College at a Glance {Sophomore Year}

I've already prefaced that a whole lot happened my Sophomore year, and I wasn't joking! First things first, I moved into a new town-home with these two crazies, Marissa and Paige. I came into the situation not knowing Marissa very well, but we all ended up being so different that we fit together well. There was constant entertainment in our little two-story abode - Marissa rightfully earned the nickname Shams (short for shambles) haha.

I went through rush, I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. I didn't branch out at all at USC, so I thought I might as well go into the most uncomfortable situation ever - talking to tons of strangers about nothing really. I loved it! I also loved my pi-chi group, we had the best leader, but I feel like everyone is biased. It was a super tiring week, and got to be a bit overwhelming due to that on top of classes starting. I ended up getting a bid from KKG, but decided that a sorority just wasn't me, and that was okay!

Taylor took me to my first FCA. I can't remember exactly how many FCA's there were until they put on "After Dark," which was basically an FCA on steroids. Matt Wertz came to play, which was the main selling point on why I wanted to go. They showed snip its from Passion of the Christ, and I found myself heart broken during the scenes where Jesus was beaten. I didn't understand what was going on internally, but I knew that I wanted a relationship with Jesus - but literally had no idea what that meant. I didn't know it in that moment, but that was the night that I surrendered my life to Christ. This moment literally changed the course of my life, for the better. I am still in awe of how the Lord pursued me even when I had no idea of who He was.

After getting saved, I wanted to get more plugged into FCA and to build my relationship with the Lord. I got invited into a small group with a few girls from my high school, all of which I knew of but didn't really know. We spent a lot of time together during the fall semester. My first FCA event ever was Roller Boogie, and I had a BLAST. This was also the night that I got introduced to over 50 people, at least it felt like that many!

As I said, I spent a lot of time with my small group! We were literally obsessed with each other, more inside jokes than we could possibly count. We made a point to meet up at every event we went to and took a "small group pic," naturally. I went to my first shag ever, the Autumn Shag at the Madren Center. Tay and I mainly danced together, we didn't really know anyone else there. I danced with two other people that I didn't know, who actually ended up being pretty good friends (cough, Tyler Goff). This shag marked the first event of a weekend long of craziness!

Phase two of the epic weekend:  I went to Katie's apartments annual Halloween party! The strangers I met at Roller Boogie slowly started becoming friends at this point, I was actually starting to remember some names!

Of course, I didn't miss a Clemson home game. I had to trade in all of my garnet and black for some purple and orange. It wasn't a tough transition. Plus, we always tailgated with the sweet Wood family and they always made game days so much fun!

I even made it back to USC for a few home games.

I went on my first big hike with a HUGE group of people! At this point, I started to finally feel like I was fitting in at Clemson. Although I didn't have a huge number of friends, the few that I had were so wonderful. Our small group definitely stuck together, but we branched out together. 

 This year was the one and only time I got to see snow in Clemson! Well, a substantial amount anyways. The snow delayed the start of spring classes by two days, which we spent frolicking in the snow and watching every Nicholas Sparks movie created. We all walked to campus, only to catch a ride and come right back to the apartment. The truck that brought us back was driven by a stranger, who turned out to be Elliott, who is now one of my best friends!

An ample amount of time was spent with these two guys and their roommates. The four of us were besties, literally we spent every weekend together just about. We had many Cracker Barrel lunches and spent many nights hanging out watching concerts on TV. 

I got introduced to Starbucks! My very first Starbucks experience was spent with Tay, her mom, our friend Ethan and his mom. We spent a Sunday afternoon in Greenville, walking around Falls Park and taking pictures just because we could. I must say, this was my first attempt at being somewhat trendy.. black nails with Starbucks cup in hand. 

I. had. a. nose. ring. Yes, I had a nose ring! I went and got that little sucker on a whim, I'm still not really sure why. I didn't tell my mom, I just went and did it. Maybe that was my act of being "rebellious," isn't that hilarious. I loved that little thing, though. I only had it for a month, it fell out of my nose in my sleep and the hole closed up immediately. Sad day.

Sadie Hawkins was approaching, and I still wasn't really friends with many guys at Clemson. Jenn, who was in my small group, was friends with a lot of the guys and had introduced me to the ones I knew. I needed a date, but had no idea who to ask. Naturally, I asked Jenn who was still dateless and she gave me a short little list of 2-3 names. I didn't know any of the guys she mentioned, but I remember thinking that Braden Nichols was pretty cute and seemed nice.. so a few nights later at a bonfire, I ended up asking him to go with me to Sadie Hawkins. I was a nervous wreck, I had never (EVER) asked a guy to anything, let alone someone I didn't know at all. Little did I know, this too was a huge turning point in my life, one I wouldn't realize for a while after the dance.

The weekend after Sadie Hawkins, Tay and I got an invite to tag along to see Ben Rector in concert with a group of people. We had no idea who Ben Rector was, but we were up for any adventure at that point. We went with a group of 20 or so people, Braden included, and had one of the best nights ever. After the concert, Ben and Steve Moakler came out and met everyone in the crowd. No big deal.

I went on my first mission trip with FCA to Washington DC. I was in a group of strangers, and loved each of them within a matter of a few hours. Our group was placed in different homeless shelters and we cleaned, organized, etc each day. I had never experienced God so much. Each night of worship opened my heart more and more, and I hit a breaking point where I knew that the chains I was bound in couldn't hold me down anymore. That was one of the most freeing trips I have ever been on, I was so on fire that I had no idea what to do with it! Coming back home was pretty tough, because I had gotten so acclimated to being around so much love and encouragement. 

Random side note - I also got my first Canon camera, a Rebel XS to be exact. Who would've known that I would get so into photography, and now dream to have a photography business!

Braden and I had been on an actual date by this point (one where he actually asked me, haha). While in DC, we got to know each other pretty well and spent a good amount of time chatting in the hotel hallways at night. I really started to like him, and had no idea if he was really interested in me. Well, yet again I asked him to be my date, but this time it was to Tay's sisters wedding. The night before the wedding we had a chat to see where we stood in the relationship, most may call that a DTR. We were both ready to take our next step, so we started dating. Talk about some serious giddiness!

I had played around with my new Canon for a month or two. I got a Facebook message from Ashley Anne, who went to my high school but was a few years older than me. She asked me to take her engagement pictures and I jumped at the opportunity! This photo shoot was fun and nerve wracking all at the same time, I literally had no idea what I was doing, we just went for it. It helped that I had beautiful people to photograph, but I learned that day that I truly LOVED photography. And there you have it, JC Photography was born!

Right before school ended, Braden invited me on his family's annual beach trip. That year they were heading down to Daytona, FL for the week. I said yes with no hesitation, I was so pumped to spend the week with him and to get to know his family - after all, we had only been dating a month a this point. That was one of the best weeks. I went to my first dog race, which was also a blast!

I turned 20. I always try to have a big dinner with my friends, I love being surrounded by the people I love on my birthday. This year, I had two birthday dinners. One with family and friends of the family, and another with my friends from home!

On May 29, two days after my 20th birthday, I was baptized at our home church. We had only been calling Radius our home church for about a month, but I immediately felt that I was supposed to get baptized there. I'll never forget getting the phone call from Pastor Todd. He wanted to genuinely get to know me and to get know my story. I surprised everyone that day, the only people who knew I was getting baptized was Pastor Todd and my mom. My sweet small group leader just happened to be there that morning, which I think was no coincidence. 

 Jesus is so good, He knew exactly what he was doing that year. It's amazing to look back on all that He did in my life, but mainly how he called me His, even when I didn't know him at all. It is so evident that He blesses his children and looks after us. After the year I had, I am living proof of that. 

Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).

College at a Glance {Freshman Year}

With graduation vastly approaching, I wanted to reminisce on the past four years of my life. SO MUCH has happened and changed, it's hard to even explain without starting from square one.. freshman year.

I started off my college career at the University of South Carolina. I was born and raised a Gamecock fan. I moved into South Tower, an all girls dorm, and lived in this corner room - which was actually much bigger than I ever expected a college dorm to be.

My freshman roommate was Jennifer, we hung out a good bit when school first started. Making friends started off slow, but we slowly transitioned into college living. It's funny now to think back on how afraid I was to step out and meet new people. I made a few friendships by living in the dorm, but one really stuck - and that is with my sweet friend Sara who will now be in my wedding!

I went to every Carolina home game, always dressed in my garnet and black. If you would have told me that I'd end up at Clemson, I would've laughed. I loved being close to home and I loved being with a good many of my friends from high school. It was comforting and it was what I knew, no real change. 

I went to the SC State Fair with a few of my best friends at the time. I spent the majority of my time with the same group of people, some from high school and some who were new friends of my friends.

Some home games were graced by the presence of my best friends from high school. We all seemed to go separate directions. Marlie went to PC, Lauren went to Clemson, and Tay ended up in the upstate as well. I always loved when they'd come to games, because we would always pick up right where we left off. 

I trained for a half marathon during the fall semester. I spent many days a week running with a group at Strictly Running and my sweet friend Krista. Krista and I spent many afternoons running that the river walk, she definitely pushed me and helped me to become a runner, when I clearly was not. We made it up to 8 miles one Saturday morning, and later that week it was all I could do to walk on my foot. Turns out I had a baby stress fracture.. so I sported this fashion statement of a shoe.. I've got to mention though, my mom made fun of my grandma shoe, and soon after she fell and broke her ankle. It's funny now when I think back on it, but having a broken foot was no joke!

I may have never missed a Carolina home game, but when USC's games were away I would make my way up to Clemson to a few games and to visit. I hardly ever wore orange.. but I wasn't opposed to the idea. The game atmosphere was vastly different, and I always loved making the trip up to Clemson.

I mentioned earlier that I spent most of my time with the same group of people. Well, these are the people who were my best friends and my tailgating buddies. We always went to the games together, and always managed to sit together. They all made my game day experiences so fun! 

Fun fact: I played on a co-ed intramural volleyball team! I seriously don't think we ever won a game.. not a single one. Well.. We may have won one, but that was it! I learned that volleyball just wasn't my thing. But hey, you win some and you lose some. We had fun meeting once a week to play teams who were much better than us.

I threw my mom a surprise 50th birthday party with the help of Paige. That night Paige, Lachlan and I went on a spontaneous trip to Charleston to put our feet in the ocean. That was probably the most spontaneous thing we did that year, definitely one of my favorite memories! We spent the car trip up there and back jamming out to 90's music and telling stories. Side note, Lachlan forgot to wear shoes.. so he walked around the beach in the beginning of January with no shoes!

Another fun fact, I was on a co-ed basketball team. I only went in a few times, but our team ended up making it to the championship game! I was more of the team cheerleader and photographer, no surprises there haha.

I went to my first Carolina Cup experience. I had to borrow a dress and hat, but I was so excited to go with Lachlan. We spent the day walking around and hanging out with random people. I made quite a few friends that day. We ran into a lot of old friends from high school and repped our '09 graduation date, we were so cool I know!

 

Later on during the spring semester I realized that maybe Carolina wasn't really for me. I talked to Paige and she wanted to try somewhere new, too. We took a trip up to Clemson and the rest is history. We both decided to give it a try, and we also decided to be roommates. Who would've ever known that this would've been a huge turning point for my life's path!

Soon after school ended, I turned 19. I celebrated with my best friends from home, we always made a point to have big birthday dinners and I always looked forward to them.

 Freshman year went by extremely quick. College was what I expected, and then it wasn't. I made a few friends, but I didn't make a substantial amount of new ones. However, the few friendships I made at USC have lasted. I wouldn't trade my freshman experience at USC for anything, I learned what I truly wanted in a college experience, and just had to accept that I was going to get that somewhere else. It was a huge step for me, especially moving away from home, but I am so thankful that I decided to transfer to Clemson.

Be on the lookout for a recap of my sophomore year in college. Let me just preface by saying my sophomore year was my biggest year, maybe even one of the biggest turning points in my life. Do I have you hooked now? Haha, I doubt I'm that interesting, but that year was truly one of the best ones to date. 

As Much As I Hate Defeat...

Let's just say that my paleo sugar detox did/did not go according to plan. I completed week one of the detox a few days shy of 7. You know how things go.. snack attacks while studying, road trips, and Easter didn't help me stay on track! For the 5 days that I did stay on a strict sugar detox, I felt incredible.

I felt so sluggish the few weeks prior to the detox. It took a lot of will-power to get off the couch and get moving, especially when it came to working out. I would get tired by 8pm, but still couldn't fall asleep until well after 12. My body was out of whack.

I never really craved sugar during the first week. As a matter of fact, I felt great without having any sugar. My body had been craving lean proteins and vegetables. A week of giving my body what it wanted did wonders for my metabolism, mood, and motivation (I love alliteration). Although numbers aren't super important, I went from 122.2lbs down to 118.6 after those 5 days on the sugar detox. For someone of my size, I'd say that's pretty significant in a 5 day period.

I've reintroduced artificial sweetner with my morning coffee. I'm a personal fan of Stevia and sugar free hazelnut creamer. I have also only been having one serving of fruit a day, not because of a detox, but because I really have not craved fruit that much. For those of you who know me, I'm a fruitaholic, so this is pretty out of the ordinary for me.

I hate to admit defeat.. but I must say, 5 days of the detox were plenty to recharge my body! I would still recommend the detox to anyone who is looking to jump start eating Paleo, or even those who just want to jump start eating healthy period. You would be surprised at how much your body craves meat and vegetables.

I may do a week sugar detox once every other month just to put my body in check, but I am not looking to do anything outrageously crazy in the next coming months. I plan to eat mostly strict paleo, with an occasional treat now and then - we all deserve that!

Hope you all are having a great week!

Spring Cleaning {internally}

I've been quite the stranger to blogging recently. Let's just go ahead and say life got in the way of all my extra time. I'm currently balancing 3 "mini" jobs, in addition to class 4 days a week. Needless to say, I stay busy every day from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep!

After all of the schedule craziness, I was more than excited about heading to Daytona for spring break. We flew down to Florida last Monday and stayed until Friday. The weather was a bit chillier than any of us had anticipated, but it was still wonderful to get away for a week and relax.

We climbed 203 stairs to the top of the second tallest Lighthouse. I'm terrified of heights but I was encouraged every step of the way. I will admit.. I didn't look over the edge!

With relaxing comes eating, and with eating comes laziness, and with laziness.. well you get the point.
I've mentioned before that I did a strict month of eating Paleo. That month transformed my metabolism, my attitude, and my body. After a month of eating so well, led to a few weeks of eating well with a "little bit of this, little bite of that" of things that aren't so great (treats, sugars, etc) and I started getting extremely sluggish. My body was yelling WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!? I decided to have one last "free for all" week of eating at the beach during spring break, after all, what's a vacation without dessert every day?

I want to go back to strict paleo, but needed a little jump start to get me there. After a week of eating anything and everything, I decided to go on a paleo sugar detox.

I am doing a 3 week detox that goes back to strict paleo in the third week. The objective is to cleanse the body of all sugar, and to gradually start adding elements back in to reset my body and stabilize hormones. Have I mentioned that when I was eating poorly I had minimal to no energy. This cleanse should rid my body of any cravings and clean out my system to start eating strict paleo again. I've got to get ready for a wedding  in 5 months!

The rules for each week are slightly different. Week one is supposed to be the worst.

Following are the rules specifically laid out for each week…

Week 1 

No Sugar (including fruit), No Dairy, No grain, no legumes! No sugar includes artificial sweeteners, stevia, honey, agave.  NO Fruit.

Vegetables

Artichoke Beet greens Bell peppers Brussel sprouts Carrots Celery Cucumber Eggplant Green onions Mushrooms

Onions Parsnip Radish Seaweed Tomatillos Turnip greens Asparagus Beets Broccoli Cabbage

Cauliflower Collards Endive Lettuce Mustard Greens Parsley Spinach Tomato Turnips

Proteins

All fish Shellfish Any Game Meat Eggs

Lean Pork Lean beef Lean Poultry No Processed lunchmeat or bacon week 1

Fats

(with cutting out sugar and fruit will need fat as energy) Still don’t overdo !!!

Olive oil Coconut oil Avocado oil Almond oil Walnut oil Flaxseed oil Almonds Cashews

Pecans Pine nuts Pumpkin seeds Sunflower seeds Macadamia nuts Pistachios Sesame Seeds Walnuts

I am on day 3 of week one. I'll admit that I've missed my normal coffee and stevia every morning, but I've actually felt pretty good just eating protein, vegetables, and fats. Cutting out fruit for a week hasn't been as tough as I thought it would be, but I am still not even half way through the week. I've had a few minor headaches due to lack of sugar and caffeine, but nothing too unbearable.

On the brighter side, I've felt so much more energized and don't feel so weighed down by all the junk I was eating. Going strict again has led to new recipe discoveries, like my new personal favorite, kale chips (thanks Katie!) I'm also going to be trying some paleo pizzas later this week.

Check back in for another week 1 update! I'll also be blogging about weeks 2 and 3. Anyone care to join me?!

Happy cleansing!

Degaje: Make Due With What You've Got

As December approaches quickly, so does the one year anniversary of my trip to Haiti with FCA. Last year, I had no idea what to expect. I had never flown in a plane before, I had never been out of the country, and I had never been put so far outside of my comfort zone. I prepared for the trip by raising donations, getting various vaccinations, and looking for guidance. Why was I going on this trip? Why was I chosen as one in a group of 30? Little did I know, this trip was going to change my life forever.

On December 28, I boarded my first flight alongside half of our group of 30. We began our journey in Charlotte, and then flew to Miami. From Miami we flew overseas to the Haitian airport Port au Prince. Arriving at the Haitian airport was extremely intimidating. Many locals earn money by loading passengers luggage, so we had men tugging and pulling at our bags constantly. I had no idea what was going on, but I held on to my luggage as best I could.





Our drive from the airport was the bumpiest and quietest 2 hour ride I've ever experienced. Cars drive on both sides of the road, so it is a constant head on situation. So many people were living in tents on the side of the road. I had no words, I was blown away by what I was witnessing. We arrived at our home for 10 days, one that is guarded and sheltered from the outside world. The house itself was so much more than we expected. It actually had air conditioning, running water, and food we recognized.

Our room that bunked 7 girls in a room together, so much fun!

During our first day in Haiti, I had no idea what my purpose was in being there. I felt homesick and I realized how reliant I was on things and people form home. I was so uncomfortable and felt so distant from everyone in the house, I felt that I was the only one experiencing hesitance and doubt. I found out later that I was wrong, but in that moment I felt extremely weak.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and we stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength {Isaiah 40:29-31}.

The second day we visited the current and new orphanage for the first time. The new Lamb Center is under construction. Visiting was a little intimidating because there were Haitian men working around the site, and they had angry looks on their faces. I felt tense and uncomfortable. Our group and the Haitian workers got into a circle and listened to passages from Matthew first in Spanish, Creole, and then English. We were given the words to "Blessed Assurance" and sang the song in both English and Creole. I have never realized how big God is until that moment, He has no language barriers.

Our first day at the current orphanage was pretty chaotic because we had not been given much instruction. I spent the day shoveling gravel and cleaning up the orphanage grounds. When I wasn't working, I was spending time with two Haitian children that had taken to me quickly. Johnny and Jeffmina stayed by my side that day, and the remainder of my time at the orphanage during the trip. Jeffmina treated me as one of her best friends. She was constantly pushing hair out of my face, teaching me words in Creole, and making sure I knew that she loved having me there. She served me more than I could ever serve her.

Our second day in Haiti was spent at the construction site. We dug a trench all day long alongside the back of the property. While looking off at the mountains I realized just how far I away I was from home. With that brings fear, and I had anxiety about being in a foreign country. Maybe it's normal for us to feel isolated when we first go on our first foreign mission, or maybe it's just me. One thing I know is that I was so homesick and all I wanted was for the Lord to comfort me. And that He did. I realized that I had been called to Haiti for a reason, and although I didn't know that reason, I knew that He would reveal that in His timing.

I had never realized just how simple life could be if we'd just let it. After one day in Haiti, my eyes had already been opened so much. The Lord had taught me just how blessed I was and how much I don't even notice it in my comfortable surrounds. The Haitian children truly have nothing. They have each other and only possess a bed that they love, and even with so little, they have so much joy.

On the last day of 2011, we spent our day at the Samaritan's Purse base in Haiti. When I heard the word "base," I couldn't help but think of an army base. I was so off. This base was once a resort, so we were right on the ocean amongst the mountains. The day was spent exploring on the beach, hanging out with one another, and trying new things (like fresh coconut). We were literally in paradise. At one point in the day a donkey and goat decided to join us on the beach. No, that is not normal, but apparently in Haiti it is!

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. {Isaiah 6:3}

To bring in 2012, we had a spectacular seafood feast that we each helped to prepare. We were well fed our entire stay in Haiti, but this night was one for the books. We had options of hot dogs, hamburgers, and fresh lobster tail along with various fresh sides. After dinner we thought it'd be a great idea to return the unused lobsters back into the ocean, well, let's just say it was turned into a fun game. We watched Iron Man 2 on the big screen under the cabana. Soon after the movie was finished I headed to our compound to journal for a little while. I loved having so much time to reflect on the trip. We were told that there was a huge surprise for us at midnight -- so I made sure to journal quickly so I wouldn't miss out.

It had taken a few days, but I finally felt comfortable in Haiti. My friends had become family, and our temporary housing had become a home. I will never forget the relief I felt in that moment, the moment where I finally felt at peace with my purpose in being in Haiti. Sure, it was tough thinking about all my friends at home celebrating the New Year together, but I was in Haiti. That's a once in a life time shot, and the Lord blessed me with that opportunity.

With less than an hour left to bring in the new year, we all headed out on the beach. We lit 2012 on fire, literally.

We watched it glow, and as soon as the clock struck 12 there was a huge fireworks display. I'll never forget how bright the stars were, it was such a beautiful backdrop to all of the fireworks. We sang "Deep deep, oh deep down down, deep down in my heart, I LOVE YOU JESUS" to bring in the New Year. This song had been the soundtrack to our trip. We sang it almost daily with the children and the Haitian works, it was our special way of celebrating our love for Jesus all in one language.

We spent the next few hours shagging away under the cabana. Our wonderful friend and mentor, Nat, had wanted to learn how to shag. So naturally, we made it our mission to teach him how to dance. New Years was his time to shine, and he showed us just how much he had learned. I couldn't have asked for a better new years in a better place or with better people.

The next day we spent with the children. Jeffmina braided my hair and Johnny wrote me letters and drew me pictures. They are so selfless, so joyful, and such a blessing. These two will forever hold a special place in my heart. I never would have guessed that my heart would open up so much for children I had just met.

That night, January 1, Nat and Tom devoted our evening to worship to bring in 2012 the right way. We spent time signing and between a few songs we would open it up for prayer. In this moment, the Lord was breaking my heart for what breaks His. There are so many people in the world who don't know Jesus, and we who have been saved have been sent unto all of the world to be alight in their lives. We discussed how the Chinese have to worship at a mere whisper, and we so easily take our freedom to sing for granted. It's moments like these that make me realize just how good God is. He is our Father in ALL of the world, not just in America.

Nat decided to take groups of 10 to the mountains each day. I went on the second trip, but the first group did a great job on keeping the surprise a secret. I'll let the pictures do the talking..

Each little piece of blue is a Samaritan's Purse tarp. Each of these homes have been restored or built by SP. How amazing is that?

 The locals from the village came up to the mountain top with us. The children were not as open or affectionate as the children at the orphanage, but they still enjoyed spending time with us.

The next few days were spent at the current orphanage and the construction site. To recap these days, I thought I'd just mention the tasks we completed for the new Lamb Center Orphanage. We lined the back wall of the orphanage with steel and rebar. I became a rebar expert (not really but I'd like to think so), and I spent my time with some of the Haitian men at a table tying rebar over and over. It was a tiring job, but I loved getting to speak with each of them about their family and their relationship with the Lord. I'll never forget when Eric, one of my new found friends, introduced me to one of the other men as "This is Jessi, my friend, and my sister in Christ." That was such a special moment.

Another big job for us was to level the ground for cement slabs. These slabs were going to hold various trailers that would be used for medical and storage purposes. I remember looking over the rocky area thinking that it was an impossible job. We each took hold of a shovel and started digging. Rocks on rocks on rocks. It definitely wasn't impossible. It's amazing how quickly we finished that portion, and moved on to pouring cement. I have so much respect for what these workers do every day, because we were all exhausted by the end of the day. I've got to say, looking at the finished product was such an amazing feeling. We helped to provide this for the orphanage, something that will forever have our stamp on it.

I would steal moments while we were working just to feel the sun on my skin. It was so amazing to feel the hot sun in the middle of December. Plus, I got a pretty good tan.. and burnt.

Every day was a job well done. It was always tough and very physically demanding, but it was always so rewarding to see our work turn into a success. During our stay in Haiti, we organized our house, helped lay the foundations for the back wall for the orphanage, poured the cement slabs. Of course, that is only the physical labor we did. Our time was mostly spent with the children and the Haitians, we built so many wonderful relationships with them.

Our last day in Haiti was so bittersweet. I couldn't believe that I would no longer be in the warm weather the next day, that I'd be back in the US, that I'd get to see my mom and Braden again. At the same time, I knew that I would probably never see Jeffmina and Johnny again. I wasn't ready to leave. I wasn't ready to leave the wonderful community of people, Haiti's beautiful surroundings, or the simplicity of it all. Nat told us to take mental pictures, to save the moment, and those words rang in my ears our final hours in Haiti.

That night we sang "I've got peace, love, joy, and righteousness in the Holy Spirit." There is so much truth in that song. I will always find peace, love, joy, and righteousness when I'm walking in step with the Lord. From this experience I have learned that my joy knows no bounds. The Haitians went through a catastrophic earthquake, and still they have so much joy. This trip has signified relationship building at it's finest. I made so many new wonderful friendships, and strengthened those that were already in existance.

Simplicity is they key. God is so loud and clear when there are no distractions - but I wondered how that would carry over back home. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but looking back, I know that the Lord totally blessed me this year and filled me with courage and boldness. Haiti encouraged me to be uncomfortable, to be patient, and to be bold.

I am so thankful that I was blessed with this opportunity. The friendships I made in Haiti have continued throughout this year, and I know that they will continue to grow. Each member of our Haiti team will forever hold a special place in my heart. To Nat and Tom: I am forever grateful for their wisdom and guidance, but most of all, I am thankful for their friendship. We learned the word "degaje," and it means to make due with what you have. Friends, we are all blessed more than we realize. Make due with what you have every day, be thankful for your blessings, and don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.

Jezu renmen ou. Jesus loves you. Au Revoir.