So I never thought I would be a "blogger", but here it is my first "real" blog. It has taken me so long to actually write this thing... I mean if you think about it there is a lot of pressure that comes with the action of writing one's first entry into the blogging world. I need to be witty and interesting and actually write something with meaning that doesn't make whoever reads what I'm gonna say fall asleep... I thought about breaking down the meaning of life (I mean I can totally do that being a 21 year old college student who knows everything already...obvi) Then I heard a guy named Dan Allender speak at Cornerstone a couple of weeks ago (since then I have probably listened to the podcast of that talk about 20 times...it will rock your world...check it out http://unccornerstone.mypodcast.com/index.html). As most of those who are reading this know I am going to Ghana, West Africa this summer for four weeks to work with the people there through medical service work. I realized that the best way to begin my blog would be to tell my story of my experiences this summer in AFRICA... My story will mark me, so here it is...

I guess to understand my story of Africa I have to go back to a dream I had beginning at the age of 5 and have continued to have to this very day because it will help you understand why I am going to Africa. [My dream begins with me realizing I am floating in a muddy river holding onto an iron framed bed like the ones you would imagine being in a very poor run-down hospital. I look up and see that I am not the only one floating down this muddy river, but I begin to look around and see hundreds of African people(don't ask how I know they are African, but I just know). All of these people are laying on the iron framed hospital beds and I don't know what is wrong with them but they are all very sick. I am swimming from bed to bed in this river helping each person. I know I am supposed to be there.] I wake up from this dream every time wanting to be in Africa and I just have this feeling welling up from deep inside me that I am supposed to be there. I know that I want to help others and I want to love on people in other countries who have never had someone love on them before.

The world is in such need of people willing to show them compassion and mercy. I know this is my calling in life; my heart is showing others compassion and love through taking care of people. I feel that more than anything I want to interact with people who have nothing in common with me, and yet still show them mercy and tenderness in their time of pain each and every day. My passion for life and my passion for people in need comes together perfectly in this trip to Africa. I can not wait to show others how there is a Love that can change the world, there is a Light that shines in the darkness...

Now that you know why I am going to Africa this summer I hope that you will enjoy reading my story...