There is a freedom that rings the air when you look around and know that you have finished another year of school. Another year of accomplishments :). But now that I am finished I guess I wanted you all to know me, not just the general types of me.

To start with, I became a Christian when I was in 7th grade when my brother invited me to a gross night event at the church being in Middle School, I loved doing anything that involved people because it gave you that sense of belonging. The Gross Night was amazing, the people there were nice and the events were fun. I had a blast and enjoyed being with people, at the end of the night a man named Pastor Paul stood up and gave the gospel and he did talk about what was really gross, Hell. The way he described it it terrified me, I heard the word said here and there with my family and occasionally and a 12 year old would slip from my mouth as well. But when I heard the gospel that was the night that I said " God I know I am a sinner, and only your Son can save me. I believe this, please save me."

It was different for me the next couple of weeks because I was still new to what was going on and I had so many questions. But unfortunetly softball began and my dad was all about softball being number one priority, and I did love softball because I did not understand what was it meant to be in a relationship with God. After a couple months I kept feeling the Lord was tugging on my heart to go to church. But I felt scared. I was terrified because I had bad acne and I thought these people would make fun of me. I know it sad, but to a 12 year old girl it meant the world. But I went back to church and I was drawn to it. Like every message was speaking to me and giving me wisdom that I needed that week.I was amazed at what was happening and something was calling me to go deeper. Now in 8th grade the church I was attending was doing something called the "40 days fast". I did not understand what it was all about so I asked the youth Pastor Paul who listened to my questions and help get more of an understanding of what was going on with the 40 day fast. Also in the process basically I asked him all these other questions I had on Christianity and he answered me with a gentle heart not an annoyed heart. That night something changed.

It was crazy of what I began to learn on my own in the word of God. I was actually reading the bible on my own and started to know where the books were without looking at the glossary everytime. I was amazed at what was going, people saw changes in me and I saw changes in myself. I started to listen to Christian music and I felt all I could go was up. But I was not the perfect Christian. I know being a new Christian my biggest struggle was swearing. Some people don't see it as a problem, but God laid it on my heart that it is not right. So I trusted his judgement. It took a long while to get rid of that habit and I can proudly say that it is no longer second nature :).

I grew in the Lord and I was a great student. I was a three sport athlete in high school. I was the girl most involved with extra curricular activities and loved it. In high school I still grew by knowing the Lord through His word and by attending church every Wednesday and Sunday, and any other day that it was offered. I remember the biggest struggles I faced in high school was

1) Being a Pharisee and looking down on people with my faith. I remember my good friend Anita had to talk me out and remind me of what my relationship with God should look like. She was right, I remember not being liked by some of the people in the youth group because I was always right. It took awhile to break that, but our God is a good God and He helped me to love my brothers and sisters in Christ.

2) It was tough and some days still can be tough, but another trial I faced was self image. 1 in 3 girls will have an eating disorder and I can be added to the statistic. I struggled like more girls with self image and some days can be easier than others, but I remember more than a couple times people in the church help me fight this battle and over come it because I am a daughter of a king. I, yes I, am created in the makers image. I am beautiful no matter what the media tells me or people around me, I am made beautifully by my God.

Those were the two main rough patches that impacted my life the most through my spiritual journey and I will say again OUR GOD IS GOOD AND OUR GOD CAN CHANGE.

College was the next big step. Attending Trinity International UNiversity I had so much excitement going to a Christian School. Yes it is a lot of money, but I have been blessed so much by what I have seen and the people I met. Being at Trinity it encouraged me to do more and be more, that is why as a junior I wanted something different in my life this summer. At my house I am usually the cinderella cleaning the house and serving my parents around work as much as I can. But God kept saying don't waste your life!!!!I won't and I will not. I want God to tell me "well done good and faithful servant." I give my best in my softball and my schooling, why not in my relationship with the Lord??? The biggest thing in college I learned was that God can change your passions. In my high school phase since I was in 9th grade I told everyone I was going to be a missionary to Uganda, a medical missionary. I thought it was God's plan for me, but when in college I felt miserable and sad in the biology classes and the chemistry class. It was also then when I did research about pre-marital sex for my english paper I had the thought " I wish I could help with that...." So many months later God called me to be a Physical Education and Health teacher so I can help those girls who get lost in the idea of who they are or what self image they portray. My passion is to let girls know that their value is in a great God and not in how they please their boyfriend. Talking about this gets me to excited about graduating cause I know God has great plans and I look forward to seeing them.

God is a great and I am so looking forward to see what God has planned for us on this trip. This is so crazy, but again GOD IS GOOD :)