7 Days!

My Schuler's Shoes came! 

The pattern reminds me of Henna!

7 Days!

8 Days!

DIY Paper Doll (Print, Color, and Cut)

8 Days!

India Day 23!

All packed and ready to go. I'll be leaving my stuff in boxes, because I will hopefully be moving as soon as I return from India. Here's my pile at the back of our apartment. My whole life fits in a 3ft x 2ft space. Who knew?

9 Days!

Pray for India: Day 21

  I can't lie an say I haven't been freaking out a little bit about money lately. Technically the bare minimum amount of money I needed came in last week, but I haven't had time to give an update on that. However, recognizing that I have expenses outside of India (Rent now, Rent when I get back, trying to find a job, etc), Money can be a bit of a stressor. Writing in my journal this morning, I was stressed. Worried how this was all going to come together. 

Trust.
In my prayers, this seems to be the only answer I receive.
Trust.

Today, I checked my mail and two envelopes greeted me. The first was from a wonderful girl that said she wanted to support me in my trip. Her support came in the form of $100. The other envelope contained $250.

My God will provide all of my needs.

Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or your body and what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more than clothes. Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, but your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than the birds. Can any of you add an hour to your life by worrying--Matthew 6:25-27.

India in 11 Days!

Pray for India: Day 18 (Mammoth Morning Munchies)

"The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."- Zephaniah 3:17

Wow! The Lord is good. Let me give you a little glimpse into my life today. A couple weeks ago there was some really rough stuff happening at my internship. During this time, I was in my car, driving away from a fairly frustrating situation. I flipped on my radio station, and immediately started searching for some worship music. I was to the point of knowing the enemy was at work, could feel the spiritual attacks in my body, mind, emotions, and spirit. That's when I heard KTIS announce their morning coffee break giveaway. All I could think is, my office could use some encouragement, so I entered my internship cite. 

Last week, yet again another rough week again I got a call saying we won. Jesus loves me this I know, morning muffins tell me so. We arranged to have Pam and Andy, the morning hosts come in today, because we had a team meeting. This way the whole team could enjoy the encouragement. They brought coffee, Mammoth Muffins, and a gift for me. As if the coffee and muffins weren't enough, they gave me a basket full of goodies, like devotional material, CDs, and a $50 gift card to a shoe store. Here's the kicker. I really need new sandals for India, and have been praying the Lord would provide all week. He totally did. He is continually amazing me. 

22 DAYS!

Click Here to listen to the Muffin Episode!

Pray for India: Day 17

Just a little ways to go.
Basically, if I choose to
fast the whole time I'm in
India, I have enough money.
However, i don't feel like this
is the best course of action to
take.  If I can raise $17/day for
25 days I'll be there. Final stretch.
Let's Go!

Update: 25 days to go, and this week I have been nervous than I have ever been. Anxiety has a way of sneaking in and stealing joy. Everyday it feels I am battling lies that I'm not prepared. This is not going to be a good experience. That I have ultimately been ill-equipped. Typically anxieties of a country white girl whose only real experience is a couple of weeks in Latin America during high school.

Coupled with my own internal anxieties, most of my friends are working on their Intercultural studies degrees, giving them a lot more experience and have a considerable more passion-feeders around them. If there is doubt in my mind that I really have not idea what I'm doing, hanging out with my friends demolishes them all.

In short, I'm afraid. Shutting down conversations that even remotely stir the stew of overwhelming chaos in my brain. Immediately I feel emotionally wrecked by the challenge "What if India isn't what I've dreamed?" What then?

Running around at the final weeks of school, exams causing me panic enough, I'm suddenly struck with anxiety, but don't have time to sit. Don't have time to process. Overwhelmed, I become consumed.

Finally I sit. I wait.

What if? What if? What if? Rings over and over in my mind until the wait ifs can do more than give up, because they have repeated themselves in an undue rut. Nothing else to say. No more fears to qualm. I'm done.

A deep breath. My brain empties.

Finally the space enough to hear a line of truth.

Enough.

What ifs? What ifs? What ifs? Can wear themselves into the ground. But enough. is what they have and no more.

Be still. The Lord sings. I am enough.

He consumes my anxious heart to release a calming peace. I can finally dream the dreams the Lord has to me and His words of life speak, "It will be what it is meant to be." A pinnacle. A turning point. I have been equipped for all it will expect of me. And what I may expect of it and of myself may fade. But the reality of what truly lies with in me is better than the facade of what I pretend to be. Therefore, even if nothing is what it seemed, if my plans and dreams are shown fragmented with romanticism, it's enough. It was meant to be.

I'm still nervous as all get out. I don't know what lies ahead. But whatever will be will be enough and that's enough for me to see the beauty of the reality beyond even my wildest dreams. So we'll see.

India, here I come.