more to come.

I have been at a loss for words for the past week, and I finally decided it was time to write. Something. Anything. The things I have seen, the things I have felt, the children I have held, the smells, the tastes, the tears, the laughter, the walks, the traffic, and the stars...all have somehow been ingrained in my mind and written on my heart and have called me to rethink everything.

Language is a funny thing. It can be a barrier. It can be a bridge. It can bread hope or speak of devastation. One thing I have learned is that truth...love...and hope are spoken and speak in all languages.

The Lord, in his infinite grace and mercy allowed me to see this fleshed out. I boarded the plane on Thursday afternoon headed to a land I had only heard about...dreamed about even. Not knowing what to expect my mind raced at a million miles an hour. Who would I see? What would the people be like? Would I experience altitude sickness? What if my teammates don’t like me? Do I have enough money? What does my family think? Every question imaginable scrolled across my mind. And as I sit here back in the states the questions haven’t disappeared; only changed. What do I do with what I have seen? Why does my heart break for these people? Where is my team tonight; how are they doing? I wish they were here. What am I doing of eternal value with my money? What will my family think? How can I even begin to explain this to them? I am overwhelmed with everything. My heart is aching in ways I never thought it would; in ways I never thought it could. Over the last two weeks I have seen more than most people see in their entire lifetime. And, at 22, what do I do with it all? Surely this weight comes hand in hand with responsibility...