China

In less than 48 hours, I will be boarding a plane and headed to China!! I can’t believe it is finally here.  I am going through Joni and Friends’ ministry called Cause 4 Life Global Missions and Internships. “Cause 4 Life internships equip interns by educating on the biblical view of disability; training for church, community, and global outreach; mentoring interns in Christian leadership and ministry; and empowering interns to move forward in their life’s calling.” (taken from their webpage). As soon as I read the description, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of!  My team will be traveling to Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village, a special needs orphanage where we will get to love on His precious little ones and train the caregivers in therapy and education. Bah, I wish I could convey how beyond excited I am for this!

            My team consists of 6 females, ranging in all ages, from all over the country, united with a heart to serve the least of these.  We will be there for two weeks, doing evaluations, trainings, and of course playing with and loving on the kiddos!

            How can you help be a part of my journey? PRAY!!!

            Pray specifically for:

·      Protection, Health, & Safety- during travel to and from, and throughout the trip

·      Unity- for our team of strangers to unite for the common cause

·      Love- that the people we serve and encounter would feel God’s love through us

·      Communication- that clear communication would be conveyed through the use of translators

·      Flexibility- that each of us would be open to any changes that may occur along the way

·      Wisdom- as we do evaluations and give recommendations to the staff

           

Welcome

Welcome!

This blog has been a long time coming and a dream of mine for some time now.  Those who know me are aware of my passion for children with disabilities but let me back up and explain how this all began. 

From an early age, my mom has told me that I took an interest in caring for and befriending those different than myself.  When I heard about a Christian camp for families who have a member with a disability, I jumped at the opportunity to go.  It was that one week, the summer I was 14, which ignited a spark of interest and turned it into a burning passion.  Joni and Friends Family Retreats (it will get its own post soon), taught me compassion, unconditional love, and has captured my heart for the past 8 summers.  After my first year of JAF (Joni and Friends) camp, I began to volunteer in Bent Tree’s Lifeguard Program (my church’s special needs ministry).  With this passion growing ever stronger, I felt the Lord calling me to a career in the field of disabilities.  Texas A&M allowed me the incredible opportunity to study special education, grow deeper in my relationship with the Lord, develop leadership skills, and make the greatest friends in the world.  Organizations like Project Sunshine, weekend retreats through Camp LIFE, and student teaching in an elementary life skills class, all contributed to my experience in the field while in college. 

            Above all, my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is the most important thing in my life.  I have always desired to share His love specifically to those with disabilities.  Over the past two years, the Lord began to lay international disability ministry on my heart.  I have dreamed of adopting from Asia since I was a young girl and my Compassion child, Sujata, is from India, both of which pointed me to the East.  Through missions’ conferences and research, it became clear how desperate the need is.  While the U.S. has come so far in integrating and accepting people with disabilities into society, most other countries still view disability as a curse and consider them to be outcasts.  I began pursuing opportunities to combine my heart for special needs and the East in order to be His hands and feet.  

            This summer is about to begin a crazy adventure as I voyage into this new phase of life.  Keep checking back to see where the Lord is taking me and how you can be praying!

Up Next: China in 2 days!