Hard to believe that I can pretty much recap my entire trip in one message this time. 2 weeks. Too short. In a nutshell, it was good, but hard. I'm glad that I went. No doubt about that. (It was the best graduation present I could possibly give myself.) But it was hard. It is hard to leave your heart completely in one place and to go somewhere else and try to continue living without it. And that's how I feel. Such a huge piece of my heart is there that I feel incomplete without it. Something is missing. But I know that God's timing is good and perfect. He is faithful even when we are not. His love isn't dependent on what we do or don't do. He is perfect. I'm resting in that right now.

A few of my favorite moments from the trip:
-reuniting with my little man and smothering him with kisses
-getting George (one of my favorite former Amani kids) enrolled in SCHOOL!!! Praise the Lord for this. (And for my great friend Katie Davis and her ministry- check it out- www.amazima.org)
-George's grandma telling me that he was so excited to spend the day with me that he woke up at 2AM asking her if he could start bathing :)
-people's reaction when I surprised them by showing up :)
-Dance parties in the kitchen with my friend Katie and her 13 kids
-spending quality time with those that I consider my African family (while thoroughly missing others!!)
-getting to share a photo album with 2 of the kids at Amani that their family sent with me (they will be getting adopted to arkansas! Hooray!)
-seeing the progress that my African soul mate is making on her home for kids with disabilities (www.ekisa.org)
-feeling my heart and body reconnect for the first time since August
-taking my little man (Jacob) to church with me and being able to sing praises to the One who has allowed me to serve in Uganda and listening to the Word while he slept soundly against me.. So sweet. :)

Pictures to come soon!

As most of you know, I have some pretty big decisions ahead of me right now. I graduate in May. "What are you going to do after school?" seems to be the million dollar question these days. Honestly, I have no idea at this point. Maybe go straight to Africa. Maybe do some kind of Bible/mission training program from somewhere from 7 weeks to 12 months. Maybe travel a bit. Maybe work. Maybe raise support while prayerfully deciding where to go. So I'm not sure.

Humbly, I ask for prayer. For discernment and wisdom. For clarity and the ability to walk the path that He has laid out for me. I know that I am called back to Africa, but I do not know the timing. I would be on my way the day after graduation if it were up to me, but I am trying so hard to distinguish my desires from His. His timing is better than anything that I could imagine, and I want to walk His path for me in His time, leaving my wants and desires behind. So I ask for prayer that will be true in my life. :)

Thank you for all of the support, messages, encouragement, and prayers. I couldn't do it without everyone!

-Grace