This is my first blog which, (due to my lack of computer skills) could very well be a disaster! But kudos to you all for clicking the link, opening the website, and considering what I have to say!
With the hope of sharing my experiences pondering, planning, and participating in offshore adventures; I have created this blog in an effort to save postage. Just kidding! But in actuality, everything seems to be more effective and efficient online, so I’ve finally hopped on board.
For those who need an update on my life, the next paragraph is for you. In June 2008, I graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara with a degree in Sociology and French. Yippee! Next, I came back to Northern California where I decided to take a year off before applying to Graduate programs for Psychology. What happened next? Life. Unforeseen events occurred and close family members became ill and passed away. These dark moments brought me some clarity and I soon realized I wanted to become a Nurse Practitioner. After surviving chemistry and biology, I applied to Azusa Pacific University in Southern California. Azusa has an entry level program that turns college graduates without experience into specialized Nurse Practitioners in just 3-4 years. Amazing right? I think so. Long story short, I’ve been waiting quite some time for my program to start. Unfortunately, due to non-transferable prerequisite courses, I was unable to begin the program this past August and instead finished two courses in December at a community college.
Alright, so for the most part you’re all up to date. I was initially frustrated that I was unable to begin nursing school last Fall, however God has something greater in store for me this year. For example, this past November I was fortunate enough to travel with my parents to Israel and Jordan. For two and a half weeks we traveled around the Holy Land and learned about the history and life of Jesus. That experience in itself is a good enough reason to wait another year for school; however another opportunity has presented itself.
After much prayer and reflection, my Dad and I have decided to take part in a mission trip this February to Maissade, Haiti. Yes, I said February! That’s just around the corner! In fact, we leave February 3rd! This opportunity is offered through Golden Hills Community Church which is a part of Converge PacWest. We will be staying in a small village located 35 miles outside the capital of Port-au-Prince. We’re pleased to be of service in helping build a vocational training center while also serving the local community and orphanage.
Our main goal is to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ and to give of ourselves fully and unconditionally to the Haitian people. We hope to accomplish this by working alongside the Haitians and by building trustworthy relationships. Many people on our team have been to Haiti multiple times and it’s amazing to hear how their relationships have grown and blossomed each trip. Our church has been sending teams for the last few years and we feel blessed to be a part of one of the two teams going in February.
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Another goal of ours is to grow and learn from our experiences abroad and then come home to share the vision. It’s not every day that Americans are faced with tragedy and destruction from natural disasters. I strongly believe that by partaking in this trip to Haiti, we can gain a small amount of insight and return to share what we’ve learned. We depart on February 3rd, 2011 from San Francisco and return from Port-au-Prince February 11th, 2011.
We understand that not all of us can “go” abroad, but there are other ways you can help! My Dad and I would love to ask for support in the form of prayer! Please do consider praying for our team, the new Haitian friends we are about to make, and for health/protection on our trip! Please pray for us from February 3rd to the 11th. I’m still in the process of creating this blog but be sure to subscribe/follow/check back for updates about Haiti as well as my future adventures yet to come!
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I’d love to hear from you so please feel free to email me at: truesignificance@gmail.com !
