the future starts today.

The journey up to today has been a roller coaster. The events that have happened dealing with the trip to Uganda have tested our faith, endurance, and patience. My journey started in October when Sunnee told me her boyfriend was leading a mission trip to Uganda. I felt a pull on my heart at that moment to commit. Without consulting my parents or having any idea how I would pay for this trip, I made a commitment to follow God and go where I felt called. I was so afraid of not raising enough money, but I sent out letters of support anyway. Within the first few months of receiving letters I had an abundance of money. I knew this happen only because I had trust in God and prayed for support everyday.

The Renaissance Festival is a horrible memory that none of us want to re-live. As a fundraiser we were "parking attendants" at the Tampa Bay Ren Fest. Every Saturday and Sunday from 8am-6pm. The first weekend was freezing, it was one of the most torturous days I have ever been through. When it started to warm up we began to get sunburned, and worn out. Running around 2 huge fields for up to 11 hours a day on your weekends for seven weeks... it can really be exhausting. But we got through it, as tough as it was, it was very rewarding and made us grow together and be united as a team.

Our trip planning hasn't been an easy the Ren Fest didn't pay us our money, which that money was a large part of our funds. And four days out, last Wednesday in fact, we find out one of our flights is canceled. Our spirits dropped, and personally I was very discouraged and frustrated with God. I knew we had been called to serve in Uganda, why was this happening? After lots of prayer we got another flight and we are now leaving tomorrow, Monday, May 31. A quote that gave me peace about this whole trip is from Mark Batterson:

God wants you to get where God wants you to go more than you want to get where God wants you to go.

How awesome is that quote? When I read this quote my eyes were opened to the reality that God wants us to do what he has called more than we could ever fathom. The passion we have for his call is given to us by God and his passion for the thing he calls us to is far more than we could ever imagine.

I am so excited to leave tomorrow. I will be updating this when I get home and will be posting a journal entry for everyday I was in Uganda. I am ready to be changed, my eyes to be opened and my heart to transformed into something I never could have imagined. Please be praying for our team. We are leaving tomorrow around 4pm. Thank you for all the support and love. God Bless.

In Him,
E