ONE WEEK!!!

It is officially one week away until I leave for El Salvador!! Woo Hoo! These past couple of weeks have been absolutely wonderful! A lot has gone on and I am so excited to share with you all! I've been able to read some books (which I never really had time for at school) that I would highly recommend: "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo, "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren, and "Tim Tebow: Through my Eyes" obviously by Tim Tebow. Among the reading, here are some other highlights:

First off, I've had the great opportunity all January to babysit some kids that I have watched for many years! They are so fun and I love being around them! As a bonus I get paid to do it and gain a little experience in what it's like being a mom...doesn't quite seem fair but it's been great while being home. I think it will be a perfect transition as I'll get to spend a lot of time with the kids down in El Salvador as well!

Another highlight was that this past weekend I got to go to an Athletes In Action (AIA) winter retreat. To those who may not know what AIA is, it is a Christian Sports Ministry that aims to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ by using the platform of athletics. I was fortunate enough to go on a track tour the summer of 2009 to Honduras and Guatemala for 2 weeks. AIA is very dear to my heart and it exposed me to the culture down in Latin America and what it means to play your sport for the Lord. So this weekend was really a getaway for student athletes to unwind a bit, meet athletes from different schools, and listen to different speakers talk about how to give glory to God in our sport and live out the Christian life. One of the biggest things I got from this weekend was that we may not know or understand God's Will for our life, but we can be obedient and follow Him. It really fit in perfect with my life at this moment, because I honestly have no clue what God has for me after these 4 months in El Salvador but I know that in this moment I am being obedient and following Him down there.

The last and possibly greatest highlight is about my support raising! God has been gracious enough to raise ALL the support I needed AND MORE!!! The Lord certainly answers prayers because I had written down in my journal a prayer that the Lord would provide above and beyond for me. And He certainly has! So praise the Lord for that and thank you to all the people who supported me financially! It's so humbling to see people believe in me and the mission that God has allowed me to be apart of! I'm SO grateful!!

Have I told you how grateful I am for ya'll and your prayers?!
God Bless,
Lauren

Prayer Request

Hello everyone!
Just wanted to ask ya'll for a specific prayer request that I have concerning my time in El Salvador....and that would be SAFETY! Recently there has been a bit of violence and drug-related issues in the neighboring country of Honduras which can affect El Salvador as well. So I ask that your prayers be specific in that the Lord would resolve conflict within the countries and put a protection around myself and the other missionaries that I will be serving with.

I am full aware of the dangers that may lay ahead and realize that I will need to be very cautious as I am serving in El Salv but I also know that where there is much darkness, God desires to illuminate it. I pray that He may use me to be a light to those needing it. I also know that Romans 8:28 states that God works for my GOOD in ALL things because I have been called by Him and love Him.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! I know God will continue to be faithful in all He does!

Blessings!

Lauren :)

Flights!!!

Well, I have officially booked my flights! I'll be leaving on February 7th and return home on June 5th! I'll have a 2 hour layover in Atlanta, both ways, which I am actually kind of excited for! For those who don't know, I do enjoy people watching from time to time! :) It will also be nice to take some time to read, pray, write, and just think! I know I will enjoy being able to relax and prepare/reflect for the trip!

I really want to thank all those who have been in contact with me and have told me that they will support me, and to those who already have!! I could not be doing what I am without your help! It really means the world to me and I KNOW God will bless your giving hearts!!

Less than 4 weeks away......

And so the journey begins....

I'm so excited and blessed to begin this journey to El Salvador, and I appreciate everyone for taking the time to read this blog! For those who may not know all the details of where, why, how, and other questions regarding my trip, this first post will clear things up a bit!

Towards the end of my third year at Marshall U. my academic adviser said that I would be able to graduate a semester early. As I considered this opportunity I thought about what I could do with that time, and if I even wanted to graduate early. The more I thought and prayed about it, I felt that God was allowing me the choice to take that time and serve Him through a mission trip. The only thing was that I would be cutting my track & field career short, since both indoor and outdoor seasons are in the spring semester. As much as I love the sport and especially my teammates and coaches, I felt that this was the best choice for my life at this point and time. By the end of the summer I fully committed and began my application to serve with "Christ For the City International" (CFCI). 

I will be serving in El Salvador as a short-term missionary for FOUR MONTHS!! I have a huge passion for the Spanish language, culture, and people. I'm only a intermediate speaker but am hoping by the time I'm back in June I will be pretty fluent. As far as I know, I will have my hand in a few different ministries while in San Salvador. First, I will get to put my Biological Science degree to use and help out in a medical clinic. I also have the opportunity to get involved in some sport's and children's ministries while I am there. But I will be keeping you updated once I'm actually down there. :)

Right now I'm just seeking the Lord and asking Him to prepare me for all aspects of this trip. As well as preparing spiritually, I have been raising financial support to make this possible. Please be praying for that, and if you feel God nudging you to help me financially you can contact me and I can give you the details on how to do that!

Check back for more posts.....

God Bless, 

Lauren :)