Well, I am not much of a blogger, but by the time I finish the World Race I guess I will be! I want to share a little about myself…..
Instead of writing a long, drawn out story, I decided to just share with you what God is doing in my life right now! I live in Little Rock, AR with an amazing roommate named Hannah Brown. God knew what He was doing whenever He put us together! It's crazy the things He is teaching us at exactly the same time! Oh yeah, we recently discovered an app called "Songify," which turns what you say into a song. Totally worth downloading! Maybe one day I will post our original!
I have been working at Arkansas Children's Hospital as a RN for the past three years on a physical rehabilitation floor. I have witnessed how God can bring healing to children and their families. It's truly been a blessing to work there, and I will miss everyone so much!
Let's see…I love running, especially whenever it's cooler outside. Jesus is my running buddy. I just love being outside in His presence! I have ran in a couple of half-marathons, and my goal is to one day run a full. I LOVE ice cream! I secretly hope I can find some way to have ice cream in every country on the Race! I love being around people. God definitely brought me out of my shy bubble whenever I went to college. What a blessing! I also love the game "catchphrase," but I can hardly ever find anyone who wants to play!
I go to New LIfe Church in Maumelle, AR, and words cannot express how thankful I am for that church and the people I have met! It feels like home. The presence of the Lord never leaves that church. I am actively involved in a ministry called the Arkansas Dream Center. Have you ever heard of the L.A. Dream Center? The AR Dream Center is modeled after it. The AR Dream Center focuses on seeking out the hurting and the hopeless people around different communities in Little Rock, and doing whatever can be done to meet their needs. Through meeting the most basic needs and forming relationships, we pray their lives will be radically changed by the love of Jesus Christ! I know I am so blessed to be a part of this ministry! God definitely hooked me up, because after my first mission trip back in 2008, I didn't want to come back to the U.S. The Dream Center is my mission trip that I don't have to leave after a week or two! We have formed a family of volunteers, and we have a blast! Check out the video below! Just a saturday morning at the Dream Center!
Lastly, I LOVE missions! I didn't always have that love. God began placing that desire in my heart my senior year of college. I knew He was telling me to stop focusing on myself and how I can grow closer to Him, but to look around and notice the hurting people around the world. The first trip to Nicaragua in June of 2008 changed my life! My eyes were opened, and I experienced love for people that I didn't know was humanly possible. I was so blessed to feel just a small pinch of the love God has for His people. Blows my mind away!
Acts 20:23-24 became one of my favorite verses a few years ago, which says "I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prisons and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." Years ago, I never imagined having the opportunity to go on an actual "race" around the world to testify the gospel of God's grace! I can't wait!
