grandparents.

my mom’s parents are here. i am really excited to be able to spend time with them. they are an amazing couple that has been married 58 years. i realized in the past week or so that i really don’t know very much about them, and that made very sad almost sick. there is so much to learn from them. my grandpa turns 80 this year. him and Johnnie Belle (: [who I'm named after] have been around the world; i have so much to learn.

tonight my sister, papa, and i went to the snowball place on the “corner” [as my grandpa would say], and we got flavored ice. my grandpa said he remembered being in Jamaica as boy eating these. they only had about three flavors, which is completely different from the 100 or so flavors to choose from now. he got guava, his favorite childhood fruit. oh, and earlier in the day, my grandpa asked if he could take my car out for a minute, and the next time i got in my car, i had a full tank of gas. that was a blessing, especially since my gas light came on as i was rolling into the driveway.

i think i am going to document the stories and things i learn about them on here. it will be more for me, so i won’t forget these things, but i am sure there will be a good story or two.

love.

flooded?

so there has been a lot going on.

today though, it has rained. it started raining sunday morning, and it seems as if it hasn’t stopped.

right now the rain is silenced, but the forecasts calls for more rain. there are people being affected all over atlanta. i am thankful for where i am now, but i am hurting for those people whose houses, apartments, trailers have been flooded. i can’t imagine being homeless in a time like this. i just want to take some time to really pray for all of these displaced people. Lord, i know that your work will be done through this tragedy. i hope we can shine your light and be the salt to these people hurting, moving, and loosing.

love.

i’m home!

i’ve been home for two days now. it’s weird being home, but it is weird in a good way. i was immediately welcomed back into the states with community. my closest friends, my family, and joseph all came to the airport and ate dinner at my house, so we could all catch up and share stories. although i am suffering from jet lag, i am pretty excited about life right now. i am still processing everything that happened on the trip, and as i do, i will continue to update you all.

i loved traveling and being with my team. i also loved being at english camp! it was a community of believers and nonbelievers, all finding a common ground, a place to feel welcomed, a place to learn, and a place to feel loved. it was so comforting and so fun. community is one of the things i really loved about college and living in the dorms, so it was such a good feeling to have that community again. in estonia, there was always someone to laugh with, always someone to talk with, and always someone to dance with!

one of the hardest things for me is missing the girls i built relationships with. i wish i could call up sandra, iris, rael, anna maria, regina, krete, birgit, katrin, carolina, cornelia, and all the others and go get coffee and talk. they are friends that live so far away. friends that i haven’t stopped thinking about. i am so thankful to have met all the girls. they have all impacted me, and as silly as it sounds, a part of my heart is with them in estonia.

i feel different, and i know i am changed for the better. i have learned so much. i have really learned how to open up to people and skip all the small talk. that was vital to building relationships in such a short period of time. it required being vulnerable and stepping out. i, by no means, did it all perfectly, but it is something i improved in and look forward to growing in. i look back and i see things that i could have said or done differently, but i try and not dwell on those thoughts; i want to learn from them.

i want to thank you all for your prayers and for your donations! you all impacted the lives of the youth in Estonia, and that is so exciting!

here are some pictures:

at baltic sea beach with US team and some of the estonian leaders

with sweet girls

my small group in an english environment

sweeeeet new friends.

all of the girls with their flowers!

at the ATL airport.

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love.

I am sitting here in Tallin, Estonia with :
Sam Cold, Meredith DeAnda, Carolina, Cornelia, Trinu, and Judith for the last night. These girls are amazing, all in different ways. There love for God is so evident, and I am so thankful to have met these girls. I have so many thoughts and stories to share with you all. I will come back to the states as a changed person. Changed for the good. Thank you all for the prayers. We arrive back in the states Monday at like 630. We leave the place we are now in less than 5 hours. So crazy!

Love.