A Little Trip That Wasn't

Right now as we speak I am sitting in LaGuardia in New York City waiting to board a plane back to charleston.
You see I had this great idea about lunch time yesterday that I would go to NYC for the day and once I found out that there was a direct flight from Charleston my mind was made. I listed myself on the flight. Called my friend and we figured out where we would meet up. This morning everything was going smoothly besides the 25 minute delay in charleston. But when we were about 30 minutes away pilot came on the intercom and announced that we were being grounded in DC due to storms and would be there anywhere from one to two hours. My first reaction was panic and get upset because I only had about 4 and a half hours total in the city before I had to head back home. But after we landed I decided I wasn't going to let this detour make me angry. There is nothing anyone could do about it. Weather is weather it's uncontrollable and unpredictable. So for and hour and forty five minutes we sat in the plane. Now you would expect outrage from other passengers but much to my surprise everyone was so calm and no one ever got upset. All the little babies ran up and down the isles, the flight attendants were amazing and gave us endless amounts of peanuts and pretzels, and all us passengers just mingled about this and that. when the pilots came back on and started the engines there was a round of applause from everyone. By the time we landed in NYC it was 1:30. I wasn't able to go into the city because there just wasn't enough time I would have had about 30 or 40 minutes before I would have had to get back on the bus to leave. So now I wait for another delayed flight to take off fighting back the tears of disappointment.
But I am going to choose joy because that's the only thing I can do and on the bright side I was able to mark off "take a spontaneous unplanned trip" from my bucket list!!

Ephesians 3:20

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,

according to the power at work within us"

Ephesians 3:20

it has been a crazy few weeks over here.

I've finished summer school, parents came to visit, 

started training for the Guardian ad Litem program,

and its the first week of school for me.

So needless to say I've been go go go

But its also been such an amazing and encouraging few weeks!

Most of you know that I am going to school to become a social worker.

Well the Lord has really been confirming this for me.

He has opened doors that only He could have opened 

He has continually given me opportunities to grow and learn in this field.

I've always struggled with wondering if this was the plan the Lord had for me

So these opportunities have really encouraged me that I'm in the right place.

I've also begun to see that Charleston is where the Lord wants me to be.

If you had told me that I would be living here and wanting to stay here after college

a few years ago or even 6 months ago I probably would have laughed.

I've always thought I would graduate and serve abroad.

well its funny how the Lord works in your life and completely reroutes your plans

I've developed a love for the kids of Charleston 

I want nothing more than to see them come to know the love of the Lord

and to know what its like to be in a family that loves and cares for them.

The thing is I've only seen their precious faces in pictures and heard their stories,

but they have already become a part of me.

 Its only through God that this love I have for them could have been written in my heart.

Ephesians 3:20 had been a verse that I've repeated to myself over and over again.

The Lord has been faithful to encourage and provide for me 

in way that I never thought possible and in way I would have never imagined.

So I just want to encourage you to ask God to guide you in all you do.

If you already know where He wants you to serve pray that he will give you 

opportunities to grow and wisdom to carry out the task.

  If you don't know ask Him to reveal his mission for you life and
I promise that he will show you His way!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week

Where Has the Time Gone?

this time last year I was just settling into a whole new world.

I was starting an adventure that changed my life.

looking back it all seems like a beautiful dream

I remember sitting in the library at my school and crying 

because I was so frustrated with anatomy.

It was in that moment that I knew I needed a break from school.

It had always been a dream of mine to study abroad. 

so the next day I went to our study abroad coordinator and found out the details

and by the end of the week I had a destination picked out and an application in!


from the moment that I arrived in Chile I knew that it was going to 
be an experience unlike anything I had ever experienced.

I've traveled all over through out my life but never for this long and never alone.
I was extremely nervous and scared.
I didn't know what to expect from my host family or the culture.
But my nerves were quickly settled as began to meet other students and settle into my new home.
I was given opportunities to travel all over South America
I saw places I never dreamed I would see like
Machu Picchu and the Patagonia.
I am so grateful that God allowed me these opportunities.
My time in Chile changed me.
I made many memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
I made friends who will always hold a special place in my heart
and I meet a group of little ones that impacted my life so much.
It was those weeks of loving on little ones who don't know the love of a family 
that gave me the passion to spend the rest of my life serving 
children who need to be reminded that their loved, cared about and wanted!

        

Childhood Summer Vacations

Hey guys today I have some one super fabulous over for the 20SB blog swap today

hope you enjoy her post and check her out!

Hello friends of Hannah, thank you for having me today. My name is Elle and I blog over at Skylarking. Today I have been invited over here to tell you about a childhood vacation of mine in accordance with the 20SB blog swap.

When I was 12 my family had planned a holiday on the island of Majorca before I was due to start high school. I was very excited, me, my brother, my mum, nan and grandad all packed our bags and off we went to the beautiful sunny island off the Spanish coast. My brother was 13 and this was the first holiday that we were allowed a little more responsibility to play in the pool by ourselves and take a walk to the little store solo.

Excited by this we planned a huge excursion to the end of the road by hired buggy bike. Being typically me, we left late and as we got to the store Michael had to rush back to take the bike back.

Walking out of the store, being the dilly dolly day dream that I am, I turned left instead of right. Yes, I was this dumb. On and on I walked and I could have sworn our hotel was closer. After about 15 minutes I realised I was lost. I was 12, in a foreign country, alone.

I tried to retrace my steps, but couldn't get myself together to figure out where I was. I was starting to panic. All kinds of over dramatic thoughts flooded my brain. I figured I knew my way back to the hotel from the beach, so off to the beach I walked to then in turn find the right path and then I would be on the home straight right?

Well no not right, I had NO idea where I was. I was wearing a bikini and had change from the pocket money my Nana had given me to buy a bag from the store. After about 30 minutes of walking around I started to get overly dramatic again and panicked that I could possibly dehydrate in this heat so bought an ice lolly.

So here I was, on the beach, at 12, in a country where I didn't speak the language, completely on my own for the first time in my life, crying into a little radio active green iced treat.

A light bulb suddenly pinged in my little brain. I toddled off to the bus stop. I saw a bus with the name of my hotel on... yesssssss this was it, I was going home and wouldn't be sold into child slavery!

On the bus I sat, crying, for ages, well in actual fact it was 2 and a half hours.

All in all it was a nightmare journey. I finally found my way back to the hotel FOUR hours later. My poor Mama was out of her MIND! I was lucky to find her just as she was tying to get in touch with the Spanish police. It turns out there was a place 40 miles down the road with the same name as our hotel and that is where I had ended up.

I was the dumbest kid in the world. Seriously, have at these stories.

Thank you for having me over here. It has been fun.

Love Elle xo

Back to School

how can it be mid July already?

it seems like summer has just flown by and its already time to start 

getting ready for back to school shopping.

New crayons, clothes, notebooks, shoes will be bought.

Kids will be excited to start school so they can show off that new backpack.

Well in our community there are children that wont get to go back to school shopping.

They wont have the chance to pick out a new backpack or lunchbox

and this year I want to do something about this.

I want them to have a chance to get new supplies and pick out a backpack

So over the next couple months I am going to be collecting items for the 
kids in Foster Care here in my community.
There is a big need for these kids, especially the older one.
They need everything from clothes to pencils
so below is a list from DSS of the stuff they need


Items that are needed most
Larger Size Backpacks 
college ruled loose leaf paper
(these two items were really stressed 
the high school kids really need these!)


they also need any other school supplies that you could think of
(i.e. crayons, pens, pencils, scissors)


this year the kids are getting uniforms for school
they will need
Red or Blue collared/polo shirts (any size)
Khaki or Navy pants (any size)
 they can come from anywhere
they have them at Walmart and target

or if you don't live near and would like to help anyway 
you can donate through Paypal
I will be able to take that money and get the items that are needed most!!
just click the button below

James 1:27 says
"religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress"
God calls us all to care for these children 
we may not all be capable to adopt or foster 
but as christian we have to care for them
and this is just one small way we can show that we
love them and that we care about them!

my goal is that every child would get something new for school!
so please please please consider donating!!
Thanks

Summer Road Trip 2012

this past weekend my mom and I took off on a road trip!

I was going to visit the University of Maryland school of social work

and we decided to make a fun weekend of it

so here is how things went down

Friday:
fly to Atlanta
fly to Baltimore
Drive to the University of Maryland
meet with Dean of the school of Social Work
browse around Baltimore
drive to Gettysburg
ghost tour of Gettysburg
it was such a rushed day I felt like we were rushing around everywhere
but overall I loved the school and how they run their program
I don't like the price tag :(
on the way to Gettysburg it as raining/hailing so bad we had to pull over for about 20 minutes
we finally made it to Gettysburg after crossing the
Mason Dixon and the PA state line
the town of Gettysburg was much cuter than we expected
we spent all evening there and then went on a little ghost tour

Saturday:

Gettysburg

Lancaster PA

Amish buggie Ride

and a drive towards Philly

day started bright and early we were up and at the park by 8:30

I just loved loved loved being in Gettysburg

it was so cool to stand in the places I spent so much time studying

I seriously could have spent days there but we only had a few hours

so we went to a little show/presentation on the battle and then set out for

Little Big Top

we spent most of our time here

were we listened to a park ranger talk about the 2nd day of the battle

after that we drove around and then headed out

(with a stop for a coke float of course)

next stop was Lancaster PA

home to man Amish families

we drove through historic downtown and then went out to the country to see the Amish

people kept saying you can smell when you close and boy you can it just smells like farm'

once we were there we found a place to stay and then went on a buggie ride

one the rid the people we road with knew of our home town Hiram and the driver

know of my best friends hometown of Clarksville

such a small world

it was so neat to get to ride in the buggie and tour an actual working Amish farm

(we got cookies and lemonade along the way)

after the ride we grabbed dinner at a local restaurant and were about

to head back to our hotel when we were told the whole town was completely closed down

on Sunday's and we figured there was no need to stay there so we asked if we could checked out

and they let us and we made a split decision to head to Philadelphia

so we drove pretty close and got a hotel room

(seriously the nastiest place I have ever stayed in all my travels!!)

Sunday:

Independence Hall

Liberty Bell

Philly Cheese Steak

and Drive back to Maryland

We got up and headed downtown

we got to Independence square

got our tickets to see inside Independence hall

our tickets were for about an hour later

so we walked to where Ben Franklin was berried and saw that

and just got a snack and waited to go in

inside Independence hall was so neat it was kinda surreal to be standing in the place

were so much of our American history was mad

I loved it!!

and seeing the Liberty Bell was just as cool

they had exhibits about our nation and the freedom we have that were pretty interesting

after we saw the bell we went out to get the one thing I was really looking forward to

a Philly Cheese steak!!

and it was as good as I thought it was going to be!!

after we walked down to the water and then meet a sweet little lady that sold t-shirts

once we did everything in Philly we headed back to Baltimore

we drove through New Jersey and Delaware on the way back

I was so sad that the trip was ending but grateful that I was able to go!!

I love that I got to see this hospital
would love to work there one day!

it was so much fun to be able to drive around a part of our country

that is filled with so much history

and to see things I've learned about all these years in school!!

thanks Mom for take me!!!

Just had to throw this one in

I love these chips and I forgot to bring some back with me

but lucky for me I found them at the Bi-lo here in Charleston!!!

my spelling is probably way off on this but my spell check isn't working

Big Things

My birthday Is coming up in about a month and a week or so

and this year I am doing something different
I am going to be asking for you help

In a few weeks I am going to be revealing my birthday wish

but until then will you be in prayer for my wish

Its going to take participation from you

and other you know 

so just pray that it will be successful!!

I would appreciate it so so so much

Thanks friends!

Ni Hao

When I was in the 9th grade I decided to take a drama class

why? I HAVE NO CLUE 

I don't like to act, I can't act 

so signing up for a class where you had to get up in front of a class and act

was a BAD idea!!

But there was good things that came from that class

I meet a friend that became very special to me

Wei was an exchange student for China

and we just happened to sit next to each other in class

I loved to sit and learn about where she was from and about her life 

it didn't take long for us to become best friends

we spend that whole year we with each other 

I helped he with her English and she taught me all about China

the year quickly came to an end and we made a promise to each other that 

we would see each other again 

Wei would come back and I would visit her in China

well last year, after 5 years, our promise came true

we came to study in America and during her winter break she came back to GA

and we were able to spend time with each other

and it was during that time that she asked me to come and stay with 

her family that summer in China 

and the rest was all down hill from there

my parents allowed me to go surprisingly

they got my visa for me for my 21st birthday and a few weeks later 

I was at the airport heading to Beijing

I spent the week with Wei touring around every were you could thing in Beijing

the first day we went to

Tienanmen Square, Temple of Heaven, and Tienanmen Street

Dancers on Tienanman Street

Temple of Heaven

this is a place at the temple of heaven
where its said that the heavens and the earth meet

Tienanmen Street

on the Second day we went to the Forbidden City, 

took a bike tour through the city and ended up at a famous shopping street

and then ate a restaurant where I had the famous Beijing duck and
 the BEST sweet and sour Chicken I've ever tasted in my life

we ended the day at the site of the 2008 Olympics 

Entrance to the Forbidden City
this is where Emperors lived for thousands of years
and it had 3,000 rooms in it!

this is the where the swimming in the Olympics was held

here Wei is showing me how to wrap the Beijing duck to eat
by the way the duck was AMAZING

the third day I was there it was the Dragon Boat Festival

in the morning Wei's parents dropped us off at a HUGE shopping mall

if you've ever been on canal street in NYC then you have an idea what this place was like

I was able to get a china doll, and a lot of other souvenirs

after we shopped for a while we headed back to Wei's house and got ready for a family dinner

we headed to her Grandparents house where we ate the traditional foods for the day

one of her cousins spoke English and I was able to sit and talk with her for a while

it was so neat to be able to spend a holiday in China and see the way the celebrate

the Fourth day we spent the day at the Summer Palace 

this was a summer house built by one of the empresses

it set on a lake and has lots and lots of gardens all around and there

is a temple built up on a hill over looking the entire place

after we left the Palace we headed to another mall and saw the movie

Pirates of the Caribbean I don't know what number

the fifth day was my favorite of all 

we went to the Great Wall of China

when I was younger and saw pictures in history books of this wall

never in a million years did I dream that I would actually get to walk on the wall

it was such a surreal experience

on the way to the wall I got to experience the Beijing traffic

we literally sat with the car off for about tow hours 

people were hanging out on the highway walking around talking to people

I couldn't get over how bad the traffic was

people in America would flip out for sure if they had to drive in that

the whole family at the wall

you really wouldn't believe how steep it was!

the back drop to this almost looks fake to me 

it say The Great Wall of China in Mandarin
at least that's what they told me 

the Last day we were supposed to go to a theme park but

Wei called and they told her all the main roller coasters were closed 

so we decided to go to the zoo and aquarium instead

I was so so so excited about this because I love going to the Zoo

and I felt like since I was in China I needed to see Pandas 

the zoo was really big and had lots of animals

but I felt so sorry for the animals people would throw things

to get them to move 

I was just pitiful their cages were full of bottles 

besides that though the zoo was really good and had lots to see in it!!

the aquarium was pretty new so it was very nice 

they had a dolphin show that was really neat and was like the ones at sea world

it was a fun last day in China!!

My trip to China was something I will remember for the rest of my life

I am so grateful that my friends family so graciously 

allowed me to come and stay with them

they did everything they could for me while I was there

from taking me to dinner to driving us around 

they were the best host I could have ever asked for!!

If you ever have to chance to travel to China GO!! 

it will be a experience you will remember forever

Summer In a Week

this summer is different from past

my friends Katelyn, Holly and I were only home for about 

a week and a half together

so we decided to try and make the best of our summer together

now we are not the coolest people around

we like doing puzzles, reading, and basically just sitting around the pool 

we do do other things but usually we just resort to the above

so our last week looked a little like this:

Monday we decided to go back in time to the 4th grade

and do science experiments!!

this one was the favorite out of the few we did

all it is is milk, with four drops of liquid food coloring 

and then one drop of dish soap and then it does the rest for you!!

we also did mentos and coke

made our own foam

and then tried to make glow in the dark mountian dew

but that didn't work at all!!

also that evening we made cookie cutter cookies 

we decided that we were going to be Celtic fans so we 

made some for the game that night

I thought they were really good 

but the others did this so!

tuesday

was rainy so we started a new puzzle

we worked for about 3 and a half hours on that sucker

it was a 100th anniversary Titanic 

it was really hard!!

 Wednesday 

i spent this day with one of my good friends 

we went to Stevie Bees pizza and just hung out with each other

I never even made it over to Douglasville 

I just stayed and hung out with my mom

thursday:

I went up to the 4-H office in the morning and 

then headed over and 

we hung out at the pool most of the day

reading a book that we love 

called Pretty Little Mistakes

the stories are not the best but its a fun book

you get to decided the fate of the characters 

so we take turns picking the story and reading it!!

Friday 

was a fun day we went to the 

Braves game

with Katelyn's parents

it was so much fun

although i really couldn't tell you what went on at the game

I love going and just being in the crowd and eating

all the yummy food that comes along with

a baseball park trip!!

We were all sad to say goodbye this morning

were all starting summer school in the next couple weeks

but I guess the sooner we start the sooner were finished!!

First ER visit

every Wednesday I volunteer at MUSC children's hospital

I play with the little ones for a couple hours a day

we do crafts and play with toys 

and just have fun!

well last week I had to wear a mask while I was there

after about 30 minutes I started not feeling very well

so I told the little one I had to leave 

and as I was walking out the door I passed out 

I don't know how long that I was down but I woke up and they were 

just staring at me and asked if I was okay 

I got up and shut the door to the patients room and as I was trying to walk

away I passed out again but this time a nurse had walked around the corner and saw me

I don't really remember falling on the ground or anything 

but I remember the nurses asking me If I was okay and not being able to respond

once I realized what was going on I tried to sit back up 

the nurse was helping me and got me to stand up but I just wanted to sit

back down so they one of the other nurses went and got a chair 

and as I was going to sit back down I passed out a third time 

so at this point the nurses called a Med Code (think that is what they called it)

basically a doctor and a nurse with all the machines came to where I was at

they hooked me up a machine that took my blood pressure and heart rate

they asked me a bunch of questions and pricked my finger to check my blood sugar

I kept trying to refuse them taking me there 
one of the nurses told me that If I didn't want all this attention for passing out
I should have passed out at the Burger King cause they would have just let me go

they eventually told me that I had to go to the ER and they were going to take me

on a stretcher but I just refused to go on that so a pediatric wheel chair it was

my legs were way to long for it I had to hold them out in front of me 

I'm sure I looked like a doof riding through the hospital

but I got to the ER and had to sit in the little room for like 30 minutes

just for the doctor to come in listen to my heart and lungs, 

ask me to resist him pushing hands out 

and to tell me I probably just wasn't getting a lot of fresh oxygen 

in the mask I wearing.

I've passed out like one time before but never long times like this time

during this whole thing I couldn't quit laughing at myself

something like this would happen to me 

the rest of the day I felt really weird but I have been fine ever since

The Week HKH Came to Visit

1. Charleston Battery

2. Dinner on Shem Creek favorite Charleston Restaurant

3.Riverdogs game 

4. Army Wives Set

5. Charleston Riverfront Park

two of my very best friends came to visit this past week

we spent the week touring around Charleston,

relaxing on the beach,

 and being our crazy selves

with the three of us you never know what we will get ourselves into

we always our laughing and having the best time

its hard to believe that we have been friends for almost 5 years now!

I love these two girls so much

they have always been there for me and I know I can count on them for anything!!

"A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated , but two

can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided

cord is not easily broken"

Ecclesiastes 4:12