The past few years of my life have been like a roller coaster, as I'm sure many can relate. In 2011 I arrived at Southern Adventist University as a timid and insecure freshman. I was anything but certain about my future, or anything for that matter. Many dreams and goals had passed through my mind, one of them being mission work. Being a missionary was something I had wished to do for as long as I can remember. Of course, my desire to be a missionary depended on what my life was like at the time. If I felt close to God, all I could think about was traveling the world and telling others about this amazing God that I knew and loved. If I was struggling with God, however, mission work was the last thing I wanted to think about doing. The first Student Missions vespers that I attended resowed the seed of desire for mission work. From then on, I could not get the thought out of my head.
During my sophomore year I finally decided to apply to be a missionary. I felt like God was opening so many doors for me. Then came the time to apply for a passport. I had applied once before and was denied because I didn't have sufficient documentation. Because I had been born at home and hadn't received an official birth certificate, obtaining official documents was difficult. Needless to say, I was denied a passport once again and I was not able to go into the mission field that year. I was, however, accepted to New Zealand for the following year. Days turned into months and, before I knew it, I had to begin preparing to leave. I had finally received an official birth certificate so I had no doubt that I could obtain a passport without a problem. I was wrong. Because the certificate was issued so long after I was born, they were asking for more documentation. Planning is something that I usually like to do. Waiting until the last minute to figure out if I'm doing something is not my idea of relaxation. I also don't like to make commitments unless I know for sure that I can go through with them. For this reason, I was worried that I would commit to this position, my passport wouldn't come in time, and I would disappoint and inconvenience everyone involved. The school year was coming to a close and my passport still had not arrived. I decided to give up the position and allow the people in New Zealand to have enough time to find someone else.
I thought my chances of being a missionary were gone. My time left at Southern was short and there would be limited opportunities once I started working full time. In January of 2015 I started talking to a friend of mine who was planning on going to Palau. Once again, the mission desire was reignited in my heart and this time I knew exactly where I was going; Palau. I had already taken the missions class and I was in the system, so all I needed to do was update my application and my location of interest. After what seemed like an eternity, I was accepted to teach freshman and sophomore english at the Adventist High School in Palau.
This summer has been full of fundraising and preparation for my island journey and this blog is part of that. I will be writing about my experiences, both challenging and uplifting. Some of you may be curious about the name of my blog, "10 Months of Footprints in The Sand." I chose this title because I know that there will be times when I feel alone, like God has left me somewhere along the way. But, in reality, I'm confident that He will be carrying me every step of the way. This experience isn't just going to be an island journey. It will be an island journey with God and I am excited to see what He has in store for me. As we prepare for takeoff, I ask that you will keep my fellow missionaries and I in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you! :)
