Off to the Bukid.

Monday.
I will be MIA for one whole month. 
from November 2nd to December 2nd.


WHY?

we are being sent to the mountains for an outreach.
to practice our Cebuano that we have learned. 
experience living like our patients. 
meet God in places of darkness. 
health education for children.
surveys for understanding maternal demographics in the villages. 
fellowship. 
encouragement. 
Spiritual growth. 
strengthening relationships with the girls I am living life with. 

This will be a stretching & refining for me. 
We will only take what we can fit in our backpacks. 
Cooking food over a fire. 
sleeping under a mosquito net. 
Digging a hole...

I cant wait. 
I am so excited to learn to cook with foods I have never seen before.
Sleeping on the floor, having a slumber party every night with my friends and bugs. 
Not worrying about if I smell bad or am sweaty (which I am always sweaty) 
Going on hikes from one village to the next. 
Swimming in the river. 
Mastering the squat position.

I can't wait to meet God in places of peace and renewal. 

Discovering Him in all His beautiful creations. 

Seeking the Holy Spirit in difficult situations.

Spending time in communication all day, 

giving thanks and praying for guidance.

I ask for prayers personally and for our team. 
- That we will have Spiritual growth in ways we never imagined.
- We will feel the presence of God and the Holy Spirit in the villages we visit and the homes we will enter. 
- For our health, that Gods hand of protection will be over us while we travel and that our bodies will have strength the whole month. 
- The softening of hearts whom those we will encounter and have conversations with. That God will prepare those individuals. 
- That the devil will not win, and that there will be no fear in what has been put before us. 
- The right words be put on our hearts and tongues especially the right words in Cebuano as most will not understand english. That the last 8 weeks of language school will be remembered and we will be able to understand and grasp the new words we will be learning and speaking. 

** Personally I am really wanting to be intentional with the leading of the Holy Spirit and listening to His guidance and teachings. As we will not have any technology with us, this will be a month of fasting from social media. Without these distractions I want to hear God and see Him in new ways through this time of stretching & going outside of my box and comfort zone. 

>>> I am excited for this adventure. 

>>> For this time to grow and strengthen my relationships with the girls who I have come to trust so deeply. 

>>> To grow deeper in love with God and to see the beauty that He is giving me to remember for the rest of my life.

>>> Developing an understanding of how to better relate to the women who I will come into relation with as a midwife and how to share the incredible love that our God has for them and their babies.

I ask if you remember, to pray for me. For the 5 other girls and their Spiritual walk with God during this next month. For a protection that can only be from God and His Angels. 

Wisdom for our translators. Open hearts of everyone we will meet. 

So if you wonder why I am MIA from facebook, my blogs, & instagram. 

--->>> that is why. <<<---

Cant wait to share with you what God allowed us to 

experience while we are in the bukid. 

{{ Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving. }}
I am so so very thankful for each and everyone of you who reads this blog. who supports me through prayer. who graciously supports me financially. and to all who love me so well in my lifes adventure. 
I couldn't do this without YOU. and I thank God for your amazing hearts that He has allowed me to get to know and care for. 




Thank you to my amazing family for your never ending love and prayers. I am so thankful that I have you by side. Cant wait to see you all next summer and to share this island && all the beautiful places it has to offer with you. I love you. 

Well...
Until December.

In Christ's Love
Emily Elizabeth

Grace Towards Self.

Grace towards self. 

This one is a hard one. 
Not going to lie I am dreading writing this. I am asking God for the right words to say. 

ready. 


Having grace towards yourself I believe is forgiveness to its fullest. 
learning to accept Gods forgiveness, then forgiving yourself which in turn will allow you to forgive others. 

Forgiving yourself is hard. 
its not apart of our world. as we are always trying to place blame or bury things down so deep that it takes years to come back up and finally tackle what it was we tried so hard to forget. Which usually is harder to deal with. 

We have faults. do you hear that. 
WE ALL HAVE FAULTS.
none of us are perfect. 

We can find forgiveness right there when we put ourselves on a pedestal. 
Allowing room for mistakes. For doing things the wrong way not only the first but fifth time. 
That is the beauty of the grace that we have from God. 
it shows us that its okay to have grace towards ourself. 
To allow room for mistakes. 
So that we don't beat ourselves down so much that we are not able to fully enjoy this one life that we have here on earth. 

Its in those moments where our faith grows just a bit.
Not only in God but in ourself. 

We begin to be comfortable with who we are,
our choices, our body, our decisions, our relationships, our food choices, our style, our discomforts. 

Maybe we are to critical?
Its good to have high standards in some areas of our life but when we have ones that are out of our reach, that we will never be able to achieve, they just make us feel kind of like a loser, then it seems like our failed attempt is always thrown right back in our face. 
You hear the laughter. 
why do we do that to ourself? 

Let grace shine into those times. To be reminded that we don't have to be perfect because God doesn't call us to be perfect, He calls us to love the imperfect in us and everyone. Because He is our creator. 
Thank goodness that He IS perfect.

 “God, God, a God of mercy and grace, endlessly patient—so much love, so deeply true—loyal in love for a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. " 

Exodus 34:6 MSG

We will never have smoothed out edges. and I personally am thankful for that. Always growing, learning, and always being refined. 

I am thankful for seasons of refinement. 
Knowing that God wants me to draw close to Him and discover something new. 
A peace in His lessons He is teaching me that will in turn produce fruit one day. 

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me." John 15:1-4

If we remain in Him, truly in Him. Then we will have complete fulfillment. We will not only have grace towards ourself because we know that it is allowing us to be refined but we will be able to give ourselves more to those who we live our lives with. 

Forgiving your past I think is something we all struggle with. Forgiving ourselves for making mistakes that seem to always tug on our hearts. Those times that we are always reminded of too often and feel so vivid as if they happened yesterday. I wish I could go back and make different decisions. But at the same time I am thankful that God has allowed me to learn & grow from them. They have shaped me into who I am today. Given me insight to give that little bit of wisdom if you might say to others who are in the same situation. 

Yes its hard to forgive myself for those mistakes. But God is sovereign. He is SO full of forgiveness and redemption. He is using me. Using my past. For the future of others. 

So my friends. If you have parts of your life your not happy with. Surrender them to God. Ask Him today to show you how to begin forgiving yourself. Ask Him to use them in the future. To produce fruit in others lives. To use the bad memories for those conversations that point to the good decisions of someone else's future

. 

Begin to love yourself. To find what it means to honestly love who you were created to be. 

Seek forgiveness in areas of your life that are holding you back from living a life filled with pure joy. 

I am very far from loving myself wholeheartedly. But I am getting there. 

 I want to see myself the way He sees me. 

And I want to see you so in love with Jesus. 

Serving Him. 

Complete in Him. 

Finding rest in His arms.

In Christ's Love

Emily Elizabeth

** Finished our Language school this last friday. It was bittersweet as we will miss our teachers but not our 3 hour commute each day! 

** All of the pictures on this blog are from our graduation party this last friday! 

** I will be gone the whole month of November... Blog after this one I will explain where and what I will be doing as I wont be able to be reached for 1 month. 

Prayer Requests:

- A new energy as we transition from going to school 5 days a week to preparing to spend a month in the mountains. 

- Continual growth in the relationships with those I am living in community with here

Mid 20's.

THANK YOU.

to everyone who thought of me on the 15th of this last week.
my birthday.
my 24th birthday.

officially.
I am in my mid 20's now. 

I have never felt so much love.

honestly. 

from all around the world.

it was an amazing, kind of overwhelming feeling.

a V-8 moment.

I am so incredibly blessed by all who I get to share life with. 
Those that God has allowed our paths to cross.
To learn from. 
To love. 
To support. 

I have an amazing family.

amazing friends.

amazing community. 

In the US, Australia, Haiti, Europe and now the Philippines. 

Tuesday: Went out to my favorite restaurant for dinner with a few girls. It was delicious. also got tofu cheesecake << sounds weird but my it was delicious and creamy.


Wednesday: I started off my day by waking up to homemade cinnamon roles && under the sea decorations (I have always wanted a little mermaid party), also got to spend some much needed time journaling reflecting on the last year, what I learned & remember my many memories then make goals for this next year, Spending time with God is so rejuvenating. then went to immigration... what fun, then soaked up the sun poolside with my roomie and then supported my friend with a first time experience milestone.... but that is secret : )


Thursday: Showered with love from my teachers at language school, shaved some coconuts & made Bico aka sticky rice. oh and it was purple to <<< my favorite color. & took a long walk on the beach soaking up Gods beauty.


Today (sunday): the lovely ladies that I live my life with here made a yummy cake << that of which I haven't tried yet since its only 2pm. and I think we are planning on going bowling tonight : ) I just love celebrating more of which just spending time with people.

I got a box full of heart clenching words from my dear friends, an espresso maker, paintings from my niece and nephew, Lara bars, glow in the dark stars && fall candles. I was crying my eyes out reading all the cards and giving God thanks for the people He has put in my life through the last 24 years. 

THANK YOU for making this an amazing birthday. 

for making me feel so valued.

couldn't do this without your support.

&& Love. 

In Christ's Love

Emily Elizabeth

17 Again. >> words from a mother.

God put a craving in my heart to learn more what its like to become a mother at such a young age.

to be able to love that much more. 
the amazing, strong, warriors that I will be supporting.
their babies that I will be guiding into this world. 
the mothers whose young age doesn't define them anymore.
but their love, strength, and sacrifice that they have for their babies do. 
They are the mothers who break barriers of the title they are given. 
and show this world that women are more then capable & strong at any age.

Thank you.
not only for loving your child.
but encouraging all those young mothers around the world who don't think they can do it.
I pray for you daily.
for those sweet moments with your snuggle bug, for those moments alone of rest and rejuvenation you so deserve, and for those moments you fall further in love with being a mother.

Here are words from a friend who I grew up with. I remember so many fun memories with Kirsten, one of which I will always remember her love for pigs.

She is inspiring, so encouraging and I am so proud of the woman and mother she has become.

To be a Teenager  Again:

Growing up I was the same as any other high school girl. I was lucky that I had an extremely supportive and loving family, was part of a competitive dance group and spent a lot of time with my friends. I also had a few boyfriends, including the one who changed my life forever. Most weekends you could find me out with my friends at parties, which lead to me having sex for my first time at only 13 years old. My parents had talked to me about the consequences of sex and I had even taken a Child Psychology class in high school that taught me more about sex prevention and children. However, I was naïve, stuck in the mindset “that won’t happen to me, things like that don’t happen to girls like me.”

It DID Happen to Me:

I quickly learned my mentality was wrong. The beginning of my senior year, at just 17 years old I became pregnant. Things seemed to be on a downward spiral after that. I had to quit dance, finish high school as a pregnant teen, the ONLY pregnant teen in school, and was unable to do the same things my friends were doing. My life revolved around going to doctors’ appointments and resting whenever I could find time between school and homework.  I was no longer with my boyfriend; instead I was exhausted, scared and extremely alone. My family was very supportive, but I wanted my old life back, I wanted to be able to do the things every other 17-year-old girl was doing.

24+ Hours of Pain:

After 9 months and 10 days of being pregnant I was induced. My mom stayed with me for the entire 24+ hours I was in labor as my only support system aside from the nurses and doctors. After what seemed like forever, I finally delivered the most beautiful, precious baby girl. Whether I knew it or not, this little girl was going to change my life…forever. 

I quickly learned through trial and error and with the help of nurses and family members how to care for her and meet her needs. However, I did not have it all figured out. Even though my baby was born, I was still beyond scared. My life was changing before my eyes and there was no reverse button. Little did I know, my life was just beginning.

My New Life:

Life with my baby girl was a completely new existence. As all my friends left for college, I was living at my mom’s house tending to my baby 24/7. Although I loved her with every ounce of my being, my life was different than my friends and I was still lonely. My nights were without sleep and days were spent juggling motherhood and going to school online. With the ongoing support from my family I was able to go to college online during the day and work in the evenings, along with everything else on my plate. I also went to high schools to speak about pregnancy prevention with other teen girls. This allowed me to share my story and experiences, hopefully helping other girls chose and easier path in life. My life was beyond draining, but it was not impossible. I was determined to make the best life for my baby and I that I could. 

5 Years Later:

Looking back on the last 5 years of my life is truly amazing. I am able to celebrate completing college, having a job and providing a house for my family. Raising my child as a single mother was not and still is not easy, in fact it has been the hardest thing I have ever done, but it is also the most rewarding. Our lives are extremely busy and I face new challenges every week, but I am not alone. I have the most wonderful support system in the world and an amazing, beautiful, sassy little 5-year-old. I am not able to provide everything I would like for my family, but I am working towards it every day.

**My advice to other teen moms:

- Do NOT do it alone. Find support where ever you can and accept help from others. 

-Do not give up on your dreams, although they may take longer to achieve, you can do anything you set your mind to. 

~ Kirsten 

Thank you Kirsten for being an amazing mother. 

For opening up and allowing others to read about your life. 

You have one lucky daughter. She is going to look back and be so thankful for all the sacrifices you made on her behalf. 

Please pray for Kirsten and her daughter. for protection. endurance. guidance. and the continual growth of their mother daughter bond that is so special. 

Please pray for all those mothers right now who are in labor, who are about to meet their baby for the first time. Pray for an immense overwhelming love with that first cry. For healing of their body. And continual strength in this lifelong journey.

To all you mothers. 

You are rockstars. 

and I can't wait to be one with you someday. 

In Christ's Love

Emily Elizabeth

Grace from God.

Quote from When Helping Hurts:
--- >>> Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation.

I absolutely love this book for anyone and everyone who is in the business of empowering those around us and loving through any kind of

ministry. 

but I am going to do a mini blog series on...
Grace from God
Grace for self
Grace for others
Grace for rest of creation

So today.
Grace from God.

What does that mean? What is grace? and why the heck is God so willing to pour out his grace on our sinful dirty broken lives?

definition of Grace: 

•  Simple elegance or refinement of movement

•  The free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.

[[ Synonyms: acceptance, generosity, kindness, favor, approval. ]]

__ What is grace from God? How would you define it? __

>>> ME. I have never sat down and pondered about what grace, especially grace from God really is/means until now, until moving to the Philippines. Its just something that is always said. "Give them grace... Oh you gotta have grace in all situations.... God showers us with grace so shower them with grace..." 

I am learning to give grace to others which in return I am really seeing what God's grace has looked like and is looking like in my life. 

But what does it mean to give grace, to shower others with grace and better yet to be showered with Gods grace? 

Acceptance --- Generosity --- Kindness --- Favor --- Approval. 

+ God accepts me for who I am. My sins, my brokenness, my selfish living. He calls me His daughter, I am a part of the Body of Christ. He takes me and loves me for ALL that I am. Past Present & future. 

--->>> How many of you can say that you accept others with flaws? maybe a few. but it is sure hard and I know that since my human flesh judges & holds grudges I will never be able to accept confidently without God's help in breaking those barriers and uncovering my eyes to look into the persons heart and accept them for who God has created and sees them. 

1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)

" most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, 

for love covers a multitude of sins. 

Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay." 

+ God has an unfavorable amount of generosity towards my life. Blessing me with beautiful sunsets, children's contagious laughter, memories with family & friends. Also so incredibly generous when I make mistakes, wrong decisions & things that clearly do not line up with His desires. He gives me a generous amount of leeway : ) oh how thankful

--->>> When I think about generosity I think about being generous with my time, money & skills. Giving people more and more of myself. I love this. I love giving myself, even just the little things. I love cooking for others, spending time listening, cleaning up the house, buying coffee or ice cream. This brings so much joy in being able to give myself to those the way Jesus gave Himself for me. even though none of those compare to what He did with His life on the cross. Something about serving others, there is just a wonderful feeling in putting others first.

Romans 5:17 (msg)

"If death got the upper hand through one man’s wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides?"

+ Kindness goes far. 

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” 

Mark Twain

--->>> Why not be kind? why be bitter? unhelpful? unloving? This seems like it would be more exhausting to do these things towards others instead of loving without ceasing. 

2 Timothy 2:24 

"a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, 

be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people." 

+ Favor is defined as an act of kindness beyond what is due or unusual. To find favor upon someone or something is a humbling experience. Putting the persons desires before your's and going out of your comfort to make them feel that much more special. 

--->>> Its hard. its really really hard to find favor upon those who have hurt you, given you deep scars, broken you down to someone who can't even recognize. But if we are to ever make it out of this world alive and with a strong beating heart we need to find favor & forgiveness to those individuals. If I can do this I know you can. It might be unusual to them as why we are bringing them some baked yummies or they find a letter in the mail addressed to them that has words of appreciation written inside. But its worth it. and you will find healing and reconciliation. 

1 Corinthians 15:10

" But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out His special favor on me- and not without results. For i have worked harder then any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by His grace."

+ Approval is something we all crave & desire from those around us in our lives. Maybe even from those we have yet to meet aka I do from my future husband : ) Its something that is engrained into our culture.... can I go to even say our world? or in everything? We are always seeking out approval from our parents, friends, boss, coworkers, classmates, the cashier at the grocery store, the always perfectly accessorized girls at Nordstrom (no pun intended to those who know our family history ), from the girl running on the treadmill two down from you, the other moms at school, the lady waxing your legs, the guys stooped up at the bar. Lets face it, it is apart of who we are and we thrive on knowing if we get the approval of that person, that clique, those people who you desire to connect with. WHY is it like this. I struggle and I know others do to with this. Unfortunate tragedy happens when we take being "approved" to far. 

--->>> this is something that has controlled my life, and I am slowly receiving healing from this constant yearning to be perfect for others. Who am I kidding, I will never be perfect but only in the eyes of my Creator. This is a humble and comforting feeling that I don't have to strive to be anyone else but me, Emily Elizabeth Schoneman, because that is exactly who God has made me to be. Flaws and all : ) I am learning to embrace me. 

Ephesians 1:7-10(MSG)

"Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth."

Getting down to it. Grace is love in every way, to everyone, and through everything. God is Love. so therefore God has accepted us for who we are; flaws and all. He generously gave us His Son to die on the cross for our sins so that we have a way to come back to Him. His kindness transcends on every path we take; whether His desires or ours, He gives us a kindness that anyone can understand, feel & know. He gives us favor in situations when we come to Him seeking direction. He allows us to give that favor to others and then bless us when the time is right. His approval is the only one we should be seeking because He is the one who created us and to live a life worthy is something we should be striving for, His approval of a life well lived, we get a big thumbs up when we meet Him face to face. 

{{ We can not do this alone. We can't give grace to others without fully understanding }}

{{ what it means for us to receive Gods grace. }}

"My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I get a picture of me, in a boat, in a storm ( there is a wonderful story in the Bible about this ) and there is God, out of His love & desire for my heart, throws out a rope that has just a little extra length on the end to make sure that I will grab it no matter what. He gives me that extra length of grace because He doesn't want to lose me. So I take it with both hands and I don't let got. I might lose my grip and slide back a few inches but there is more then a mile of rope behind me. 

:: I can look back on the last 24 years of my life and see those times where He continued to give me the extra rope. I am beyond thankful that He never stopped reeling it out to me. That His Angels were covering me with protection so that my boat could get to the place I am now. I know I still have plenty more storms but I am confident that God will NEVER let me go because His grace is sufficient, it is all that I need in this world. ::

>> So.
>>Do you feel His grace?
>>Do you understand how incredibly special you are to Him that He continues to cover our lives with grace?
>>He keeps forgiving and then forgetting to keep us moving forward on the path He has chosen for us.

"The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. 

He showers compassion on all His creation." 

Psalm 145:8-9

He wants to love you, hold you, whisper how much He desires your heart in your ear. 
Show you how special, perfect & one of a kind you are in this world. 
Remember that. 
Hold that close to your heart. 
Read it in His words, His promises. 
Give Him thanks for who you are in Him.
For His acceptance, generosity, kindness, favor & approval.
Even though we do not deserve any of it. 
He is eager to shower us with it. 

In Christ's Grace-filled Love,
Emily Elizabeth

( I am a new woman now after chopping off about 8 inches) 
hope you all like it! cause I LOVE it. esp in this heat. 

apple orchard desire.

Happy October.

~ Personally it is the 
best month of the year. ~

• Leaves start to turn into vibrant oranges, reds, burgundies & yellows.
• Morning and evening bring cool crisp weather to bundle up and sip hot coffee.
• Boot & sweater season has officially begun. 
• Apple & pumpkin EVERYTHING.
• Putting away your swim suits and bring out the jackets & hats. 
• Begin the holiday party planning. 
• Spend your day picking apples at the orchard.
• Searching for the best jack-o-lantern pumpkin. 
• Adorn your bed with a down comforter and blankets. 

and so many more splendid things to do in the fall.

and the absolute best part of October. 

ITS MY BIRTHDAY 
oct 15th if ya didn't know : ) 

those of you who know me I love celebrations and especially celebrating peoples birthdays. I love making that day so special filled with yummy baked goodies, spontaneous fun && a deep comforting feeling of knowing that there are people in that persons life who appreciate them and who God has created them to be, a thankfulness for their hearts. Who doesn't love to shower someone they genuinely care about with birthday fun?! It does only happen once a year.

[[[ This year I move categories. ]]]

>>> From being in my early 20's to now being in my mid 20's. <<<

not sure how I feel about that yet. 
But hey we all get wiser with every year right?!

Its this time of year that I miss being with my family the most. 
I was blessed to spend it with my sister and her family & community in KC last year. Celebrating halloween on 17th st, getting to fly to Florida to visit girls who I cherish & dressing up as the Incredibles was a wonderful way to spend my favorite season. oh and LOTS of food filled with apples & squash.

{{ Today was one of those days where I want to just be with my family. }}


Baked banana muffins. Made a batch of granola. Did Laundry. Cleaned my room. 
>> I wished I could have been in the kitchen baking muffins with my sister and Anna. 
>> I yearned to be mixing granola with my mom by my side. 

Laundry... well let me not get started. that will be a whole other post. Going to say that when I have a family and I am living somewhere in this world I will be investing in a washer & dryer. 

I love my family.
I love Fall.
I love the change that my body craves (to bad I will still continue to sweat)
I love knowing that holiday season is right around the corner bringing in reunions, lots of cheers & memories. 

I am going to make the best of this season. 

>>> My one request. PLEASE eat lots of apples for me. Bundle up with a mug of hot apple cider. & post pictures of the changing leaves for me. <<<

In Christ's Love. 
The girl who is craving a break from this heat & sweating. 
Emily Elizabeth


Prayer requests.
- Went to apply for my missionary visa yesterday with a few of the other girls and realized that some things were wrong so going back next week to apply. Please pray for everything to go smoothly and we will receive our visas quickly. 
- We have 3 weeks left of language school. Continue retaining of this language. 
- For me & all the girls here as we are all missing family. A comfort & special moments of being able to skype with those we love at home. 
- The mothers & babies that will be delivered at MMC this weekend/week/month. For safety & wisdom. 
- continued financial support as my Missionary visa is going to cost a little more then I expected after all of the renewals & applying. Will you pray about financially supporting Me here in the Philippines?

Updates.
- The last 2 shifts at the clinic have been so wonderful. I have seen 7 births the last 2 weekends and they have all been so amazing to see. I am beginning to become comfortable finding things in the clinic. I have become a master room & birth cart cleaner. 
- My parents made it back safe from Europe and had a blast. Thank you for your prayers of protection. Cant wait for them to come here next summer along with my sister : ) 
- Been having amazing healing over some things in my life that I have tucked away into a trunk. I am falling so in love with Jesus and that He wanted me to be right where I am through the past decade. Overwhelming feeling of comfort and realization of how He protected me.