touchdown dance!

the lord has blessed me in many areas but writing and communicating my thoughts or ideas is not high on the list. each time i sit in front of a computer and attempt to write of what i saw, i feel like i cant do it. i don't know where to begin and i usually end up in tears because i long to be there. i long to be there because i know that im being used in ways i wouldnt be used in the states; because things are put into perspective; because those precious people bring utter joy into my life just through a simple smile. they have my heart. and for every person who asks how the trip went, i cant help but to tell them i want to be there now more than ever.




one of my favorite days was when we got to play with the kids across our hotel. all we had to do to get their attention and lure them in was throw a frisbee and play with a soccer ball for maybe five minutes. after that, its like they came out of every nook and corner to see these white people. honestly, they probably saw us from a mile away because we all stood out with our sunscreen bodies. one by one, they would come out and play with us. i noticed the simplest things make their days. ie: playing with a foam football, learning how to throw a frisbee, or just laughing at our "mad" soccer skills. i think my favorite moment of that day was teaching them how to celebrate with a proper touchdown dance. who better to teach them than three white girls?



one by one we taught them how to celebrate this huge accomplishment of catching the ball. youre probably wondering how we did this...let me be the first to answer your question. they were practically begging us to teach them how to dougie and how to properly do the stanky leg; so that is exactly what we did.

as we continued to play with these talented kids, i noticed that some of the moms watched us; some would glance while others would stare. i couldnt help but notice that most of them had a look of...i guess thankfulness. i dont know how to describe it. i know im not a mom and there is no way i could understand the love they have for their kids but to see this look of satisfaction on their face was astonishing to me. i feel like they were enjoying their kids be kids; enjoying their kids have fun and run around. im not saying that they dont have fun any other time but as if, for a moment, they didnt have a care in the world and they could just be. in my head, its like they forgot their problems for a little while and enjoyed the simplicity of life.

i couldnt help but to immediately love them as they wrapped their little arms around my waist and looked at me with their big brown eyes. all they needed and wanted was to be loved. some wouldnt play; they would just stand by us holding our hand. as i think about it, i just want to go back and love on them. tell them that they are cherished and adored by their creator. teach them how to walk in the ways of the lord. i want to be there and provide for them so they dont have to worry about providing for their younger siblings; so they can be a kid while they still can. but even in the moments of realizing they are in a poverty stricken place, i know that the lord loves them and that his purpose and plan in bigger than the human mind can convey. for he created them and knows them intimately.

any time i think of africa, these precious kids pop in my mind. they were the first to capture my heart. we got to play in the dirt together and play with a frisbee and football that was covered in some wet substance; i really dont know what it was and i really dont care to know. all i know is that they prepared me for the thousands of other kids we see and love on.

is that your real hair?

June 30, 2011

After months of raising money, praying over this trip, and two days of training camp in Atlanta, the day had finally come to board the plane and leave for Africa...but not before going through security. After making sure all my things were in the bin to go through the x-ray machine, I step through the metal detector and meet my new friend...the security lady. Her job requires her to make sure there is nothing suspicious on a person like a bomb; this includes checking pockets, beards, shoes, etc. In my case it includes checking my hair. I could see it in her eyes that she was jealous of the fro and I couldn't blame her of wanting to check something so beautiful. I thought it was great way to start off a long trip!

Once we made it through security and reached our gate, I received another surprise. Lacy Fairchild, a dear friend of mine from school, comes and gives me a huge hug. I knew we were going to Africa around the same time but I didn't think that we would be on the same flight. Such a sweet moment to see her! I know the Lord used her in big ways and shaped her heart to be the woman he has called her to be and I'm so excited to hear all about her trip! That's your hint Lacy...big hint!

I'm fascinated by the small things in life; ie: the tv on the plane with the huge list of movies, shows, and music to watch and listen to! Maybe the best part of the whole trip...ok, maybe not, but it was awesome. After the excitment died down, I decided to play nice and try to make converstaion with the man who would be new neighbor for the next nine hours. You could tell he was pumped to be sitting by me...who wouldn't be?! Anyways, we started talking and he eventually asked what why I was going to Africa. I proceeded to tell him what all we would be doing and the purpose behind our trip. After kindly listening, he asked me if us going to Africa was safe. You know, I don't have all the answers in life but I am pretty certain about one thing. I know that the Lord calls us to be obedient in going and doing and making his name known...no matter how dangerous or uncomfortable it is. I'm pretty sure my new friend didn't understand where I was coming from but it was a great reminder for me to hear myself tell him that I am called to be obedient despite the circumstances. Funny thing is, I'm still learning to apply this truth on a daily basis.

Last fall, Allyson introduced me to a popular blog called "Kisses for Katie". In a nutshell, it's about a girl who fell in love with Africa and the people there and decided to move there for good. She wanted to make a difference in the lives of the people there and that is exactly what she did and is still doing. Her life is a beautiful display of obedience and compassion and the coolest part is she gets to teach her 13 daughters she adopted that they are loved so much by the creator of the universe. She has a heart for people and heart to serve others and that is exactly what she does; I encourage you to go read her blog and visit her website. I have never met Katie but according to her dad, she seems like a person I would love to be friends with. That's right. I met her dad...on the plane to Uganda. Let me just give a recap of how I met Scott (that's her dad). We're on a first name basis these days.

So I go to get my malaria medicine and I can't reach it in the overhead compartment. When Mr. Scott saw that this kid was struggling, he decided to help. God bless his soul. He noticed that I was doping up and asked if that was my malaria medicine and that eventually led to why I was going to Uganda. I proceeded to tell him about always wanting to go to Africa and how the trip came about and ISF and everything else that goes with it. After I unloaded that on him, I asked him what he was going for and he proceeded to tell me that his daughter, Katie, lives in Jinja with her 13 daughters she adopted. As soon as he said her name and how many daughters she had, I immediately asked him if she had a blog called "Kisses for Katie" and when he said yes, I about flipped out. To make a long story short, we got to talking and I asked him a million questions about how she got started and how they handled it and what he thought about it and everything else I could think of. Such a cool moment talking to him; sad thing I didn't realize I was sitting right across from him the whole nine hours, but the time we did talk was so good! He even called me by name and let me borrow his pen. I know what you're thinking...AMAZING! I thought so too.

We finally arrived in Uganda and as I looked out the window expecting to see something I have never seen before, I did see something I had never seen before...because it was pitch black! Literally, no lights whatsoever; but it was one of the coolest moments for me. The girl sitting beside me was from Uganda and when she noticed me looking out the window, she so sweetly told me that there weren't any lights in her hometown this time of night. To be in a place where I couldn't see anything, not even a light, was an eerie but satisfying feeling. Eerie because I had no clue what to expect but satisfying because I was about to step off the plane with my team and be salt and light to a land covered in darkness.

blessed

I have always wanted to go to Africa for as long as I can remember. My dad went to Zimbabwe when he was younger and I thought it would be awesome to do the same. The opportunity to go never really came up until the spring when my friend KB posted that she was going back through ISF and if anyone was interested to contact her. So out of curiosity I got in touch with her and got some details about the trip. Of course, the information was good enough for me to go that day. I didn't expect I would get to go but I tend to be wrong more than I am right. I had mentioned the idea of going to Africa to my parents long before this popped up but nothing ever came of it and figured nothing would come of this trip either. Once again...wrong!


I'm a big fan of funny phrases and sayings and one of my favorites happens to be: "Put your big girl panties on". I find humor in that at times, but I'm sure that some people don't. When I told my parents about this trip and they were kind of "iffy" about me going, I told them that they just needed to put thier big girl panties on and trust that the Lord will provide. Well the Lord did provide. We were in Dallas at a tournament and in between games they told me that if they didn't let me go to Africa, they wouldn't be trusting the Lord and his provision for me. I tend to show my excitement in different ways; most of the time, I have to convince people that I really am excited because I really don't express it outwardly unless it's something I'm super pumped about. I say that to say that it was hard for my parents to see that I was excited about going but I was pumped about it!

I think it's odd at how often I am surprised when the Lord comes through and provides. I really don't understand why I'm stunned when he remains faithful and lives up to what he has promised. I mean, he is one who has always fulfilled his promises and provides just at the right time; and praise his name that he did so in style for this occassion. The total cost of my trip was initially close to the $3000 mark but due to gas prices and what not, the price jumped to the $3600 area. Well, raising money started a little slow but picked up in a hurry thanks to my good looks and all...actually thanks to a creative and supportive Allyson Collins and people who love to give. Shirts are always a big hit for any fundraiser and with the help of my best friend's brother in law's creativeness and LOTS of shirts later I had reached my mark. Just when I thought I was done raising money, I continued to get large amounts of donations from different people. It was clear that these people were sacrificing financially in order to support me and the Lord used their obedient hearts to humble me in new ways.

I have been blessed to have so many people in my life that have supported me and who continue to support me. Some of these people are obligated because they are family and there are those who do so out of the goodness of their heart; my teammates fall in a very special category. They knew I was going to Africa from the moment I found out and supported me every step of the way. On senior day, they got each of the seniors gifts and when I saw what they put in my locker I was floored. I found a huge water jug filled with money. Now knowing them, they probably forced other people to give all their change and claimed it as their own. HA! I kid, I kid. They gave the change they had to support me and it was so humbling. The way they loved me and supported me from start to finish leaves me speechless.

The Lord has used this trip to open my eyes in so many ways. From the start, he has had his hand on it and has used the smallest moments and the biggest moments to open my blind eyes and my deaf ears to how big he really is. I just hope that my stories from this trip bring the glory he deserves.