As of today, I have 60% of all the money I need towards Thailand! I actually had a deadline coming up on Sunday to have 50% of my money in... I was off about $400, but today when I checked my fundraising, I had more than I needed :) Proves that nothing can stop what God is doing and the power that believers have when they stick together :)

Please keep praying for me! I still have a little over $2,000 to raise in the next couple of months.

-Emily

Hey all- friends, family, whomever, I know it has been eons since I last posted, but here I am again :) And boy, do I have news for you…

Let me rewind to about five months ago.

I moved up to the wonderful Crown College in Minnesota (hi all you crownies :)) in mid-August… and in the whirlwind of freshman year- the new friendships, extended time away from home, late nights due to homework procrastination- God put something in my mind that I could not get out.

It started out with reading one of the world racer’s blogs that a friend of mine had sent me a while ago (for those of you who don’t know what the world race is, it is an opportunity for individuals ages 21-35 to spend 11 months in 11 different countries, serving the least of these). This particular world racer became very attached and impacted by the country of Thailand- so much so that after the World Race was over she returned to the U.S. for a few months, and then left for Thailand to spend the next two years there (you can check out her world race blog here http://bethsaidaportalatin.theworldrace.org/?tuid=11828419). And with that, just through a blog, God planted something in my heart. After that, Thailand started popping up EVERYWHERE. There started to be so many little coincidences, like a missionary from Thailand speaking in chapel, mentionings of the country in classes, AIM had a college trip for the summer going to Thailand… etc. I was pretty doubtful of it all though. I brushed most of it off as coincidence, decided to pray about it, and figured that it was just something I was interested in doing, and not actually God’s will for me. After a couple weeks of silence, I pushed it to the back of mind and tried to forget about it.

Then, on October 25, I was sitting in the cafeteria at lunch and my good friend Leah comes up to me and says, “Emily, I have to talk to you!”

“Okay,” I said, “right now?”

“Yes, right now!!” she replied.

So we walked out of the cafeteria and sat down in the hallway, and I sat there waiting for her to say something (and frankly, I was about to pee my pants… when someone says they need to talk to me I always assume the worst). Anywho, what she had to tell me was simple. “God told me you’re supposed to go to Thailand.” I wish there was a good word to describe how I felt at that moment… probably a mixture of fear, excitement, and also relief that I wasn’t just imagining things.

If you know me at all, you’ll also know that I went to Uganda, Africa last summer. So I was very hesitant to think that I was supposed to be going to Thailand, again out of the country this summer. I had been planning on working as a camp counselor at the summer camp I went to throughout my whole childhood this year. Maybe in a few years, I thought. So again, I went to God and prayed that he would let me know if the trip to Thailand through AIM this summer was what he had for me, though I felt like it wasn’t. Over Thanksgiving Break, I was at home when Tori, my wonderful friend and amazing teammate that I got to spend a month with in Uganda over last summer contacted me. She had been in prayer for me and the words that God gave her for me were “Go. Go now.”

Can I just pause for a second here? I want to let you all know that if you’re ever questioning something concerning God’s will for you, if you think that God wants you to do something but don’t want to jump into it until you know for sure… PRAY. Pray for God’s confirmation, he WILL give it. He will. I’m not saying that he’ll do it the same way he did for me. Maybe God will speak through another believer to you, but if you’re seeking out what God wants for you, and you ask for God to show you, he will let you know. Keep your eyes open, and he’ll make it clear.

So needless to say, I signed up for this trip that day. And here I am, three months away from another adventure this summer. Honestly, it’s a little bittersweet… there are some things I will definitely miss over this summer. There were things that I wanted to do personally that I’ve had to give up. But, again… God’s plan is worth it. There are so many blessings that come from being obedient to him. I’m not saying this trip will be easy. I’m positive it will be HARD. It will be stretching and stressful. There will be wonderful, happy, joyful moments over those two months, but there will also be many struggles. If there’s anything I learned over my time in Africa last summer, it’s that the enemy is in fierce opposition to God’s will and will do ANYTHING to discourage you and pull you out of God’s will. I can definitely expect that this summer as well.

Sooooo... that's basically the short and sweet version of how all this came about. But anyway… that’s my plan (or should I say God's) from June 1^st- July 29^th this summer. Here’s a link about my trip http://www.adventures.org/trips/mission-trips.asp?locID=421&typeid=2&subtypeid=0 :)

Be expecting more blogs soon… :)

-Emily

Today marks one month of being home. Exactly one month ago, I woke up in our little Holiday Inn in Atlanta at 6:10 AM, rolled out of bed, went downstairs and split a cinnamon roll with Jenny. Thus the start of some hard goodbyes, one bye one until I was sitting by myself in my terminal trying my best not to cry. Then hopping on the plane, my short little 2 hour flight full of nervous jitters, huddling up in my Africa smoke scented sweatshirt (still haven't washed it), and praying to God to help me with whatever I was going to encounter when I got home. The flight ends, I grab my sleeping bag and my purse and sling it over my shoulder. I walk bravely off the plane, but as I glance around my heart leaps up into my chest and I think it would be best if I took a bathroom break first before meeting whoever is meeting me. I walk into the bathroom and smile to myself because of AMERICAN TOILETS. Afterwards, I know it's time to get going, so I start walking and keep my eyes open for whoever is meeting me. I see two people running and then a split second later I recognize them as my friends Christina and Morgan. They are holding this huge sheet of construction paper:














Haha thank you Kristin. I see my Dad walking up and we all hug. It's a bit surreal. I'm home.


Except home isn't home anymore. I wish I could explain it to you and make you understand, but I can't. For the past four weeks, I've been constantly thinking about Uganda. Something will remind me of someone from my team, or something that happened and I'll gush about it to the first person that will listen. I've tried countless times to imitate Pastor Thomas, or to describe Faith's personality to someone, giving my very best African-English accent that I can and never doing it justice. Some mornings, I wake up and lie in bed and just think about the taste of chapati. And I just miss it. I miss living out my big ugly orange bag, I miss seeing my teammates faces every morning at breakfast. I miss living simply, eating the same thing every day, wearing the same clothes over and over. I miss living in our little community where we shared everything, clothes, toothpaste, shoes, hair ties, peanut butter, febreze. I miss the kids, always present, and always reaching out their hands to be held. Words aren't enough.

But the one thing that I miss more than anything from that month is dependency on God. God was in everything. When someone was sick, we prayed healing. When I had had it to the brim with crowing roosters, crying babies, mosquito bites, and the squatty potty, I would pray for that little extra boost of patience. When I was scared, I would open up my bible and verses would just pop out at me. God wasn't an option. He was my everything, and I needed him. In Uganda, I would constantly repeat this verse to myself:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Being home is hard because of this. It's harder than trusting God to come through for you. It's hard because it feels like God isn't the same here, even though he is. He is the same God that walked down the dirt roads with me, sat in the van with me as Faith's knees were poking into my back, comforted me on the first night of training camp when I felt more alone than ever with this group of strangers, watched me wake up in the morning to the various sounds of Bugiri, who held my hand as I walked through the hospital wards. He's still that God. But in America, when I'm surrounded with comfort, it's like I don't experience God that way anymore. And that's what makes it hard. Because I don't want God to become just an option for me, I want him to be my everything, to be constantly dependent on him in every situation he throws my way. So I'm going to keep that verse on repeat in my head. God, give me joy even though a lot of the time I don't feel like being here. Help me to be in a constant state of prayer, and thank you for bringing me home because I know this is where you want me and where I need to be now.

Being in Africa, yes, it definitely was hard. But coming home was much harder than anything I experienced there.



-Emily

I know I've been long due for a blog post, but I've been struggling to find words for what I want to say since I've gotten home. There's just too much, and one of the first things I discovered the day I got back was that no one will ever be able to fully understand my experiences. The last few weeks have been a roller coaster of good and bad experiences, sleepless nights, a lot of time spent thinking, stress, culture shock, processing.

So, I've found that most people who I've talked to about my trip have asked a lot of the same questions. So much so, that I've even started to have a sort of robotic, memorized, planned out answer for them when they ask :) I decided that I should just answer them here. So... here we go, my FAQ's. :)


What did you do over there?

We did three main types of ministry. School, street evangelism, and hospital ministry.

School ministry: We went to so many different schools I can't remember all of them. But we would go, and split us up into groups and split the kids up, then spend some time playing games with them, singing songs, and just hanging out. After we would tell a bible story in the large group.

Street evangelism: Usually during the afternoons we would go out into the community, and attempt to build relationships with people nearby us. We would talk and pray with them.

Hospital ministry: Once a week, we would go to the hospital in Bugiri and pray for the people staying there. This was probably the hardest ministry for everyone, simply because there was so much hurt surrounding us.

Where did you stay?

you're about to get the grand tour. (sorry that the video is flipped the majority of this. hahaha)




What was the weirdest thing you had to eat?

<--- This is called Ugali. It's made of (if I'm right) cassava, flour, and water? Well anyway, it has the weirdest consistency, it's stretchy/squishy, and has no taste. It's like a giant booger.

Did you have running water?

Nope!


Did you see lions/giraffes/elephants?

No, but we did get to feed wild baboons bananas.


Did you get sick?

No, I was one of the few that didn't. Over half of my team got sick while we were there, and it was a lot of stress and struggle for us but it only drew us closer together.


What did you learn?

When I was in Africa, nothing really jumped out at me and said "I'm learning this", in fact I remember on the plane ride home not really feeling like I had not learned much at all. But, after arriving home, I feel like that's when the learning started. I'm still learning, and right now I can't really give you a bullet point list of main things I've discovered, but I'm planning on writing about some things later on on here.



And that pretty much sums it up :).


I also wanted to take some time to say thank you to everyone who has supported me, whether that be through sending in money for me or praying for me before I left and while I was gone. None of this could have happened without you, and I want to thank you for giving me one of the best months of my life.


-Emily

Here I am. Wanting to blog so badly, but not knowing what to say. Not knowing where to start, and knowing that no matter what I say, it could NEVER accurately portray what I want. But here goes.

How can I describe the last 4 and a half days of my life? Numb. Empty. Lonely. Longing. But also knowing that I'm blessed (more on that later). It's been much harder than I expected, coming home. In fact, it's nothing like I expected. And not only that, I'll take it a step further. My entire trip was nothing like I expected it to be. I don't really remember what I expected, but, I know it was nothing like I imagined. It was better (and God always has a funny way of doing that to me, making things better in ways that my measly little brain couldn't ever begin to dream up). So, while I can't tell you what I did expect, I can definitely tell you what I didn't expect.

I didn't expect that over the four weeks I was gone so many people were going to crawl into my heart, get cozy and set up house there. My team members, my leaders. All the kids who waited outside our house every day for us to get home from ministry and play with them and hold them. Our contacts. Our translators. Mucasa, Henry, Dennis. Tiba. Linda. Faith, Zam, Grace. Silvia. Samuel, Isaac/Baboon/Rafiki, Precious. Iddi. David. And yes... even Pastor Thomas. I figured I'd go, play with some kids, hold some babies, have a fulfilling experience, but be able to come home without it causing much heartache. That I would be able to leave it all behind and come back to my life and pick up where things left off. Instead, I'm finding that it's shaking up my world. I'm finding that I can't believe I ever felt truly happy and satisfied in my life back at home. I'm finding myself finally understanding what you always hear missionaries saying when they get home about comfort and America. And what they're saying, isn't just about pantries full of food, cars with heated seats, clean running water, and air conditioning. I understand now that's it's far more than that, beyond material possessions. It's a matter of the heart. It's that I see people around me, lulled to sleep. It's like everyone's just wandering around, caught up in what movie they're going to watch next, or who they're going to hang out with today, or what people think about their face, or whatever, and it's like people have lost touch with "what's really important". Because they really have. And I know this all sounds cheesy and cliche, but I see it. I see distance between the closest of friends; still holding back and hiding secrets because they fear judgment. Families who don't talk with each other about important things because they don't want it to be awkward. And it's awful you know? All the walls that people build up, when we could be experiencing something so much better. To have people that know you inside and out, accept you, support you, love you, pray for you, hold your hair while you puke. We could all really be experiencing the body of Christ. We're not meant to go it alone, and yet we try so hard to (I know I have). In Africa, I was surrounded by the body of Christ. I knew if I needed prayer, all I had to do was ask. If I was frustrated I could just let it out. If I woke up in the night and got scared, I could go cuddle with Jenny. And whenever I needed a bathroom buddy to brave the cockroach infested squatty potties at night with, there never failed to be someone to go with me. I've never experienced community like that, and now that I'm home there's no other option but to continue to love deeply like that (hey friends... come cuddle).

A little over a week ago, I was in my room in Uganda, writing a crave list with Jenny of everything we wanted when we got home. Some examples: Watching The Ringer, pancakes, having sleepovers with my friends, my toilet, sleeping in, being by myself, having a door to my room that doesn't fly open every five seconds, cheese, fast internet, getting all the shampoo out of my hair when I wash it, no listening to babies cry at night, clean feet, and tank tops. The next day we got up in the morning (last Wednesday), and had some of the longest, drawn out goodbyes ever with all our African friends, and we started to realize how much this was going to hurt. By Thursday night, we were sitting in a Holiday Inn in Atlanta, talking about the trip, remembering stories, encouraging each other, and reality was setting in. We were going home, and this was ending. And the next morning, we all ate our last breakfast together, and I hugged what I consider some of my best friends goodbye, and it was truly heartbreaking.

And now, here I am at home. Eating captain crunch, and watching That 70's Show. And I'm looking back at my crave list, and it's all so insignificant now. I could care less about those things, because now all I'm craving is Africa. I miss those conditions, that were deemed so uncomfortable and unlikeable more than anything now. The squatty potty, in all it's glory, because I look back and remember how much the team and I bonded because of that dang thing. The roosters/crying babies/Pastor Thomas banging on the door in the morning waking me up because it always gave me a chance to ask God for some patience in my frustration. Not worrying about makeup, because I knew that the people I was with loved me as is. How tired I would be in between morning and afternoon ministry, because it made me look to God for my strength. Having worship, not because it was required, but because we desperately needed it and wanted it. Eating rice, macaron, chapati, and fruit everyday, because when we got pop, ice cream, or even the occasional glucose biscuits, it was a gift from God.

And now I am home. I miss Africa. I miss it a lot, I can't stop thinking about it, my heart longs for it and longs for the month I just lived. But this is where God wants me now, and I accept it. He's already teaching me so much, just by being home. I'm willing to learn.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned knowing that I'm blessed. I am SO blessed. I'm so blessed, to have a God who tests me. Who directs me to Africa, directs me to an organization. Who doesn't provide all the support money for me right away, but requires that I trust him first and give him control; then gives me more than enough two weeks before I leave. Who sends me across the world with a bunch of strangers who became my best friends. Who gives me challenges that I can't handle so that I learn to rely on him. Who teaches me how to love deeply, live freely, and learn what it means to be fully ALIVE. Who gives me some of the most beautiful memories and friendships. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why I am blessed. And that is what has gotten me through the last four days.




-Emily

Just 25 days.

The time that has passed has been short, but the people I've met and the things I've seen will be engraved on my heart for a life time.

There's not much else to say. I love and miss everyone and home so much. I can't wait to see you.

And I'm coming home changed :)


-Emily

So, I know I didn't really post anything during the weeks upcoming to my trip but...


I'M HERE! As I am typing right now, I am in an internet cafe on a dinosaur computer, checking up on my facebook and trying to get my thoughts together for a post. I guess I will just start from the beginning.

On June 16th, I hopped on a plane and flew out to Atlanta for training camp. Training camp included (but was not limited to), interpretive dancing, smores, surrending to God, discovering our true identities, seeing a black widow spider, learning a drama as an evangelistic tool, 13 other girls and I sharing a big bowl of ice cream, dancing in a thunderstorm, and bonding with my team. On June 20th, we left for America and after about 38 hours of flight we arrived at the Entebbe airport in Uganda. After that was a three hour bus ride in the dark to Bugiri. Now, mind you that we had had minimal sleep over this time, but we were still greeted at 3:30 in the morning with tea and a meal. Finally at around 4:30 we got to crash, not even knowing what the building we were staying in or Bugiri really looked like.

So today is my 6th day in Africa and I'll try my best to sum things up:

-Ministry has been a little rocky at the start, but we are enjoying it. We have visited a hospital in Bugiri twice to pray for people in the wards. I wish I could portray to you the things that I have seen but my words cannot do it justice. Yesterday I saw a woman giving birth on a garbage bag, a baby suffering from diarrhea, and a 4 year old with a large hernia on his stomach. There is so much you would never see in the states (which I expected) but it never truly impacts you until it's living and breathing and staring into your eyes.
-Besides hospital ministry, we have been going to schools and have been doing some street evangelism.
-Cows, chickens, and goats lounging around are a common sight on the street.
-We have drawn a crowd of about 100 children who wait outside our house every morning for us to come out. The kids will follow us everywhere.
- I'm pretty sure I've been called a munzugu about 8782375285783 times.
-One of my teammates, Molly, killed our dinner (chicken) the other night, African style (you grab the neck and swing it around in circles till it's neck breaks)
-I love the girls on my team a little more every day and I couldn't ask for better people to be with. They are hilarious, compassionate, beautiful, and strong.
-I really miss my toilet...
-The African night sky is beautiful!
-I am healthy!
-Every night, we have tea around 7, and then actual dinner around 10.
-I have about 349578380 mosquito bites.
-I like it here. :)

Well... that's about all for now! We should be able to visit the internet cafe about twice a week so expect more hopefully... :) I love you all!


-Emily