I will go, Lord, send me...

Over the last two years, my walk with the Lord has changed dramatically. There's been ups and downs and plenty of speed bumps. But thankful isn't a big enough word to express how I'm feeling about all of this.

In September of 2008, God called me into a prison to take a class alongside inmates. That class changed my life in a huge way. It led me from wanting to be a teacher to wanting to help rehabilitate prisoners. It's a dream that I am now in school for. I volunteered in a prison. I volunteered in a youth correctional facility. I fell more and more in love with the work that I did with each visitor pass I put on and with each safety door that slammed behind me.

This weekend, I was presented with the opportunity to become a part of a ministry at Rosemont, a treatment facility for troubled teen girls. I'm not sure what to expect, but I go on Sunday for a "trial run." I'm so thrilled that I may get to be a part of this and I truly hope that God will continue to work through my life to be a witness to these young girls.

Since I was a little girl, I've dreamed of going on a mission trip. My long time childhood friend Jordan and I used to hold garage and bake sales to raise money for a missions trip to Mexico. In the fall of 2009, I wanted to be able to go on a six-week mission trip to Uganda. That didn't work out either. At the time, I was heartbroken. But I now see that God had better plans for me. He gave me a chance to reconnect with an incredible man, who I have now been together with for almost a year now. I was also interviewed an accepted into a graduate school program. He was also preparing my heart for something else.

My new Church home in Portland, Beaverton Foursquare, is sending missions teams to Haiti for a year. When I first heard about it, I prayed a great deal, asking the Lord to guide me in the way He wants me to go...and He's told me that I need to go. So, I contacted the woman in charge. Unless something comes up, I'm going to be headed to Haiti in March. I'm not sure there are words to express my joy. My parents and boyfriend are extremely supportive and are going to do all they can to make sure I have the money to go. I'll be working in an orphanage...how amazing is that going to be?

I love the way God works. He prepared my heart for so many things I didn't think I could ever be prepared for.

"I will go, Lord, send me. To the world, to the lost, to the poor and hungry. Take everything I am, I'm clay within your hands. I will go..."

Prayers are greatly appreciated for this new spiritual work I'm about to journey down. I'm so looking forward to serving the Lord.