I feel like I have always had a love for Latin America but I know that it really started in high school. My Spanish II teacher was awesome and made learning whatever he was teaching interesting enough that everyone wanted to learn it (or at least I did...). I liked his class so much so that I took him for Spanish IV and AP. During my senior year we took a trip to Costa Rica and the minute I set foot on land, I was hooked. I fell in love with the people, the culture and the language instantly. From that point on, I knew Spanish would always have to be a part of my life.
At the same time, I started going to Young Life. Young Life is a nondenominational Christian organization reaching out to high school and middle school kids all around the world and it reached me in Asheville, NC. (Check out more about Young Life here: younglife.org ) I would have claimed Christ as my Savior before going to summer camp with YL but no one had ever put it in a way that He wanted to have a relationship with me and He wasn't all about morals or rules. What high school girl isn't looking for a relationship and when you find out the Lord of lords and King of kings is the one pursuing you the hardest every day of your life it changes everything.
Throughout high school, both seeds began to grow into what I thought were two different passions but after starting this process, I know they have always been growing as one.
Once I got to college I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do: be a Young Life leader AND study abroad. Unfortunately, that wasn't the plan at all. I had to choose. I chose to study abroad to explore more of Latin America and see what the Lord was doing in that part of my life while learning and growing more in my relationship with Christ. I really believe the Lord was giving me a break from leading only to prepare me for bigger and better things!
After graduation, I had no idea what I was going to do but I had a trip through Central America planned with a friend from study abroad. As soon as we got to the Costa Rica/Nicaragua border, I was, once again, hooked. The chaos seemed somewhat refreshing to me after traveling through Panama and Costa Rica. Don't get me wrong, I loved both countries but there was something different about Nicaragua. The whole week we spent there, I never wanted to be anywhere else. There was something calling me back to Nicaragua after we left but I just didn't know what it was then.
When I got back to the states I started looking into possible ways to travel again. I thought about teaching English as a foreign language but ruled that out after some thought. I had ruled out Young Life because I didn't want to fundraise so I was googling "Christian organizations abroad". . . eventually the Lord led me back to Young Life, at least to just check it out. I was led back to the YL website on March 9, 2011 and there was an information weekend on March 11-13 in Atlanta, GA. I bought a plane ticket that afternoon.
Since March I have been praying constantly about where the Lord would take me and that He would give me boldness to follow Him. I was given four Spanish speaking countries to choose from but as soon as Nicaragua was mentioned I didn't need any others. I knew that very instant why the Lord had opened my eyes and heart to the beautiful, chaos that is Nicaragua.
This blog is dedicated to the process of getting to Nicaragua through fundraising and then also the adventures the Lord takes me on once I move in. I will be working with a great team of 3 Americans who make up a small portion of the 40 staff members in Nicaragua (the rest are locals!). I ask that you pray for me through this refining process; I ask that you consider being a part of my support team in whatever means possible (prayer, financially or both); and I ask you to be a part of this adventure with me!
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