How did I get here?

   I'm not really sure where to begin with this post. I got accepted to do a DTS with YWAM two days ago. That was the last confirmation I needed that this is definitely something God wants me to do.

   So, how'd I get here? Well... To be perfectly honest, going onto the mission field was never in my thoughts. I admired other people who went, but I myself had no desire to go on a mission trip or the mission field.

   Our youth pastor, Wade, announced in January 2014 that there would be a mission trip to Ecuador at some point during the summer. I knew as soon as he mentioned it that I was supposed to go. I got my parent's okay, and got accepted to be apart of the Ecuador Mission Team 2014.

   The Ecuador trip was very eye-opening and life-changing. We did many things while we were in Ecuador, but I think of the biggest things for a lot of us was our time in the jungle.

Part of the Ecuador Team with some of the kids from the jungle.

   While we were in jungle, we were there to serve. We were going to put on a children's outreach and also help build a church that they are trying to start. The kids in the jungle didn't care who you were, what you looked like, or why you were there.... They just flocked to us and wanted us to love on them.

   Seeing kids who were so happy with so little was definitely one thing that hit me. In the USA, kids aren't really content with anything anymore. We always want more... But we don't NEED more. These kids didn't really own anything, but they were still the happiest kids I have ever seen. Their eyes danced with excitement and love. It was amazing to see.

   While we were in the jungle playing with the kids and loving on them, I just felt God whisper, "You aren't going on the path you think you are. This. This is what I want you do. I want you to live a life of missions for my sake."

   I'd have to admit was stubborn. I had my whole life planned out and now God was just suddenly telling me that my life wasn't the way he wanted it to be? I wanted to get a degree in child-development. Start my own daycare. Get married and have kids. Then God tells me that that isn't what he wanted me to do? Yep.

   Well, I started praying that if this was really God telling me this that he would take away my dream and put the dream to live a life of missions there instead. Wanna know something? He did. Within the course of a few days, I realized that I no longer had the desire to get a degree in child-development. Instead, I wanted to go on the mission field and was EXCITED about it!

   After returning from Ecuador, I began to pray about what the next step was if it wasn't college. A lot of people suggested getting some required college classes out of the way. Then, someone reminded me about YWAM (Youth With A Mission). I began to look into it and pray about it. Finally, I decided to apply to do a DTS (Discipleship Training School). I was keeping an open mind about it and decided that if I got turned down, that God was just saying, "No, this one isn't for you. I have something better."

   But, I got accepted!

  So that's how I began this journey... I can't wait to see where God takes me!