i'm off to new places, today is my day!

Friends, I am absolutely giddy right now! There is so much that has happened since my last post about my ambitions for 2014 (that you can read about here!) that I simply cannot wait to tell you all what has happened since then! Eeeeek! :)

So, as many of you might already know, since listing all of my options for the summer in my last blog post, a completely different opportunity came up! Actually, it was an option since before Thanksgiving, but I just kind of swept it under the rug because it seemed impossible. It was with people I didn't know at all except one person. It was in Honduras. It was a week before Tates Creek (the school I lead at) left for summer camp. I would get back the night before we left for summer camp. I would be flying into Nashville (which is four hours away from Lexington) when I would be leaving Lexington the next morning to go to North Carolina. And the list goes on and on and on of the things that could have held me back from going for it. But there was this gut feeling deep inside me. The Lord was so adamant about this that there was no way I could say no. There was already a passion deep inside of me for Jesus and for Spanish, and this seemed like the perfect combination! I ended up talking to many people (my dad, my sister, my brother, my leader team, my roomates, my best friends, etc) and not one single person said it was a bad idea nor discouraged me from doing it -- even my dad who I thought would be the most against it!! I called the guy in charge of the mission trip and told my situation and that I was interested. A day later, he called me back with a solution - a flight straight into Lexington from Houston that would allow me to arrive in Lexington early evening the night before summer camp! It was literally divine intervention! Fear and doubt crept in and so many times did I want to back out of this uncomfortable, hectic, crazy mess, but God reminded me of how much He had revealed Himself to me through this. Everyone I sought advice from said a hearty yes to it, there was a plane ticket with my name on it making it possible to go on this trip, deep desires and passions, and plenty of friends who began supporting my trip right away through donations and prayer. It was like every excuse I had to say no, the Lord was shutting it down and gave me no choice but to say YES! So, it's true! I will be spending one week from June 14th to June 21st in Honduras serving alongside Riverside Baptist Church with the mission organization El Ayudante to put water filters into homes, giving fluoride treatments, and working with local churches and orphanages - and I will be one of few who know Spanish! Goodness gracious, that makes my stomach drop! I cannot wait to serve in Honduras and be able to use my skills and passion of speaking Spanish to bring glory to our Father and show Christ's love to the people of Honduras. Ahhhh, I CAN'T WAIT!

"All adventure begins with a YES."

Next up, Tates Creek Young Life Camp! We're going to Windy Gap in North Carolina! These high school students have stolen my heart, ya'll. It's almost been a year since I've been placed as a Young Life leader and there have definitely been times where I haven't been motivated or had passion, but I can't explain to you how desperately I yearn for these students to know the fullness of life that Jesus has to offer. I want them to know that it's okay to not be okay and that there is so much more than this world. Gosh. Every summer, though, we go to a camp with students where they get to have the best week of their life and hear about Jesus. It's seriously one of the craziest, funnest, and funniest weeks ever! This will be my first time going to camp as a leader and my first time at Windy Gap also! I can't wait to see how the Lord is going to use me and challenge me on this camp trip! I can't wait to grow deeper with my leader team and with the girls at Tates Creek. Our camp trip is from June 22nd to June 28th! This picture proves nothing but it being a blast!

Windy Gap! How perfect does that look?!

Another thing is I finally applied for Summer Staff on January 14th... Now it's just a waiting game! And I'm growing impatient! Summer Staff allows me to volunteer for a month at a Young Life camp over the summer, free of cost, except for transportation there and back! I've never done it before, but according to many of my great, great friends, it is the best month of their lives, so you could say I'm definitely looking forward to it! Haha! I applied to two camps in Colorado (Frontier Ranch and Crooked Creek) and one in North Carolina (Carolina Point) and would be gone from either July 19th to August 20th or from July 5th to July 26th respectively.  I just found out recently, though, that there aren't any more spots open for Frontier Ranch or Crooked Creek for the jobs I wanted, but I am on the waitlist and there's always a chance of someone dropping. I've been feeling a bit discouraged about not getting in to my first choice, but still hoping I still get in somehow! Whatever happens, I know it will be a life-changing experience! If I were to go to either of the camps in Colorado, I would be able to visit one of my best friends the week before or if I went to the camp in North Carolina, I would be able to visit my brother the week before. Either way, it's a win-win situation! But there's definitely A LOT on my plate for this summer if I do say so myself! I can't wait to be a part of high school students having the week of their life and being able to see their lives be changed.

Crooked Creek!

Frontier Ranch!

Carolina Point! It's not really this cold always! :)

Any of these camps would be such a blessing to me to be able to give back what was given to me through Young Life in high school and now! Thankful for this tool to show how great God really is and how good His people are! :)

Last, but DEFINITELY NOT LEAST, two weekends ago I GOT BAPTIZED again! AHHHH! :) As a baby, I was baptized into the Catholic church but grew never really viewing baptism of importance or even knew what it meant. Ever since I gave my life to Christ my Freshman year of high school at a Young Life camp and learning what it means to walk with the Lord, I've contemplated whether it was necessary or appropriate for me to be re-baptized or not. One night last semester a church service I attended was doing pond baptisms after the service. I was overwhelmed with how much the Holy Spirit was putting it on my heart through the service to be baptized. It was literally this gut-wrenching feeling that I cannot explain. But I let my fears take control of me and define me. "Is this the church I want to do it at?", "Is everyone I want here?", "I have somewhere to go after this, I can't be wearing wet clothes!", and the list goes on and on. I decided not to do it. After that service, I felt more and more regret for not listening to the Holy Spirit. My friend even asked me a few weeks later if I wanted to be baptized with her and I told her no because I over thought the whole situation and chose to think it was about me and not what the Holy Spirit was pulling me to do. How selfish of me?! But then, on January 26th, 2014 at Turning Point Church, the Holy Spirit gave me that gut feeling again. The difference was this time I chose to go for it and declare my commitment to the Lord publicly and let my sin and pain be taken care of! I didn't want fears to control me anymore. I didn't want to hold back what God wanted me to do because I was nervous about what people would think or if it was the right time. The time is NOW and always will be! God met me where I was and didn't ask me to change my life of my circumstances before I came to Him. He wanted me right then. So I said YES... again! You see the repeating pattern here? Funny how He works, huh?

So here I am, washed white by a forgiving Savior when I should still be stained. But there is this intriguing hope, love, and grace that we can't deny. So the question is, will you respond to it? Will you choose to let love in and let Jesus rule your life? I'll tell you what friends, life with Jesus is not limiting. If anything, it's freeing! It's allowed me to say YES to things I've been too afraid of in the past. But this year, I'm putting my past far behind me and allowing Christ to give me new life that I so often overlook.

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has GONE and the new has COME!"                                                                                                                           - 2 Corinthian 5:17

Embrace His call and don't let fear control you any more. You are free, for you have life with Christ. No more insecurities. Don't let them tell you who you are, let God tell you who you are. Let your FAITH be bigger than your FEAR.

If you'd like to help a sister out and support me through prayer or donation, click here! I would be completely humbled with any help for these new adventures! Blessed by you! http://www.gofundme.com/6dlxfk 

January was a great month if I do say so myself :)