Much-Needed Updates!

So I have been horrible about regularly updating this blog, but I have decided to make it my priority to keep it updated every week, mostly because the Lord is doing some pretty amazing things that I want to share and I know He will continue to do so!

Update on fundraising for Australia-

Money raised to date is just over $1,000. Sooo basically I am about a fourth of the way there. I know that June is going to be here before I know it and I still have quite a ways to go, but I know that the Lord is faithful and He will provide, but that is not to say that it's not gunna take some work on my part!

• So the first fundraiser which has been going on the past few weeks has actually been very sucessful. I have been handing out cans of mini M&Ms and you get to eat the candy and then return it full of quarters. When flled, it makes $12! This is such a fun idea because a lot of the families at my church have kids and it has been such a blessing to see the younger kids get to play a part in going around the house and finding the quarters to fill up my jars and also to know that they will praying for me through this mission trip. So far I gave out 24 cans, a full box, but just today I went to Sams and bought another 48cans sincee this seems like a really simple and significant way for just about anyone to get involved in supporting my trip. I plan to start networking and trying to get these M&M cans out to some new groups of people and just continue to trust the Lord to get them all returned. Much thanks to Ashley King for the idea and for heping me to start getting them out :)
• My next funraiser is still in the works, but the plan is to create a cookbook with about 150 recipes which I will then put together online and order about 200 of the books to sell for somewhere around $10-12 each. I am really excited about this idea (also thanks to Ashley King) because anyone can be involved and contribute recipes and I know that it is also purposeful and hopefully people can enjoy them for a long time to come! I am hoping to get a lot of great family recipes from women at church, family, and friends! If you have any recipes you're willing to share, I would LOVE to include them! I will keep you all updating on this fundraiser as soon as I know more about when the books will be completed but please feel free to contribute some recipes any time!
• The other fundraiser in the works is going to be a Chick-fil-a day where 30% of the money spent from anyone who has a coupon for my mission trip will go directly to my trip from Chick-fil-a in Chesterfield Valley. More details on this to come soon. I am working on choosing a day for this event.

Aside from preprations for Australia, the Lord has been doing some incredible things in my life. I am learning so much about what it means to allow Him to fight for me the past month or so. Exodus 14:14 says "You need only to be still; the Lord will fight for you." And let me tell you He really does! More to come on this later.

I have been busy training for the St. Louis Half Marathon in April with Ashley and Holly. We are running between 20 and 30 miles a week. Today, we did 9 miles which has been our longest run to date! It feels so good to be done with that one! Just a few more weeks of training which is crazy. The Lord is teaching me so much about perseverance and discipline, two words that are not particularly enjoyable at the time, but are soooo worth it afterwards. When I stated this whole thing, I could barely make it through two miles without feeling like I was gunna die! Then I got up to four comfortably, but walked several times throughout it. Now I can easily run five or more without walking. My pace has gone from about 13min/miles to about 11min/miles. Mostly, I just feel so much healthier and am learning about balance in all areas of my life. The Lord has used training for this marathon to teach me quite about my spiritual walk with Him as well. I also get to have some of the best times of worship and conversation with Him during all of these hours of running which has been such a blessing as well!

Last week, I got to take a little vacation for five days to the BEAUTIFUL mountains of Virginia to visist my sweet friend Lesley as well as look at Radford University. Lesley goes to VA Tech and I got to stay with her in her dorm and really got to experience "college life" for the first time since I dont really get that experience as a commuter student at MOBap. It was SOOO wonderful to spend time with Les and meet some of her friends at school and just experience life outside of my Wildwood, MO bubble. I was also there to look at Radford University which caught my attention because of the really great nursing program they have there. The Lord really provided everything for me to go on this trip includng not missing much class, getting the time off work, as well as cheap plane tickets and so I knew that He had a reason for me getting to go out there and really this trip changed me in so many ways that I never culd have imagined. I definately am seriously considerig and praying about possibly transfering out to Radford for nursing school this upcoming fall. The Lord has a lot of details to work out to make that happen, but I know if that is where He wants me, He will make it happen. More then anything I am so thankful for this trip because it gave me a whole lot of prespective about leaving STL and just getting to be a college student which is sooo exciting and I also returned home with a boldness and confidence in the Lord that I have never expereinced before. I'm sooo thankful for my precious friend Lesley for all the sacrafices she made for me to come up there and just for having realness and beautiful conversations and time together. I am excited for her to come home in a couple weeks for break :) We got to memorize a verse together about how our journey with the Lord is such a process...sooo applicable to all of our lives, really, no matter what season we are in. I love that He is constantly challenging us, teaching us, refining us, etc.

But I will not drive them out in a single year, for the land will become desolate and the wild animals far too numerour for you. Little by little, I will drive them out before you until you have increased enough to take possession of the land!

Exodus 23:29-30

These are some of the firsts for me on this trip as well:

• first time on a plane (since I was 3)
• first time flying alone!
• first time seeing real mountains!!!
• first time "living" in a college dorm
• first time seeing so much snow!
• first time in a small-town diner where everyone knows everyone (loooovvvee granny!)
• Cascades waterfall we hiked in 2 feet of snow 4 miles to see!
  first time hiking 4miles into a mountain
• first time on a farm with cows, goat, horse, chickens
• first time seeing a waterfall
• first time looking at a college outside of Missouri
• first time showering in a community bathroom
• first time had a peace about living somewhere besides STL

Beautiful mountains driving down the highway...took my breathe away every time. The Lord just put those there just to bring glowy to Himself!

RADFORD!

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

Isaiah 53:7