Donita Graduated!

My dear Donita has granduated from TCIMI... Congrats dear Oni... May God bless you in your adventures ahead!  and it will be an adventure if you let it!  Much Love!

Live

To Jenny's house we go!!!!

I went to Jenny's house with some amazing people this past wednesday and it was a wonderful day!  I am so excited to go back on Monday!!!!!  HOoray!  I'll be coming back!

See You soon my dearest Jenny!!!!!

xoxoxoxo

Music, music and more music!

So today I am going to get 3 shots and some pills for typhoid....  I am not looking forward to the shots but it's only a second and it needs to happen so bring it on!  But yesterday I woke up with a drum beat in my head and I am really excited because all day I had music running through my head... I am so glad!  I used to always have music running through my head and for some reason it's been gone for a while but thanks God it's back!  I love music!!!!!  It is such a blessing!  It moves my soul! What a beautiful gift from God that we get to use it to bless his soul and he's just such a good and wonderful God he lets it bless ours as well!  what a wonderful God!  Thank you for the gift of Music!

Icky Icky icky...

Ahhhhh!!!  I might have to get shots today!  Please oh Father in heaven let it be monday!

Getting there...

I signed up for airmiles today!!!  Yes!!!  I am getting nearly 20,000  free miles from this trip!!! hooray!!!  I can put them towards south africa!!!!  I am super excited!  Tomorrow me and Grandma Jan are sending off our visa apps and looking to see what shots we need to get...  (oh joy...)  But life is good.... stressful at times but good...  It's exciting!  

I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME/ Mocha Club

So...  Just to let everyone know... i cannot take credit for the beautiful writing that is about to be placed here... I just believe in it...  It is truly what I think of Africa...

I need Africa more than Africa needs me

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child Soldiers. Genocide. Sex Slaves. Orphans.  From there my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. "I am needed here." I think.  They have so little, and I have so much. "It's true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa every day.  There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe.  But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in those same people."  It's a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom. Not within the framework that has been my life to this day...

The images spilling out of my television showed circumstances that could seemingly only equal misery, and I was fooled.  i bought into the lie that circumstance defines happiness.  The truth is, in Africa I find hearts full of victory indomitable spirits.  In places where despair should thrive, instead I find adults dancing and singing and children playing soccer with a ball crafted of tied trash.  Instead of payback I find grace.  Here weekend getaways are not options to provide relief from the pains of everyday life.  Relationships and faith provide joy.  Love is sovereign.

My new reality...  I know now that my joy should have no regard for my circumstances.  I'm ashamed by my lack of faith, but at the very same moment I am excited by my new pursuit.  I'm forced to redefine the meaning of having much or having little.  I'm uneasy with the prospect of change and of letting go, but just the thought of freedom is liberating.  I want what I have learned to trickle down from my head into my heart.  I no longer want to need the "next thing" to have joy.

I'm not saying the Africa does not need our efforts.  It absolutely does need our partership.  But for me, I've come to understand that I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME.  Why?  Because it is Africa that has taught me that possessions in my hands will never be as valuable as peace in my heart.  I've learned that I don't need what I have and that I have what I need.  These are just a few of this conitnents many lessons I came here to serve and yet I've found that I have so much to learn, and Africa with all it's need, has much to teach me.

This is from the Mocha Club.... to learn more about this amazing organization go to Mocha Club.org  You wont be sorry...  It's amazing what the price of 2 Mochas a month can do for someone in Africa.

God bless!

Getting READY

So me and my grandma Jan have purchased our plane tickets for a whopping 1,800!  Ouch! It was a lot of money but soooo worth it to go back to the wonderful land of Africa.  I am so excited to be able to experience a different part of Africa!  It's so crazy! The other day while i was waitressing at Bing's I meet a woman who had been to South Africa!  It's so crazy how God works!  It was so amazing to hear about her adventures there and to hear about how beautiful it was... she said she had only been there for a few weeks of her life in college (she was around 60 so it had been a while) and she said it had still made a huge impression on her heart.  Africa can surely do that to a person....  :)  The Lord has blessed me with many stories such as these!  C'est pour encouragement Je sais!  Father forgive me for the days I am full of myself! And help me to be more like you mon Pere!

On another note (ha ha)  I've been playing guitar again and loving every moment of it!  I have been so afraid! (and as everyone knows a life lived in fear is no life at all.)  but I have been pushing through the fear of rejection and mistakes to make music for my Lord and Saviour!  and He has blessed me immensely through it! It's so freeing!  Thanks Father!  

May God bless you today and free you from something that has had a hold on you for way too long!  :)  Live