While being a missionary this year with Thrive Africa I’ve pushed myself to go beyond what I am use to in different areas. With that being said these last couple of weeks I’ve been so thankful that I am allowing myself to go beyond what I am use to in so many differegnt areas. I am allowing myself to be different, to be transparent and to be a new person by allowing myself to go beyond giving the 110 %.

When I think of being thankful I think of saying thank YOU over and over again. In this season of my life I feel like I am beyond the words thank YOU to where it has more meaning in being THANKFUL. I’m thankful that everyday that I get tested in areas that aren’t in my comfort zones and areas that aren’t my strengths. I am also thankful that I allow myself to see my weaknesses (the things that I am not good at) and grow in those areas to make them more things that I WANT TO BE GOOD AT.

I am MOST THANKFUL for being surrounded by such great people that allow me to be thankful for all that I am doing for the kingdom of God. Through being mentored, being taught and allowing myself to strive to be the leader that I was born to be. I allow myself to be transparent, to be out of my comfort zones because I am being THANKFUL.

A lot of people have told that you have a once in a lifetime opportunity to be living in Africa as a missionary. When I think of that phrase as a once in a lifetime opportunity that’s when I reflect and conquer that I am being thankful because God allowed my feet to rest on his very own soil of South Africa.

what are you being thankful for in your life on a daily basis?

When you picture a person in poverty what comes to mind?

You imangine a person that would give anything for food. A person that would surrender and sacrifice anything just for a lick of a plate, a bite of a piece of bread or even just a crumb from the floor . This person will dig through trash cans, stand on corners and even eat rotten bread if they have to.

For myself when I think of people starving and living without food I think beyond the starving part of it all. I think of the people that are starving for love that no one can give them except for God their own Father. People that are so desperate spiritually that they are strapped down in chains because of the starvation that they are suffering beyond any pains that are imanginable.

Driving through the village of Qwa-Qwa yesterday that’s exactly what I felt when I looked into the eyes of all the learners, through the eyes of people on the streets and I felt the indesrcibale pains that ALL of these people were suffering. ALL of the pains of all of these people clinged on to me through my flesh and in my spirit.

When I see what’s happening in Africa I see beyond the poverty, I see beyond the beautiful faces of all the people that I encounter and most of all I see beyond what Africa is as a whole because I see HOPE.

I see the bigger picture, I feel the heartbeats of eachindividual person , I sense the urgency and  that all in itself brings HOPE. I see that what I am doing as a missionary and being part of the team at Thrive Africa ( thriveafrica.org) I see that God allows us to bring HOPE and allows starvation to cease. God allows us to be transparent to people and God allows us to BRING THE LIGHT.

what do you find your hope in and are you straving for that hunger?

these last couple of weeks have been super busy as I’ve been preparing for certain events that are happening within my job with Thrive Africa. I apologize for not being here and not filling you ALL in on what’s been happening withing my life, on the field BUT i promise when these next couple of weeks slow down I will catch you up on EVERYTHING.

let’s just say that God is on the move beyond words and lives are changing.

Check out Thriveafrica.org to know what’s been happening.

CAN’T WAIT TO FILL YOU ALL ON WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING.

Having a lot of down time aka some chill time yesterday I was thinking about the type of things that make me happy. Things that I like to do that make me happy, allow me to relax and just allow me to be thought-free;  if that makes sense? I think a lot of times when life gets stressed out, gets way to busy or even just overwhelming we allow all those things to take over our bodies, our thoughts and our minds. Last night I allowed myself to do the type of things that make me happy.

Little things like blasting my ipod while laying in bed, reading a good book, watching movies that make me laugh and that make me feel happy. These are all things that allow me to relax and to be in the chill-mode that I love being in. Away from work, away from thinking, away from getting stressed out and things that allow me to be ME.

What kind of fillers do you have?

Getting older, getting more mature, gaining life in your system you get to know yourself the most. You know yourself by what your strengths are, what your weaknesses are, the type of food you like, the types of people you like to hang out with and most of all YOU know who YOU ARE.

As I am getting older, gaining life and gaining maturity I have gotten the opportunity in getting to know myself more but I’ve gotten to know my GOD, my FATHER even more and it’s been indescriable. Growing up I would refuse to pray, refuse to dig into his word and as I get older I find that I thirst to have time just to kick it with God.

Digging into his word, developing a intimate relationship with him and just gaining beyond what I ever imangined could happen. It took discipline, getting called out on and a routine of developing this intimate relationship but as I gain this better intimate relationship I not only get to know myself more better but I get to know my GOD way better.

It feels good, it feels different but it feels intimate because God knows me.

How do you feel about this?

When your living halfway around the world you become more thankful for the little things in life. For the last couple of days I have been so thankful for the internet and how it allows me to stay in touch with so many people. Living on the mission field one of the hardest things is trying to keep in touch with people and allowing myself to take the time to make sure that I am keeping in touch with people.

The internet not only provides webcam dates with family and friends but it provides a variety of websites to keep in touch with different people. Whether it’s through facebook.com, myspace.com or reading blogs. It’s really funny though how exciting a “what’s up, how are you” comment” can be so refreshing and just can make my day go better or even make my day. It’s hard for me to make people’s days without an American cellphone but I survive through it and find other unique ways in making people’s days.

I always leave with big smiles after talking with people I love.

What leaves you with big smiles?

Growing up as a little girl I would always tell myself that I will never be a person when I am older to be sitting behind a desk as part of my job description. I would always laugh at jokes, make fun of my Mammabird aka my Mom (she works behind a desk ALWAYS @ Macy*s ) and I told myself I would never fall under the whole “working behind a desk routine” as a career. I should be making fun of myself now-a-days because most of my time in South Africa I am working behind a desk but the cool thing is that I love every second of it (well not every second)

The funny thing now-a-days though is that I am desk-loving every moment that I have working behind my desk. When I am in my office working at my desk I am spending time doing ALL things that I love and that I am passionate about. I do things from writing blogs, to filling out sheets, to planning, etc. It’s a time where I get to concentrate, work hard and poor into everything that I am doing for my job. Better yet I am doing all Kingdom business work–everything I do glorifies God, even the things I don’t like to do. My desk has books and papers everywhere over it; sometimes it’s even hard to find what I am looking for but I am desk-loving.

Apologies for every person that I use to make fun of for having an office-type job because I am now officially working in an office. Who would’ve thought that I would even be working in an office.

I am totally desk-loving these days.

PS: my office totally doesn’t look like the one in the picture displayed above (My office is way cooler looking)

Music makes the world go around in so many different ways and in saying that I feel that when words do not make sense at all that’s when music plays out by allowing ALL words to float away. People all around the world can always relate by listening to the same artist or genre of music. I can honestly say that I love meeting new people that have the same love of music that I do. It makes music even more exciting when you are in a village of Africa and you relate to that one person you just met by having a love for the same artist.genre type . Music is a movement that makes people happy, that makes people dance and most of all that allows people to express their selves; it’s their ESCAPE.

My love for music is very diverse but when it comes to picking one type of music genre I am definitely a hip-hop type of girl; hip-hop was definitely my first love. I love how hip-hop music makes you feel very energetic, very poetic and most of all it puts you in the dancing mood. Whenever I have a bad day I love putting in my headphones and putting on my hip-hop love playlist. Different people have different types of opinions on all types of music but I feel that every person has their own unique tastes of play lists that make their days better just through playing it. The coolest part of music is that: one person’s Ipod is their own and to find another person with the exact same one is silm to none in finding…it just doesn’t exist in the world. Every person is different in their own way, that’s how God created us all. And for the first time in my life I can say that God gave me a first love for HIP-HOP.

peace and love ya’ll but wait what is your favorite type of music?

This quote is my meaning for life because of how much truth it brings into my life. It’s knowing that every end has a new beginning and when the door is closed another one will be opened. It’s exciting, it’s overwhelming and most of all just knowing how much good comes out of all of it in the end just for a new beginning. Many people have different quotes for different situations. Quotes make life more unique and I love that quotes can be either way good or way bad but in the end they stick with you and help you out in the end just by being there to encourage you.

What do you think of this quote?

When a player prepares for a game, a teacher prepares for the new semester, a mother prepares to have a child they all are doing the same : getting ready. For the last couple of weeks that’s exactly what I have been doing personally, spiritually and physically. I have been on holiday for the last couple of weeks but it’s been beyond just chilling, kicking it back and relaxing.

This next season is my life is brand new and is something that I’ve never done before. A fresh new chapter in my life where I honestly do not know what to expect, what to look for but the freshness of  the whole next chapter excites me. The feeling of excitement goes beyond finding out new confidence, new life lessons, good times because it is a whole new chapter of discovering who I am more. Despite all the emotions that I’m feeling, all the thoughts that I have flowing through my mind I personally know that I am ready for this new chapter. I’m beyond ready to start fresh, to start a a new chapter and I am ready to step out beyond what I am use to in this life of my own.

This season is going to be good only because God allowed me to be ready for it . God had ALL of it planned out already and that’s what makes myself even more excited for it all. God made me ready for this season by leading me, guiding me, refreshing me and preparing my heart.Glory to God and using everything for his glory, i love IT

Are you ready for your new season?