Making Plans, or letting plans make themselves...

I can't believe that it was last April when I wrote that I wanted to travel, and here I am finally making it happen.

After lots of prayers and lunches with Meggan, I decided that God wanted me to make these traveling aspirations come true. I felt that I definitely wanted to go to Africa (Ethiopia and Uganda) and take an official mission trip to visit orphans. For some reason, I have my heart set on the Philippines as well. I'm hoping to finish the trip in gratitude in Rome for a few days. My ideal trip would start in mid-February in the Philippines, and I am looking to stay with a convent of sisters for about two months. The mission trip that I'm going on is with the Visiting Orphans organization in mid-April. It is only 2 weeks long, but hopefully I will have some contacts to stay another two weeks out there visiting Katie and the ladies from 31 bits.

People that I see at work or even old friends will ask "Oh so how's school?" and I have to tell them this huge long story about how I feel really called to do this and that somehow I am gonna gain this great insight on life of what to do with my life to help them over there etc. A common response would be "Oh the beaches are great here" or "Don't go there, the people are so un-welcoming". It makes me so much more driven to go to the poorest most remote place and do anything I can to help. It's not a vacation. Yes, I definitely do want to travel to see the world, but through the eyes of a servant of Lord rather than Lady Godiva.

The hardest thing is trying to get contacts and raising the money to actually go. I'm planning on the trip costing around $7,ooo. The 2 week mission trip alone is $3500 and that doesn't include the plane ticket. I pray everyday that God will be generous with me. I'm working hard but there's no way I can do it all on my own.

I want to plan a few fundraisers, or sell my jewelry- stuff like that. I'm running a half-marathon in January in Carlsbad, so maybe I can tie that in somehow. I guess I just need to put my creative brain into use.

I pray that doors will keep opening and that I can keep following Your path. Give me strength to be like You. You are amazing. Amen