There and back.

Disclaimer: I really hate making these long because I'm always the one who skips over long posts because I'm not really one for reading super winded blogs. I will do my best to keep these as short and enjoyable as possible, and worth your time all the way to the end.   :)

Since the day I landed back on American soil my life has been go, go, go.  I feel terrible that I haven't been able to give people updates on my trip and forget about this blog because I usually just post everything straight to Facebook.  (Which, P.S. is where all of my pictures are.) A lot of people say, "I'm the worst blogger." As I almost typed that, I thought, well I guess it's just something you are either good at, or not good at...well I'm not good at it and like Facebook better.

It is a weird feeling being back. While I was on the flight back it really only felt like I had been gone for a day and now it never feels like I left.  I don't quite know why that is. Maybe it is because I have seen it before so it wasn't extreme shock when I got back? Maybe it is because we went to Canaan Children's Home last and that really feels like I just visited my second home? I don't know if it is okay to be comfortable when I get back? I will continue processing it all and I can already see how the Lord is still, and will continue to, reveal His purpose for that trip.  (Really praying that He sends me back for a longer time next time!)

So a quick overview of my trip.  It was AMAZING...I mean there are no other words to describe it! I love traveling and seeing different countries and I just love African cultures and the people and places. I felt at home!

Rwanda. It was very modern! I was expecting it to be similar to Uganda and it wasn't. There were mountains and it was all just an incredible sight. Very green and a cooler climate in the mountains. I read Left to Tell, by Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the Rwandan Holocaust, before I left. She did such an incredible job describing the sights and sounds that the whole time I was there I just imagined what it looked like during the holocaust with bodies everywhere.  It was the strangest feeling. At the Genocide Museum in Kigali, Rwanda, while the whole museum was incredibly moving, they had a section dedicated to children (which, you all know are so dear to my heart). There was a plaque at the end that said, "I didn't make myself an orphan." It was so touching to see and of course I was brought to tears by those simple words... That is why God commands us to love orphans!

Uganda. Home. Amaka. I cannot express in words how excited I was to be back! I knew after being in Rwanda for a few days that my love for Uganda was not of myself.  It was a love from our Father. Only a love that He could place in someone's heart.  Even while our luggage was stranded at the airport and I wore "dirty" (the American sense of the word) clothes, I could not imagine another place to not have all of the belongings that I packed. The first morning in Uganda, as we were driving, I was not crying, rather tears were just rolling down my face. I cannot explain it. It was amazing. My next post will be my emotion filled journaling about being back in Uganda. As I try to write more about my experience in Uganda all I can think of is the word, "love." So I will leave it at that for tonight.

Here we go again.

I am just so excited.  For some reason it is hard for me to really show it this time around but really, deep down inside I cannot wait to get back to that orange dirt and those sweet brown faces!

It has been sooo long since I have written. I was struggling with separating my time with the Lord and writing for an audience so I cut out the audience part. I have also been EXTREMELY busy as a new teacher and just being a fun twenty-one year old with a much needed summer break! It has been one fantastic break at that!

Well to update everyone, I will be spending a week in Rwanda and a week in Uganda. I was kind of disappointed that I will only get to spend just over two days at Canaan, where I left my heart last year, but I know that it is just all part of a perfect plan. That being said, we will be going to new ministries almost every day and it will be great to share the love. :)  I will be flying out of Charleston tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7pm and arrive in DC. I will spend the night with my team in DC and head to Africa on July 4th just before noon. (Trust me, I will be thinking patriotic thoughts the whole flight.) I am totally praying, and ask that you do the same, that I am able to sleep on the flight there and back. I am awful at sleeping on flights and those are some LONGGGGG flights to stay awake for...boo.

I will do my best to post here when we have internet to let people know when I safely arrive and hopefully some highlights.

We will appreciate every prayer sent to our wonderful God while we are away, specifically:
-Safety and health!!!!!
-Unity
-That our luggage and donations make it untouched
-That in all that we do, we are bringing glory to Jesus' name
-That we offer ourselves and the gifts that the Lord has blessed us with to serve as Jesus did!

Y'all, I really am so pumped about this trip and am already wondering where I will be sent next!

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. It really means a lot knowing that we serve a perfect and good God that WILL listen!

Joshua 1:9 says, "...Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Love y'all!