I'M BACK!!

Hello my dear followers and friends,

It has been AGES since I last wrote and for that I am very sorry... But I am back!

Life has very interesting ways of changing. My life is extremely different than it was one or two years ago.  Two years ago I was like a ship that had lost its anchor. 

I had returned home from Africa with all sorts of idea's for a career or trips in the mission field. I was looking in many different directions and had yet to figure things out. I am happy to report that I finally figured my life out... at least for the next couple of years. Right now, I have just started my second semester of my first year in university. I am taking a degree in Social Work, and I absolutely LOVE it. It took me a while to figure out what exactly I wanted to do and entering into a school setting seemed terrifying. I didn't want to go into a program that wasn't going to be useful or allow me to get a job in the field that I want to work in. Social work is something that will give me a job in my country as well as help me with my plans to do missions.

And that brings me to exciting news! I have decided, as well as feel called, to go into the field of working with victims of human trafficking. This is an issue that I see within my own town as well as globally. Already, with school, I have learned a lot that will aid me with my future plans.  I know that for the time being, I am in the right place at the right time and that is a great relief.

I look back over the last few years and it is incredible to see how God has changed my feelings, thoughts, idea's, and plans. He has given me a desire to love people and the tools and education that I need to do so.  I have learned a great deal about God's heart for His children, and that He really has our best interest at heart.. We as His children just have to be willing and open to being obedient and submissive to what the Lord is calling us too. It is scary and risky but usually the rewards are great.

23rd Birthday!

August 31.

My birthday.

Today I'm 23!

My 22nd year was an amazing year. It was a year of growth. I have changed in ways that I expected, and didn't expect. I have learned lessons, accomplished goals, conquered fears, made decisions, changed my outlook on life, and become stronger in my relationship with the Lord. I learned not to lean on my own understanding, but on the Lord. I got to experience the strongest faith I have ever seen while in Africa, and have a yearning to live it and see it here.

I still have to much that I want to do. I want to make my 23rd year, even better that my last one. I want to grow, learn, experience, accomplish and change, all for the better. I want to grow deeper in relationship with the Lord.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5

About 4 days ago, I made a big, exciting decision. The decision to work full time overseas. I want to work for a foreign aid organization, or an NGO. In order to get there, there are steps that I need to take first, in order to work overseas. Like school.  I want to take my global studies degree. I am going to register for classes this January. I never expected to go back to school, but I am incredibly excited.

I hope that on my 24th birthday, I can look back and say that my 23rd year was better than my 22nd.

So..
Here's to the future!

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future

Proverbs 31:25

I'm excited about the future.

Africa Part 3- More Kenya- Mombasa!!

After our time at the orphanage, we flew to Mombasa. We took a little holiday after 3 weeks of exhausting traveling. We got to Mombasa, and checked into our cottage. It was the least expensive place we could find.. $35 a night.. we had a salt water shower, which made for an interesting and sticky 5 days. We were a 3 minute walk to the beach. It was beautiful!! The water was turquoise, the sand was white, and the weather was HOT!  We spent a lot of time walking the beach..which was really nice, but, the one downfall was that we couldn't go out of the cottage without getting bombarded with people trying to sell us things. And, men are pretty forward in Mombasa. I think we got hit on every time we left the cottage.

We did a 1 day safari, which was awesome! We saw elephants, lions, zebra, giraffes, buffalo, baboons, and tons of deer. We got to ride in this open top van that we could stand in. It was pretty sweet!

The van!

Zebra

 Safari Hats!

After the safari, we spent a day relaxing, then we went on a dolphin tour! We took a boat out in between the mainland and an island, and right away we saw dolphins! Our boat was able to follow them, and we boated with them for about 45 minutes. We went to the island for lunch, and then got to spend time snorkeling! I wish that I had an underwater camera, because I saw some beautiful fishies!!

A Masai Warrior.. he invited me to his village for fish (I didn't go.. who knows, it could have been a marriage proposal!) , and was really intrigued by my braids!

Mombasa is a very westernized town. A lot of Europeans go there for holiday, and there are a lot of resorts, bars, and shopping. Among all the shopping, there was still a lot of poverty. As great as Mombasa is, it just doesn't sit right with me, that so many people can turn off their senses to the poverty around them. I definitely felt guilty being there. Another thing.. Mombasa is predominately Muslim. We counted 5 mosques, to every church.  It was vastly different to Central Kenya, which was mostly Christian.

I think that Mombasa is a town that really needs people to bring the Lord there. There is a lot of human trafficking, prostitution, and drugs. We were sitting at a restaurant, and at the table next to us, there was an older, Caucasian man sitting with 3 young black women. He was probably in his 50's, and the girls were still in their teens. The man was giving them beer, buying them what ever they wanted to eat. I didn't want to judge, but the whole situation seemed wrong. The idea of what may have been going on, made me sick. I pray that God's hand was on that situation.

As beautiful as the scenery was, I don't think that that I would go back to Mombasa (unless God told me to go..). It was really hot and humid, and I don't do heat that well. It was too much of a party town, and watching tourists ignoring whats happening around them would make me angry.

After Mombasa, we flew back to Nairobi, and spent 11 hours waiting at the airport, until our next flight to London. It was a long day, and we were sad to be leaving Africa. God willing, I can go back one day.

Stay tuned for a blog post of our time in London!

I'm back!!

Hello Everyone!

I am home from Africa. 

My trip was incredible, sooo incredible, and I am so excited to be sharing it with all of you!! 

Before I do a big blog post, here are some pictures to tide you over... And you can check out a sneak peek guest post that I did for Rylie at the beautiful blog, Compelled. 

 This is Nelas. She is the girl that I fell in love with at the orphanage.

 These are the high school boys at the orphanage. They were awesome!!

 This is Leah! She is beautiful!!

Me with Faith and Purity!

There will be many more... I promise to write soon!!

Prayer Requests

In 5 days I will be standing on African soil, under a warm sun, and looking at beautiful, lush, Uganda.

I am excited. 

So, incredibly, excited.

I am excited because I will get to see God work.

I am excited because I will get the opportunity to be His hands and feet.

I am excited because I will get to praise God on another continent.

I am excited because I will see more of our beautiful planet.

I am excited because I will get to give my sponsor child a hug. 

I am really praying that this trip is a good experience. 

I am praying that the Lord opens my heart and my eyes.

I am praying that He will break down walls, and start to heal the hearts and relationships of people that we meet.

I am praying that He will open doors.

I am praying that we can see change in peoples lives.

I am praying for miracles.

I am praying that we do not take credit for anything. 

All credit will be due to the Lord.

I am asking you to come alongside of me and pray. Please pray that the people we meet in Africa will be blessed by the Father. Pray that we will accomplish what we set out to do. Please pray that Chris-Ann and I don't get sick, but are filled with strength, courage, patience, grace, and wisdom. Pray for safety, and that we don't get lost.

Thanks for praying in advance. It is much appreciated.  :)

I probably won't be writing again until I get back. I have a lot of things to do before I leave.

Until then,

                          - Elizabeth

Confirmation!!

On Friday, a friend and I went to see a concert. It was a free concert at one of the churches in town. We had no clue who the band was, but we went to have a good time. You can now add Zerbin to my list of favorite bands. They were fantastic, and have such a heart for God, and its resonating so strongly in their music. Their tour is called " The Sound of a Million" and the goal of the band is to raise $1 million dollars to give to an organization that wants to end modern day slavery. How cool is that!? Not only are they standing up for something they are passionate about, they are making other people aware of what is going on, and writing amazing music!! Whats not to love?!

http://www.zerbinmusic.com/

(Here us the most exciting part of the night)

At the end of the concert, my friend and I wanted to talk to the band, so we were at the merch table, buying Cd's, and waiting to talk to the guys. Finally it was our turn and I was asking Jason, the lead singer, about the organization they were supporting, and we got onto the subject of slavery. As we were talking he got this really odd look on his face, and all of a sudden he asked if I sing. The question was completely off topic and caught me off guard, but I thought about it, and I said "I sing all the time, just when no one is around". And he said that he had a picture in his head of me surrounded by babies, and singing my heart out to them!! I was completely shocked, but managed to tell him that in a month I was leaving to Kenya to volunteer in an orphanage. He, excitedly, said that was what he saw in the picture in his head.

It is amazing how God speaks to us through other people. I delight in knowing that God can use anyone to speak to someone. I can't stop thinking about it. It came has such a shock. And it was exciting!! It is just confirming that I am on the right path, that I am heading the right direction, and that God is pleased with my decision to follow this path.

I'm Elizabeth.

I'm twenty-two years old.

I am very happy and really enjoying life.

I like my life the way it is right now..

But feel like I am on the verge something big.

Something that will change me.

A few days ago a friend asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I spent a few days thinking of my answer. It made me think quite hard about what I actually want to accomplish and do in my lifetime. In the end, this was my answer.

-I want to go to Africa. I want to volunteer in an orphanage.

-I would like to live long term somewhere doing long term missions.. I think that teaching English somewhere would be amazing.

-I would like to do the World Race. It is a 11 month long mission trip that takes you to 11 different countries. It would be the experience of a life time.

-I would like to one day pick up and leave, go live in a hut somewhere and learn to live off the land. I would like to experience life as a nomad for a while.

-I really want to learn how to play the guitar.

-Backpack around Europe. Do the Sound of Music tour in Austria.

-I really want to deliver bibles to a country where it is against the law to own a bible... this has actually been on my hearts since I was about 12.. I was inspired by my favorite book, "God Smuggler" by Brother Andrew.

-I would like to own my own business.. I don't know what I want to do yet.. Maybe interior design, maybe a photography studio..

-I would like to have something published. It doesn't matter what it is, a book, picture, article of writing, I think having a photo spread in some magazine would be top of my list though.

All in all.. I want to be remembered as someone who has lived her life to the fullest, praising and spreading God, through the good and the bad times.

So, that was my answer.

It made me realize how badly I want to travel and see the world. I have such a yearning in my heart to go and do something.. ANYTHING.

I am planning a trip to Africa this summer. I am going with an organization to volunteer at an orphanage. I am so excited about the trip. So excited. I feel like I am starting to "check" things off of my list.

The one thing that I can't explain at all is where the yearning to do missions came from. I haven't been anywhere significant that would give me the "travel bug", or ever been on a missions trip. I know that God has giving me a yearning for it, how else could feel so strongly about going somewhere completely unknown, if I have never experienced it. I feel like I am completely ready to go into unknown territory, ready something different then what I have lived for the last twenty-two years. I don't have any fear or anxiety about things worried me in the past. This really encourages me, knowing that I can concur anything that comes in my path- good or bad.

One thing I'm 100% sure about is that I am so excited about my future. I love that I don't know where I will end up or what I will be doing when I get there, but I am so ready for the journey.