my body flies to bolivia in one month, my heart's already there!

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

hola amigos!

ONE month separates me from Bolivia. It's going to be such a month of life change! Between me and these boys are 1. an english paper, an education project, and an english exam 2. a stellar trip to Germany I am SUPER exicted about going on! 3. a full-fledged Halbersleben family reunion at my college graduation, which we haven't had in years 4. my graduation 5. two of my close friends marrying each other a week after graduation, and 6. a week with my family together "just the 5 of us!"



I am SO lucky to have these opportunities. I have even already raised 35% of the support for Bolivia and my next step after that, the Falls Church Fellowship. I have a loving family, a supportive community I am surrounded by, and life experiences that have shaped me to who I am today. These children I am about to go love on have experienced more hardship and trial at their young age than I have in my life. It's just not fair.

I had a conversation with a wonderful woman and mentor of mine earlier this week, who has been to the Life Center before, and she was sharing with me some of the meaning this trip had for her in the grand scheme of her life. This trip was the starting platform for many other service trips she has taken, including a medical mission trip to Africa she just returned from. What she has learned in her time was that whatever you plan for yourself NEVER happens the way you play it out. So for this month leading up to Bolivia, I want to be open. Open to unthought ways I can be of help and service to the folks at the orphanage. Open to what I am going to learn. Open to new experiences. Open to letting go of the control and organization I want to have over it.

ONE MONTH! the countdown begins! =)