Summer before my senior year of high school I took a trip to Uganda. The summer was amazing, but the true work in my heart started when I returned. 5 months later, God was asking me to start a nonprofit to send thousands of shoes to Africa. He opened all the doors, literally if you want to hear lots of incredible stories, just ask about LovethruShoes. It's all Him. A year and a half later, I was a freshman in college and our first container of 5,000 shoes shipped to Zambia. Summer after my freshman year in college with ten days before I left, God asked my ten day trip to be 4 months. I withdrew from college for the semester, said some hard goodbyes, and flew halfway around the world for the Ultimate adventure with Jesus. Resulting in helping to place shoes on hundreds of people's feet and spending lots of days foot washing. Also meeting some of the most impactful people in my life, including some that I came to love like my own family. 4 months later, I arrived back in the States and the harsh reality I was thousands of miles away from my heart hit hard. Then I got a really incredible, perfect timing job in corporate America being put in an administrative assistant type role. My dream. That was before my heart was stolen by Africa. 4 months later, I found out I had an illness that resulted in lots of things including chronic pain, 2 weeks later I was having surgery and 3 weeks later I was headed back to Zambia to surprise my South African mom for her birthday. 4 months later I sit here writing this.
He’s faithful, He’s faithful, He IS faithful. I keep repeating this in my head over and over lately. I sit here looking back in complete shock of what HE has decided to do these past 4 years through and around me.
Before I share what God has decided is my next step in this crazy journey, I want to first say that this is by far the most difficult decision I have made in my life thus far. Not because I didn’t know it was coming or because I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, but rather because I was stubborn and comfortable and love my family and friends a whole lot. It took a LOT of pillow throwing and teeth pulling to get me to say this “yes.” I don’t like disappointing people. I don’t like letting people down. And I absolutely hate goodbyes.
BUT… there’s this question that seemed to come up daily for the past month that changed my perspective completely. And so all of those things I didn’t like or didn’t want to do seemed so small in retrospect of this question.
My flight leaves January 15th. It's a one way ticket. Not because I will never return to the States, but because Africa will now be my home. If you want to know of ways you can join the journey: there's a small list of actual items I need before I leave, specific prayer requests, roles that need to be filled here in the States, and financially supporting of His story.
I am open to questions, concerns, advice, or anything else you may be thinking of. But I ask before you ask or give advice, you get on your knees first. Trust me, this is hard for me too.
Truth is, I am the most organized, planned out, sticky note lover that is letting it all go because I believe in an incredibly radical Savior that has asked me for some pretty crazy movements because He is the Ultimate Steady in my life.
