This is my story...

There are 5 significant things that have happened in my life that have lead me to this point of going to Uganda:

1. WinterJam 1996:

In 1996 I stepped foot into the Township Auditorium a regular pre-teen and came out saved! My mom forced us to go to an 89.7 WMHK concert as a family. I had no interest in being there, but it changed my life. A year later, I found out that night was supposed to be the last thing our family was going to do together because my parents were separating. I always questioned that night because it felt so random. I remember not wanting to go. I am pretty sure I was rude and ugly about being forced to go, but God had other plans for that night!

"For is it by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:8-10

I am so thankful that He is a loving God! That night he began preparing me for the life He has planned! I don't even think my parents knew about this night, but now they do! :) A few years ago I graduated from college in that same building. I cried like a baby that day!

2. CRU Winter Conference:

In the Fall of 2005 I spent a semester in DC. When I returned I was given a "scholarship" go to the the Winter Conference. Again, totally did not want to go because I didn't know anyone but the Columbia College girls. The Lord had some amazing things planned for that trip. There are 2 scriptures that were talked about that really started tugging at my heart:

Matthew 4:19 "Come follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

Matthew 9:37-38 "The he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers until his harvest field."

I am thankful that the Lord knows best, and blessed me with such encouraging and faithful friends! They encouraged me to come to this conference with them and I am thankful that I did. After that conference I began to pray that I would be ready and listen to God's calling!

3. Brittany Jo:

At this conference I met Brittany Jo. She actually stopped me in the hallway of the hotel and said she talked to the Lord and he said I should live in their house on Rosewood with her and her 2 other roommates. Their other roommate was moving out and I had just mentioned that I was looking for a place to live. I was blown away by her boldness. She continued to be that way even after I moved into the Rosewood house. I had knows her 1 week before I became her roommate for 3 years.

Out other roommate, Amanda, loves Africa. In our 3 years living together she had visited Kenya 2 times. We always had some book or movie about Africa because she always wanted to know more! We used to talk about how much she loves Africa and I love the United States. When I decided to pursue a trip to Uganda I met with Amanda and told her about how the Lord has changed my heart. I am so thankful for Brittany's boldness and Amanda's love!

4. The Breakup:

I had been dating someone for years and known him for longer. We were best friends. A little over a year ago our priorities changed and in June we decided to break up. It was the hardest thing I did, but I think we were both given an incredible peace about the situation. Throughout the last year I spent time alone with the Lord. Literally. I was alone for Thanksgiving when I cried out to the Lord in confusion. I wanted to be with someone so badly and I couldn't accept JUST the love, grace and forgiveness of Christ alone. I sat alone in a living room of a strangers house (that I was house sitting for) on Thanksgiving and I couldn't have felt worse. I prayed that night, and the rest of the weekend, to be satisfied in Christ alone. It's like that song... " on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand." From that moment I began to pray about how the Lord wanted to use me. I found strength and comfort in 2 Corin 12: 9-10,

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

All I can say, is that when you pray this scripture as your prayer- that Christ would help you to delight in your weaknesses, that you would find strength in the things that make you feel so vulnerable, that you would see God's glory in hardships, insults, difficulties and persecutions, no matter how hard- He will take you places you never imagined going! For me that place starts with Uganda!

That leads me to #5.

5. October 2009:

I literally woke up one day and Africa was on my heart. It's the hardest things to explain or understand, unless you have felt it. I asked my friend Michelle to start praying about that because it confused me. She and I talked a lot about seminary, mission work, whatever was next for me, and just never thought that would mean my heart would change for Africa. When I asked her to pray for me about this, she asked me what I thought it meant and my thought was "I have no clue." We decided that day that we would pray about why the Lord put Africa on my heart. Psalm 37:4 says: "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." I put my trust in the Lord. Because HE put Africa on my heart, I was confident that he would fulfill that.

The most awesome thing about this trip is that it has almost fallen apart so many times. It was only at the point where there was no other reason, but because of His glory and purpose, that this trip came together. It honestly has nothing to do with anything I have done. To God be all the glory!

All of these are shortened for the sake of the blog, but these were incredibly significant moments in my life and I know that they are for the glory of the Lord! It's been a wonderful past few years! I am excited about this trip and how the Lord has prepared every step and will continue to do so!