One year ago I was in Africa

One year ago, we had just landed in Nairobi, Kenya feeling excited, nervous, and in awe that we were actually there. So much has happened since then. I remember leaving Africa a different person and its stuck with me this whole year. I STILL to this day don't take toilets for granted. But more importantly, I am a lot more conscientious of the world surrounding me.


So here is a journal entry from when I stayed in Doro, Sudan. Note: it is a liiitttle bit dramatic but that just adds flavoring.

"The sun burns hotter. The days longer. As a day goes by it feels like a week. Its hard to believe that we have only spent two days here. I am still sick but was able to go into the village for the first time. I wasn't able to try the 'boon' (coffee) because of my stomach. The villagers just stare as I walk by. They rarely, if at all, see a white skinned, blond haired, blue eyed, person.


The village consists of huts, pigs, goats, dust, and that's pretty much it. There was this baby named Dr. Rob who was sleeping on a blanket surrounded by pigs. Everyone is so poor and dirty here. I look at the church and hospital that have dozens of bullet holes from years of war and I see the black fields that were burned by vicious soldiers and this is as close to hell as I have ever seen. It tears my heart to see girls my age who don't have families. Who have to worry about survival. Then I think about how stupidly selfish I am ALL the time. I have gone through nothing compared to these people. I am so glad I am having this experience because it shows me that many people are hurting out there. And it motivates me to do something about it. I want to spend my life helping and reaching out to these people. Living among them, teaching them, showing them Christ's love."


I want to go back to Africa more than anything. But in the meantime God is giving me opportunities to share my faith right where I'm at. I cannot wait to see how the Lord is gonna use me this upcoming year. Even though I'm still in high school the possibilities are endless. All I can say is BRING IT ON!

The huts we stayed in



                   The bucket shower                    



I was petrified to take a shower in this thing especially when I saw a rat scurry across the ground. But by the end of the week I lived for this shower because it meant three minutes of relief from the 110 degree weather and the ONLY time I got to myself...literally. It was a lot of work to actually take a shower as well!