Pre-Trip

I can't believe that time has flown by so quickly, and my trip begins TOMORROW. After all of the preparation that has gone into these weeks to come it is finally here and it is surreal. For those of you who haven't been informed where I will be heading, my first leg of the trip will be to Ukraine, then I head to Romania, and I will finish up in Italy.

Ukraine: 

I can't say which portion of the trip I am most excited about because they will all be much different experiences, but going to Ukraine will be the most interesting because I'm not going with school, family, or a church. I am going to live with Ann and her family for two and a half weeks. Ann was a translator for my grandparents when they went to Russia around twenty years ago for a mission trip. Ann was saved when she heard the gospel while translating for them. My grandparents paid her way to come to Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls for a year once she was able to receive a student visa. Although I was only four, I remember the year that she was here and the time that she spent with our family. Thanks to technology, we have been able to keep in touch via email and, on special occasions, phone calls. I don't remember a single time that Ann forgot to wish me a happy birthday or our family a Merry Christmas, Happy Thanksgiving (which they don't celebrate), Happy Easter, or Happy New Year. She is the most thoughtful person I know and has such a strong faith. She always has encouraging words for our family when there is something going on. I am so excited to see what it is like to be a believer living in a completely different environment. After four flights, I will arrive in Kiev on Monday evening. Ann and her daughter, Nadya, will be riding a train for 12 hours from their home city Zaporozhye to stay a few nights in Kiev to sight see with me. Then we will ride a sleeper train to Zaporozhye where I will stay the remainder of the time until I have to catch my flight in Kiev to get to Bucharest on the 15th of June.

Romania:

In Romania I will be doing a mission trip with the Palo Duro Presbytery at an orphanage through NOROC (New Opportunities for Romanian Orphaned Children). My mom read about the trip in the church bulletin and it was so clear that this is where the Lord wanted me. It lined up almost perfectly with my family trip to Italy and it is within reasonable travel distance. This is my first mission trip and although I've felt somewhat unprepared I know that the Lord is sending me with what knowledge I have right now for a reason.

"Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." -1 Timothy 4:12

I really do believe that we are our biggest critics. I know it holds true for me, especially when it comes to my walk and when I doubt my ability to lead. The enemy knows that is one of my biggest weaknesses and uses that against me by filling me with doubt and fears of failing. I'm excited to say that although I still struggle with believing I am capable of witnessing to others, that I am done believing those lies. Since I have broken free from that hold I have become a Young Life and a Disciple Now leader, I'm going on a mission trip, and (the biggest one) I've started this blog! I am so excited to not only see how far I will be stretched and grown, but also what it looks like to preach the gospel to nonbelievers and people in a completely different setting than what I see on an average day.

Italy:

My grandparents take our entire family on trips every so often and this year they decided to go big by renting a house for two weeks in the Tuscany region of Italy. I will arrive a couple of days after the rest of my family on the evening of the 26th of June. This will be the more relaxing part of the trip, but there will definitely be a lot of learning and touring. The main places we will visit are Rome, Florence, and Milan. I'm most looking forward to seeing the fashion capital of the world, the Roman Colosseum, the Statue of David by Michelangelo, and the Last Supper by Da Vinci, but I honestly just can't wait to be there with my entire family!

The villa we will be staying at!

What I'm bringing:

-Minimal amount of clothes due to lack of luggage space
-Gifts for Ann's family (It is customary to give gifts to every member of the family that you are visiting)
-My new iPad (I've already downloaded: The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler, I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler, The Magicians Nephew by C.S. Lewis, Abba's Child by Brennan Manning, and This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti)
-My grandfather's pocket bible that he would carry everywhere he went

What I'm leaving:

-Aggie Ring and all other nice jewelry (this will be the first time I've taken it off since I received it!)
-Worry/Stress ("Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." - Philippians 4:6)

My goals:

-Strengthen my relationship with the Lord
-Serve the Lord at all times, planned and unplanned opportunities ("The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." -Psalm 37:23)
-finish my reading list
-pursue the Lord each day
-find good pieces of art

Before I close I want to ask something of you! If you could take a minute to pray for my trip and for each person I will encounter it would mean the world to me! I believe prayer is powerful and if I had people praying for me during this journey then great things can happen. Thank you!

"Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you." -2 Thessalonians 3:1