertain it may be. 
That being said, I feel that this trip will present me with many opportunities to which I have the opportunity to "take a leap of faith" and tell others about my amazing Savior. The entire point of this blog is obviously to allow others to join me and be able to read about daily experiences on my trip but more importantly to pray for me and with me that God will use me to make a difference while in Guatemala and that His will is done.