Preparation

Hola!

As you may or may not know I am in Seattle right now studying Art Therapy. Since being in Seattle and becoming re-dedicated to my Christian faith, I have been thinking about doing missionary work. For the past year, I have felt a strong pull to move forward with this desire. More recently I realized that I could not put it on hold any longer. I made the decision to push pause on my graduate studies and go forward with this desire to help others and share the love I believe Christ has for them.

One thing led to the next and before I knew it, I was being directed to serve in South America. I have begun to invest myself in this trip in hopes of having the best possible experience, both for myself and for all those I come in contact with. I have taken it upon myself to learn conversational Spanish (it is still very much a work in progress!), as well as learn about the culture and lifestyle of the people I will be serving.

Thus far, I have not purchased my plane tickets. I am hoping to depart the States the beginning of July. Will update as soon as the dates get established.

During my time I will be volunteering at orphanages in Bolivia and Peru, two of the most poverty-stricken countries in South America. I have been invited to do Art Therapy with the children at a Christian orphanage in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and have also made a contact with an American family who opened a Christian orphanage in Cusco, Peru that is in need of a lot of support. I will be serving at these two places and I hope to learn of more opportunities both before departing and also after arriving.

Around Valentines Day, I stumbled upon this verse which in full reads:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” –Isaiah 52.7

I did not know then how this verse would carry with me for months ahead. This is what it means to be a missionary. Men and women use their feet to take the love of Christ to others so that others might know the peace, happiness, salvation, and comfort found in God.

While I believe we can be those beautiful feet where we are stationed, I feel called to take my feet abroad.