2015 Yearly Recap

1. What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before? 
I gradated university, I've lived by myself without roommates or family, I've started a "real world" job, and I led a trip to Africa. Lots of new adventures last year!  

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My resolutions were to read 75 books, which I kept. This year, I want to give to a cause every month.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not this year - although coming up in April is the due date of one of my closest friends!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My precious Nawnie died on September 11 and life has not been the same without her here.

5. What countries did you visit?  
Amsterdam and Kenya

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
I want to have more community. The process of moving and adjusting to a new life has left me with very few friends in this city. I'm praying that the Lord will bring me people who love Jesus and people who don't love Jesus yet, that he will raise up community in my city.

I'm also hoping to be busier in a good way, that I will learn to be more selfless with my time instead of holding it as a precious treasure that is only mine.

7. What dates from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
September 11, as I mentioned before, was the day my grandma died. May 16 was my graduation from university. And June 1, I began the job of my dreams.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Graduating from university was a big deal for me! (I still have dreams that I've missed important exams.) Another achievement was starting this job and stepping into the adult world without too much struggle.

9. What was your biggest failure?
 Laughingly, I think my biggest failure was the first month I tried to keep a budget on my own.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? 
Nothing crazy last year, praise the Lord!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The best thing I bought was a kitchen table and chairs for my new house.

12. Where did most of your money go?
Most of my money has gone towards food, moving into my new place, and towards spoiling my dog.

13. What did you get really excited about?
I've gotten so excited about working for CRF and leading trips to Kenya. I have such a passion for orphans and this career lets me serve them with my life.

14. What song will always remind you of 2015? 
Probably Blank Space by Taylor Swift.

Checking In

I'm back.

I don't know for how long and I don't know how often, but I found myself missing my blog, so I thought I would check back in. Perhaps more often than once a year.

First I'll share an update about my life since I last wrote in 2014.

I've graduated from university. I moved back to the same city of my family and although I live independently from them, it is a joy to be so close.

I began working as the Kenya Director at Christian Relief Fund. This is the job of my dreams, truly.

In August, my Grandma Rhonda gave me the best gift ever: aka my Italian Greyhound, Gracie. She is a delight in my life and she is also currently my only roommate. She turns seven months old this week and will attend her first show next month.

The most difficult part of moving eight hundred miles away from my college town was the loss of close community. Changing churches and living hours away from my best friends has been difficult. The post-grad, young adult Christian community is actively falling away from the church. This could be an entire blog post in itself. Why are we so scattered? Why are we so isolated from each other within the body of Christ? I have a lot of thoughts on this and maybe I will share them another time. Meanwhile, I spoke to my pastor (of the church I began attending in late August) and he has brought me and two other young adults together to start a Bible study. It begins this week.

I've begun the process of training to become a foster parent. This is such a big statement that I hesitated sharing it online at all. However, I think in the future, I would like to blog about this topic too. For now, I'll leave it hanging.

I haven't gotten to use my American Sign Language much since moving to this city. I'm still asking the Lord why he brought this language into my heart and my life, but I'm confident that he will make it clear in the future.

I visited Kenya in July, 2015 and am planning the next trip for July, 2016.

My old friends, if anyone still reads this blog, what is happening in your life?