One Week!

I have survived my first week here in Pretoria! Everyone has been extremely welcoming and kind. I am lucky that I got here about a week before my classes started because I got the chance to settle in. I am slowly getting used to everything here and I am enjoying it very much!

The house is always loud and exciting...and I wouldn't want it any other way! Everyone has clean-up duties that we do at the end of the day. During the week two people fix dinner for everyone and so far that food has been amazing!

I got to sit in on two classes this past week and they were very good. It made me even more excited to begin my own journey as a mid-year. I am looking forward to the transformation and change that happens when God consumes every aspect of a person's life. I don't know what will happen or how I will change but I know that God will work in my life this year. This is the beginning of a wonderful journey!

I do miss all my family and friends back in Texas. However this year is an exciting season of change for a lot of people and I can not wait to hear about all the spectacular things that happen in everyone's life!

I'll see all y'all by Thanksgiving time!! God bless!

--sea'sadventures--

All My Thanks

I have been incredibly excited this past week! And now I am finally sitting in an airport all by myself just waiting to begin my year long journey. It's easy to talk about how I am prepared and ready to start this new season of my life however, it is also necessary to say thank you to the people who have prepared me and are continuing to encourage me.

My parents obviously deserve all the thanks in the world. Yes, they might have been driving me crazy this past week but I understand that it is because they care about me and they want to make sure I am well taken care of (which I will be) and that I take care of myself (which I will). I am so thankful they are allowing me to adventure across the world in order to learn and grow into what God has planned for me. THANKS MOM THANKS DAD!

My siblings also deserve a lot, and I mean a LOT of thanks! Nathan thank you for always watching out for your little sis and I appreciate your support. Jonathan thanks for always making me laugh and understanding what it means to be a world-traveler! I will be praying for YOU as you head off on your own journey. Hannah thank you for keeping me sane and making sure I was packed. I won't know what to do without all y'all!!

My friends of course! Thank all y'all for, first of all, being my friend and making my life awesome! I could talk about every single one of my friends and how they make my life brighter but I will spare everyone that long long list.

I also owe a huge thanks to my grandparents! They have supported me in everything I do and I am so thankful to be a part of their legacy.

Lastly, I need to thank my church family. My pastors have been a large influence on my desire to travel and experience God's work across all nations. Thank you for praying for me and encouraging me to become the person I am today! I would be going nowhere without them.

There are probably a million more thanks I could give to many more people but I want to extend all of my gratitude to God. I am extremely thankful that He has given me this new adventure and I can not wait to see what else lies on His path for my life!

NOW I say goodbye! Farewell Texas I will miss you greatly!

--sea'sadventures--

Africa

I'll try to keep this pretty simple, but so much happened in Africa! Let me first tell you where we went. Bulembu, Swaziland was the first destination. Next stop, Pretoria, South Africa. The home of Hatfield Christian Church. There we stayed at host homes and then drove out to Mamelodi to the Berakah daycare center.

Our journey began here in Texas where the team actually met for the first time at my house. 20 people, from 4 different churches. Next thing ya know we were all loaded up on a plane to South Africa. Our flights were smooth and there were no hiccups. Almost as soon as we landed we loaded up in the vans and drove 6ish hours to Bulembu, Swaziland. In Bulembu we "slashed" a mountain, made some tire steps, and painted.
 We cleared the mountainside so the people in Bulembu could prepare the land to grow fruit trees. I thought it was amazing how we were literally preparing land to be sowed into. We also painted panels for a daycare center. God showed me all of His personality in Bulembu. It was so incredibly beautiful to be on top of a mountain slashing and then to sit and rest and look down and see the town of Bulembu.  I think in Bulembu is where our team really bonded and became truly unified. Having a 3 hour prayer session can do that to a team.

Then we drove back to Pretoria to stay. The last few days were spent doing a VBS at Berakah. We got to play with the kids and teach them the simple truth -- that God loves them and so we should love each other. It was very emotional because all these kids desired love and I will continually pray that they now understand God's unconditional love. God touched my heart in Berakah and I fell in love with all the children there. Even though the children lived in poverty they managed to put a smile on their face.

We finished our trip with an African Safari! We got to hold baby lions pet cheetahs and see tons of animals!

I am so thankful God sent me on this adventure. I can not even remotely express how all the leaders from Texas and South Africa touched my life. I am extremely grateful for the friendships I've made there and I am looking forward to seeing them again soon!

--sea'sadventures--

And So It Has Begun

This is the beginning of a great adventure. God has been molding me into the person I am now, and I think I am ready to embark on His plan for my life.

However, I don't know every detail of that plan. And that is ok with me. I am content with not knowing. I am at peace, knowing that God is in control and when I am ready, He will tell me what's next. 

I do know that this will be a great journey. I know that this is the beginning. My foundation has been set and perfected. Now God is ready to build.

I can't even put into words how excited I am. So this is it.

I realize this is a bland introduction, lacking a good description. Please understand that I am still processing everything that has happened in the last few weeks (LTS, mission trip, life) I promise a much better, detailed explanation later, but for now this is it.


--sea'sadventures--