sorry for the delay...

As I sit here in Miami listening to the ocean I am becoming anxious about my upcoming trip. No, it most definitely is not where I thought that I would be at this time in my life. I was so set on Haiti, 6 weeks ago i was supposed to be going down to Haiti to live and work for an undetermined amount of time. That obviously was not meant to be, so here I am about to head back to South America!

As most of you know my friend Paul was wrongfully imprisoned in the Haitian penitentiary for 18 long days. Because of this and because the organizations that I have worked with previously are/were full of volunteers I started to look into other opportunities. I was determined to find a third world country that I could use my nursing skills in. Liz (a nurse that I met while in Haiti who will be in South America with me) and I started to research our options when she came across Solidarity in Action. Now, I dont know all the details because she has been so kind as to take care of all of the logistics but I do know that we are headed to Lima on Wednesday to work in a clinic. Also we will be doing some school programs such as "lice removal" and teaching basic hygiene.

Recently, as I have been thinking about my life and all of the opportunities that I have been afforded and all of the traveling that I have done, two things continue to come into my mind. I have been struggling recently, feeling like I am being pulled in two opposite directions: find a place to call home and move to a third world country and work. I think a large part of me wanting to make a "home" is because I have been close to my family and have really enjoyed the time that I have gotten to spend with all of them. I love being able to have lunch with my mom or go to DC and hang out with my sister. And now having Jonathan close too has made my decision to travel even harder. Needless to say, I am sure that I am right where I am supposed to be, right where God has placed me. So, back to those two things that I cannot forget about...speaking Spanish and going to Australia. Of all of the things in my life that I have accomplished these are two that I have yet to do.

I have a love for Latin culture and have spent many years speaking Spanish here and there but I have never become fluent...here is my chance! I have said for many years that I was going to just move to South America and stay until I could speak fluently...now is my chance! So, with all of that said I hope to accomplish my dream of speaking Spanish in the next few months! As far as going to Australia that is in the works too!!

Liz and I will be leaving on Sunday and flying into Lima where we will stay in a chalet (or so they are calling it...Liz thinks that it is going to be a castle with a moat! i will not bust her bubble since she has no idea what to expect!) and work with Solidarity for 2 weeks. After those two weeks we will meet with Paul Sebring (MMRCglobal.org) in Colombia and begin working there as well. We will blog while we are gone to keep you all informed. We would love to hear from everyone! And please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going, I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone." -Thomas Merton