Thoughts of a 20-Something Woman

Truth? I've been avoiding writing this post. How does one describe all that she experienced while in Kenya for two weeks? How does one explain all the poverty that she laid her eyes on? How does on capture the beauty of a country and people that are indescribable? One cannot & I shall not try to express all that I experienced while in Kenya. It would not do the country nor the people justice. No, this post won't detail the timeline of my trip. It won't give names of the people that I met in Kenya. It won't share their stories. But I'll tell you a few things... My life is ruined. Perhaps I've been ruined in the best way possible. Before my trip to Kenya, I was getting my nails done once every two weeks, and now I cringe at the thought of spending money on something so trivial. Before my trip to Kenya, I could go to sleep every night without this ache in my chest for those who are living without a bed, without a home & without a family. Before

While I'm away, here is a general itinerary, along with specific prayer requests! I can't wait to tell you all about what God does through this trip!! December 30  I will be leaving St. Louis at 8:35am and will arrive in Cincinnati at 10:49am (9:49am CST). I will then leave Cincinnati at 2:00pm (1:00pm CST) and will arrive in New York at 4:00pm (3:00pm CST).  Our team will leave New York at 10:20pm (9:20pm CST) for our 15 hour, 35 minute flight to Dubai. -Pray for all the final preparations to be made smoothly -Pray for safe travel and health as we begin our trip -Pray for strength as we begin our 48 hours of travel -Pray for team unity and bonding while traveling. December 31 Our team is still traveling. We will arrive in Dubai, UAE, at 10:55 pm (12:55pm CST) -Pray for a safe night in Dubai as we explore the city during our 12-hour layover. -Pray for continued safe travel -Pray for physical strength to endure the long travel January 1 Our team will board the plane at 10

3 days until Africa and I am beyond stoked! I can't believe that it's finally here! Many of you have been asking, 'will you be able to stay in touch while you're in Africa?' The answer is yes and no. I have purchased an international phone plan so that I can easily communicate with my family and a few of my close friends. I also hope to make a few social media posts while I am in Africa, so that all my supporters can hear about my journey. Other than this, I really hope to be as disconnected as possible. How many times does a girl get to spend her days in Dubai, Africa, and on a safari? I don't want to miss anything that God wants to show me. The detailed blog post will, no doubt, happen after I return to the states. A few pieces of important information: 1. Please don't send me any group messages or pictures while I am away! I get free text messages, but group messages and pictures are called "multimedia messages" and they cost extra! 2.

18 days until I board a plane to Kenya. 18 days until I go on an adventure with 20 people that I've never met before. 18 days until I finally get to experience Africa---a dream and a call that I've had on my heart as far back as I can remember. I want to send out another huge thank-you to everyone who has been supporting me! Whether you bought a t-shirt or donated via the website, I would not be making this trip without your donations. In fact, your generosity has so surpassed the required amount, that I'm able to purchase needed supplies to take to Kenya and make a sizable donation to Little Lambs Orphanage (one of the places I'll be serving at while in Kenya). I am so blessed to have such generous friends and family in my life. You all are making a huge impact for the kingdom of God.  My trip is paid for, but I still need your support! I am seeking prayer warriors during this trip. I believe that prayer is powerful and I would love to have a team of people

Hello everyone! As it gets closer to my adventure to Africa, I wanted to give you an update! I received my flight itinerary today (yay!) and it is becoming more and more real. I am so grateful for your support and love throughout the process. Over the past month and a half, I have not had to worry about fundraising because I'm already fully funded! Such an answered prayer! My team and I will be flying out on December 30. We will have a 15 hour flight to Dubai. We will be landing in Dubai on December 31. We will have an overnight layover, and then we will arrive in Kenya at 10:35am on New Year's Day! I am beyond excited!! Several of you all have asked if you can donate items for my trip. This is definitely an option, but due to my abundance of support, I am already able to buy lots of extra items to take on this trip. This means that I'll be able to fill up my suitcases with things that the Kenyans need! This is incredible!! I still can't believe that I'l

I was sitting in class tonight at Lindenwood and I heard a sound out in the hallway. My mind immediately jumped to panic mode and I began to think about what would happen if a gunman came into our building or our room. Would I duck? Would I run to the corner? Lock the door? There was a day that I never had to think about these things. I never once questioned whether I would be safe in school or ask myself what I would do if a gunman came into my classroom. Columbine happened when I was 8 years old, so I remember hearing about it but not really letting it sink in. The years following Columbine, I felt like I started hearing more and more about school shootings. The first school shooting that I really understood what was going on was when I was 15...Virginia Tech. After that we had Sandy Hook, Arapahoe, Umpqua Community College. I'm sure that I've missed more than a couple. This isn't a post about guns or no guns. This is a post about me, a student, who has to think a