Walk a Mile in Those Shoes!

Today was a day to remember. This morning me and Christine (my roommate) and Sada (her and her husband are missionaries here and they live next to us) went to the market to buy material to make some dresses and skirts. we have a big service to go to next sunday and will need an african dress to wear to it. it was fun going to the market cuz i remember krio so i could bargan and such. it was fun. um..then we rested this afternoon then around 5 we went to the War Widow's camp. the War Widows are women who lost their husbands during the war. there are 85 of them. we went to the camp and gathered all the children to fit them for shoes that a church sent. it was pretty orderly while the children were there but we started to fit the women for shoes it got pretty caotic because they kept saying..."i want that one! i don't like this one!" but ya know...w just did our best to fit them with what we had and they were thankful. we had fun. it was so hot though. tough thing about living here..it is sooo hot! overall, today was a good day. we are going to the beach tomorrow. gonna be a relaxing day. we have a team coming in on tuesday so work begins tuesday! well. thanks for reading and please continue the prayers!

P.S. Dangerously Surrendered. Have you?

The Journey Has Begun...

Hello... So the Journey has begun. The flights from Nashville to Chicago, to Brussels, to Dakar, to Sierra Leone was...long. very long. took a while to go to sleep last night. still on USA time. hopefully that will go by fast. although its 11:15 pm here now and im still wide awake even after waking up at 6 this morning. i had a hard night last night. i was really homesick. missing friends and family. even missing the smell of good ol America. woke up this mornin and me and my roommate Christine and this girl that lives here with her husband went to town and she showed me and Christine places to shop for groceries. we ate at this nice place which had air conditioning. yeah we have no air conditioning. we have electricity from 7pm to 7am. so we do have a fan at night which is good cuz it is soooo hot here. today was ridiculously hot. so humid. i haven't stopped sweating all day. dont' remember it being this hot. but guess thats AFRICA! funny thing about our toilet: we just got running water so we have to be conservitive and we can't flush our toilet paper. so where does it go? the trash can beside the toilet. yeah our bathroom smells just swell. haha. gross! um, we have internet but it is very slow. only at night as well. my room is very bare. i have to sleep under a mosquito net which for those of you who dont' know what those are its a big net hanging over my bed that i put over my whole bed while i sleep so mosquitoes wont eat me alive. it also does a swell job of keeping out wanted air! i sweated all night last night. it was so hot. still is as a matter of fact. yeah not sure if it will ever cool down. i know this will be the longest summer and hardest summer of my life. please pray that the Lord would give me strength and courage. sada and gabe (the couple that lives here and pretty much is my help) are leaving at the end of june and i don't know what i will do without them. they help me so much. after sada leaves my job will really begin and im a little freaked out. even though its like a month away. yikes. so pray that i will be able to do the job and that the Lord woudl be my strength. im missing my friends a lot at the moment and wishing i was back home hanging in the sun with them. but i know God has something for me here. hope to blog some more soon. keep up the prayers! thanks!

p.s. dangerously surrendered. have you?

And I'm Back in the Game!

Well, it has been a stressful week. Had no visa, lost my chance to leave on May 18th, but by God's grace, today i received my visa! Hooray! Not sure exactly when i will be flying out, but soon and very soon. I have been kind of freaking out a bit about not being on time, but, God had a reason i needed to wait a couple of days. Not sure what it is, but there is a reason. God is in control. I was talking to my sweet mom tonight. I was telling her i was a little scared about this trip and i was scared that i wouldn't do a good job and that i would fail. she told me, "Chelsea, thats a good thing, because that shows that you can't do it on your own. God has to be your strength. He will stretch you." I was so encouraged. My mom has done so many amazing things without my dad by her side. She has even been to Sierra Leone alone and she made it. My mom is the strongest woman i know. She has been through so much, if she says i can do this, i know i can. God has called me to this and i know He will get me through it. I am excited and at peace. My mom also said to me..."Chels, what is it you say at the end of your blogs... Dangerously Surrendered? Now is your chance to dangerously surrender." That popped my little bubble. She's right! This is it. I HAVE dangerously surrendered. Now i will follow through. Please be praying that God would continue to work out my travels and that within the next few days ill be getting on a plane heading to Sierra Leone!

P.S. Dangerously Surrendered. Have you?

Bump in the Road..

Well, sad to say that there has been a bump in the road. Lots of things that i needed to do to get ready for the trip, and one major thing i skipped. Sending my passport to get my visa stamped in it. So as of right now, my passport is sitting in a FedEx envelope waiting for someone to drop it of at the Embassy in Washington D.C. Yes, as of right now my trip is postponed until i can get a visa. I will be staying in different places until i can head out. I will most likely be still heading out of Nashville, hope to be soon. I could use some prayer warriors now! Lets come together and pray that the visa will come ASAP. if it can come before Tuesday, ill be blown away by God's miracles. if it doesn't come in by Tuesday, i will STILL be blown away by God's faithfulness. In His time i will go. in His time i will get my visa. Im just along for the ride! Just a small bump in the road. No biggie! God's got this! Anyways. wanted to share where i am at the moment! Thanks for keeping up with my blog!

P.S. Dangerously Surrendered. Have you?

End on a Good Note.

Well school is out. Classes are over. Tests are done. Books are turned in. My stuff is in my car. Junior year of college is finished. Yes, you said it, ITS SUMMER!!!!! Hooray! What a rough year! Terrible beginning, rough middle, but FANTASTIC end! Friendships were built, and friendships were strengthened. God has blessed me tremendously. Everything that has happened this year has happened for a reason. We are one day closer to being in His kingdom. As i start my summer, I want to glorify Him for all He has don for me. HALLELUJAH!! Tomorrow my roommate will be having a garage sale to get rid of some junk we don't need anymore. hoping to make a little cash to fill up my car with gas for the next couple of days. Gonna be traveling a bunch! can't wait! Well, God is good and im one day closer to my adventure in Sierra Leone! Hooray! Thanks so much for reading this!! ENJOY your summer!

P.S. Dangerously Surrendered. Have you?

Counting Down

Well, the days are counting down. 16 more days to go! The Lord has blessed me with many people to bless me financially. I would like to thank each of you who have helped me financially. Each of you holds a special place in my heart and i could not be going this summer if it wasn't for each of you. I have completed my money raising. The Lord is so good. He never ceases to amaze me. I have purchased my ticket and I am now making lists of what i need to take on my trip. Things like granola bars and shampoo and conditioner. Things i will need when i get to Sierra Leone. Different feelings are running through my mind and heart. Im scared and excited. Im anxious and nervous. Things are going to be great and i know that God will be doing all sorts of things! I can't wait to see what He will do. Be in prayer for me as i finish school this week. Exams will be tough but i know that it will be over soon! Then SENIOR YEAR HERE I COME!

P.S. Dangerously Surrendered. Have you?