On my way!!!!

So, I just confirmed my tickets for Bosnia! Sept. 3-Dec 7 are my official dates! A good, cheap price, I feel quite lucky.

I have been so encouraged this week by my beautiful friends and family. In the same day, I received 2 precious gifts that reminded me of God's great love for me. I received some very generous gifts for financial support for Bosnia. THEN, my mom gave me a box full of encouraging letters and prayers written for me at my baby shower! I cried as I was reading these beautiful letters and felt so incredibly blessed, more than I can express.

I don't deserve to have such incredible people around me, but I get to accept that amazing gift anyway!

Sometimes, I feel like my life is too "struggle-free." I haven't had to deal with a lot of hardship in my 24 years. My life has been very beautiful and stable. My parents are amazing and have set the bar extremely high as to what a God-centered marriage and family should look like. I wonder sometimes if something devastating is around the corner for me, because I haven't experienced suffering and the maturity that comes with that.

However, lately I have realized that because I have such a "healthy" life, I am able to be there, fully present, for those who do have struggles because I'm not bogged down with a lot of my own "stuff."

My prayer is that God would continue to increase this capacity in me, so that I can bless others and support them in their process.

New Season!

I am going to Bosnia!!!! I am so excited! I know that God is going to do incredible things in my heart in this next season of life.

What an incredible opportunity for me to serve the Tinlin's (a family that works in Sarajevo with 7 kids) and experience Bosnian culture! I have never been away from home for so long (3 months) ....but I think it will be really good for me.

I am really going to miss my nannying job, my Emma and Ella. They are so precious to me and it will be very difficult not to see them for such a long time. They are sweet and beautiful and bring me so much joy. I have been so blessed to get to be part of their lives this past year :)

I am kinda scared to leave everyone I love in Phoenix for so long...my family, my amazing friends. But I really need to stretch myself....get out of my safe, little comfort zone.

I'm especially going to miss my little brother. He will be leaving for Army boot camp while I am in Bosnia. But I will be able to see him for a short time, when he returns in Feb for a week or so. Then he's off again for his EOD job training for 10 months in Alabama. I'm so scared for him, but I know that he needs a change in his life and this is how he wants to do it. I have to support him no matter what and that's what I'm gonna do. I love you so much Lee! I have been reading 2 different books in preparation for my trip. It's so interesting to read about Sarajevo and know that I will be living there. So much history and devastation....but also so much promise. I can already tell just by the little bit that I know that God is doing incredible things there!