Darling, so it goes...

Tonight, I've been looking through old photo albums on facebook. Reminiscing over past memories really made me see how much change and growth I've gone through in the past few years.

Summer 2008
This is honestly my favorite picture. Ever. It was taken at the last school we visited while in Guatemala. These kids had very little, but were so thankful for what they had. Their hearts were so open to anything and everything. They had so little, but they made up for it in love. It goes on to prove just how much love is needed in this world. For some, it's all they have. And yet, they remain happy. I always smile when I think of these kids. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about them and pray for them. Before I went to Guatemala, I was always told it would change my life. Honestly, I didn't see how until about a month or two after I got home. The two weeks we spent in Xela went by so fast that I couldn't quite process it. Things still will randomly remind me of the trip, and I can't help but thank God for the experience I had. I love these kids and I always will.

Summer 2009
This was taken last year in Guatemala. Once again, it was one of our last nights. I absolutely love these people. Over the process of that week, I gained a new family. This year, instead of staying on the ministry campus like we had the previous year, we went to a small town a few hours away from that main campus. During the three days we were there, we stayed at a small church that had opened their doors to let us stay. The common area where we ate and met didn't even have a roof. In fact, the area wasn't secure hardly at all. We discovered this when we awoke to a stray dog peeking in to where we were sleeping. It was quite a confusing way to wake up. Because of the swine flu, we were not able to visit schools due to them being shut down. So instead of going to different schools and doing dramas, we went to public parks. This was a very different atmosphere. Because we were working with children as well as adults, not everyone was so accepting to the beliefs we were sharing. But regardless of that fact, so many lives were changed. Including mine.

Summer 2010
Although this picture does not exactly show anything super exciting, it kind of describes a small part of my life at the moment. This picture was taken on saturday at UNCG. Although I don't want to attend UNCG next fall, it does (in a way) represent a bit of change going on in my life. One of my dear friends (Sarah) just started going there. It's been a definite change, but it's also opened my eyes to the fact that I'll be in college in less than a year. College has always been one of those things that has seemed to be way off in my future. In reality (a place I'm not too fond of sometimes), it's not. I'm going to be becoming my own person. I will no longer live under my parents roof. I will, essentally, be free.
Very strange.

With that being said, I'm excited about my future. To see where God has taken me in the past few years, makes me wonder where I'll be this time next year.

I'm excited for this grand adventure.