FRIENDS, FAMILY !!!!
This is my blog for my upcoming summer mission to Swaziland/ South Africa!! Here you will be able to track my fundraising progress before my trip and also be able to follow my posts while I am on the field in Africa.
Before I talk about my trip, I would like to update you on where I am in life at the moment. I am currently in my sophomore year at Baylor University, where I am majoring in public health and minoring in leadership development studies. Recently, after taking a elective class here at Baylor I discovered a passion for the alarming HIV/STD prevalence and how to best care for individuals affected. This introduces what I really want to do with my education. I would love to someday work in a non-profit organization for sexually transmitted diseases. On top of this I would love to be able to do mission work in countries that do not have the resources to care for individuals with these diseases.
Now, LET’S TALK ABOUT AFRICA !!!
Fall semester of 2018, I began thinking about what I wanted to do with my upcoming summer. During this time of prayer I was overwhelmed with the feeling that God was calling me to spend my summer serving. After praying about this calling for a long period of time, I felt like God repeatedly was putting Africa on my heart. Because of this, I decided to apply for a summer staff position through an organization who loves and ministers to orphans in Africa. After a long application process, I was actually not chosen for this trip. I was upset and confused because I was certain this was what God had planned for me. Disappointed, I decided my plan was to just stay here in Waco, TX and get an internship for the summer. God, however, was not done making plans for my summer. Just a few short weeks ago a sweet friend of mine mentioned a trip she had just committed to go on through The World Race. A trip to Africa.
From the moment she introduced the trip to me, God moved in big ways and made this calling a reality. In early stages I had extreme anxiety about the cost of the trip, but I would like to share a story of how God provided. To confirm and secure my spot on this trip I needed to pay a $200 deposit. They encouraged me to submit my payment quickly because very few spots on the team remained. I was heartbroken, financially I did not have $200 in that moment to be able to secure my spot. In my head, I lost faith in the idea of serving in Africa. God, again, revealed to me that his plan is far greater than mine could ever be. That night, I received an email from a credit card company I started an account with TWO years ago. The email was to inform me that my $200 credit deposit on my account was being reimbursed to me the next day. The exact amount I needed, God provided. The next day, I took the reimbursement and secured my spot.
On May 30 I will be flying to Atlanta, Georgia for three days of training camp. From there, my team will be flying to Africa. One month in Swaziland and the second in South Africa. Swaziland currently has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world. This statistic absolutely breaks my heart, however this is exactly what I want to do with my career so I am excited to be immersed. We will be doing ministry in the community and even have the opportunity to volunteer at a clinic. In South Africa we will spend most of our time doing ministry in schools, orphanages, and simply being present in the brokenness.
I am so beyond excited to be a part of this team and can not wait to be able to share my team and I’s experiences as we grow together and with the communities !!!!!
