Discouragement City.

Welp, here it is. The first big discouragement that I've seen.

I was told some really hurtful things today and they keep circling my mind. I can't stop thinking about it. And crying about it too. I try not to think about what I was told, and I did really well (bowling, no matter how HORRIBLE I am, is a great distraction) but 5 minutes after my winning game (really, I lost), the thoughts came flooding back. It's comments like I heard today that really hurt.

I need to remember always that love wins. [1 John 3:18]

I'm going to miss cottage weekends. Especially summer weekends like Memorial day. A weekend spent with family and sun is such a beautiful thing. The cottage makes me so happy! It's so relaxing and much needed. I am so very thankful that I have a place to escape to and visit when special holidays come around :)

Why do I want to do YWAM?

A friend asked me this last night and I had to think about it. Why do I want to do YWAM? I said because I'm sick of school but there's so much more. So, JM- here's my real answer:

I want to do YWAM because there is so much more to this world than school. Yes, school is great and needed for a great job and I love it, but there's so much more. I want to make an impact on this world, I want to change someone's life. Through YWAM I will learn so much about my life and helping others. God has so much planned for each of us, I am going to discover my purpose for this world.

I also want to do YWAM because I know that I am going to learn so much more about God. Every Sunday I am continually captivated by Jesus' life and His message for us. There is SO much in the Bible, I want to discover all that is has to say. I know that these 7 months will change my life forever. I'm ready.

I am going to miss my BFF, LM. You are amazing. I am so so so so glad we met in OT freshmen year! I know we say this to each other all the time but it's true! I don't know where I would be without you in my life. You are so funny, caring, loving, silly, gross (sometimes ; ) ), and such a beautiful person and friend. I am going to miss our Grandma nights, silly shenanigans, and long talks. Thank goodness we still have our skype dates to look forward. I hope that you don't forget about me and still send me post cards (I loveeee them!), I'll send you some too. Because that's what friends do! I love you laurabell.

Clean room and scrapbooks.

Today, I spent the day (well, the length of 3 movies: The Blindside, Milk, and Tangled) cleaning my room, closet and all. During that time, I found random Christmas and Birthday cards, notes, and pictures from my friends and family. And then I got thinking; I have an empty scrapbook, why don't I fill it up and bring it to Germany?

So that's what I did (after I finished cleaning my room of course!). The first couple pages are pictures of my family, most of them of Marijke and I since it seems like she's the only one who takes pictures with me, and an article of my Gammy that was in the Advance. The next 10 million pages are filled with my friends. Some are really old pictures of LVW and RVD and I when we made cookies and many prom pictures with various friends. The next pages are filled with pictures of my cousins' kids. They are the joys that fill my life. CJ, AJ, RD, and JE are my best friends, they will always make me laugh. :)

Then, I decided to have some pages for notes that I have gotten over the years. A graduation card for AP and LP, a birthday card from MS, and of course my two trinity letters from LM :) I think this is the perfect way to remember my family and friends at home (even though I would NEVER forget them) and all the great times that I've had.

I am so excited for September to come, I will then be looking at my scrapbook from my home in Germany :) Only 107 days, no big deal!

-Remember when we look 500 pictures with my new camera? (6 of which are hanging in my room! PS. Your hand looks like a spider! haha)

I am going to miss my BFFWHP. Oh, where do I start?! I'm really glad we coordinated our times away at the same time so one of us isn't sitting at home without the other! Remember our walks to school? And our gum tree? I won't ever forget that. Or the time we went to the beach when it was 2.2 degrees? There are so many memories that we have together, I can't even begin to list them all. I am so thankful for you and your encouragement and prayers. I am so blessed to have a friend like you who I can talk to about God, my struggles and triumphs, and a friend I can laugh and be silly with. You are amazing, I want your address so I can write letters to you! I love you, KK!

My beautiful best friend at Homecoming.

Oh the wonderful, freezing beach!Red cheeks and smiles.I frequently give her this look.

Booking tickets? Really??

I'm currently sitting in Biggby downloading Taylor Swift waiting for KC. Today, we're booking out tickets to Germany. No matter how many times I say it, it doesn't seem real. Just a month ago I made the decision to apply for YWAM and here I am, booking my ticket for 7 months away from my home.

I am so beyond excited for what is to come. Paying for that ticket is the first large reminder that I am going to Germany. I can now check this off the list :) Along with shots, support letters (even though I still have to send them out. Note to self, go to the post office for stamps!), and many little details.

I am continually amazed at how amazing God is. Everything is coming together so well and everyone is really supportive and happy for me. I cannot thank you all enough for your support and prayers! Keep them coming :)

I am going to miss my family (Nick is not pictured here for two reasons: 1. He wasn't there that weekend and 2. He hates pictures so probably wouldn't be in it anyways). I am going to miss bugging my mom every second that I'm home (and texting her when I'm not with her. Who are you going to text mom? You only ever text me ;) ). I am going to miss buying chocolate for my dad and making his co workers mad because they don't need anymore chocolate haha (I guess I can send you German chocolate Dad-they do have great chocolate!). I am going to miss my sister, even though I don't see her much now. I'm going to miss texting her random things (I am not going to miss your texts with pictures of lockers- I hate those texts!). I am going to miss Nicki, watching Ghost adventures on Saturdays when we both have nothing better to do. (AARON! :) hahahahahahahaha). Skype is going to be a lifesaver when I'm in Germany, that's for sure!

Shots shots shots shots.

No, no the drinking kind, but the kind with needles on the end.

My arms are currently pulsing with pain after getting Hep A and Tetanus (not really, but I have to exaggerate).

I am so excited to have this portion of my plans done! I'm all set as shots in the US go but I have some more to look forward to in Germany :( Oh well, you have to do it.

KC and I are starting to plan our plane tickets and this makes me so excited and nervous. This is a huge step in our planning and I can't believe we're doing it! I'm so amazed at how everything is just falling into place. God is so good.

I decided that with every blog post I'm going to upload a picture of something I'm going to miss (And a reminder of what a beautiful life I have at home while I'm in Germany)

I am going to miss my Uncle's green house. I'm going to miss driving the golf carts around with CJ and RD and hearing my Opa describe all the different plants they have. They are so happy when they are showing us around. I'm going to miss that.