a little about me and why I decided to go on this trip

               So I'm not sure if all of you know this but just last tuesday i picked up my older brother Cody from the airport as he just got back from his trip, The World Race. Cody is one of the main reasons why I decided go go on my trip!
              I grew up in a christian home with three older brothers, my Mom is mennonite and my Dad is Catholic. So I grew up a Christian, We went to church every Sunday and I accepted Christ into my heart at a young age. But as I got older I started making a few wrong decisions that lead me away from Christ. Starting in middle school and contunuing into highschool I started to party alot and not act the way a follower of Christ should. I still attened church every sunday but that was only becuase it was required of me by my parents. Through out highschool I had a solid group of good Christian friends but They werent my only friends, so i started drifting away from them. I hung out more with my brothers friends and the party crowd. After highschool i lost contact with all my Christian friends, and my life was working, going to school and drinking. Then when my Brother last April decided he was going on a mission trip for a year i was shocked, and very upset with him. My brother cody is my best friend and i couldnt belive that he was leaving us for a whole year! That was very upsetting for me becuase he was always the one to look after me when i went out and keep me safe and out of trouble. So last summer it was like i was free of his prtection and I was drinking everyweekend and alot during the week too, hanging out with the wrong crowd. Then in Decemeber I got the news that my father was diagnosed with bladder cancer. It was a really hard time for me and my family, specially becuase my brother and best friend wasnt there through it. So then in february when dad started Chemo, Cody surpised us and came home from the Race to be with dad through his first few treatments. That was a huge blessing to our family. Those two weeks I had so much time to talk with my brother and reconnect with him. He got me to apply for this trip in that time! I was so excited to leave, but as time lead on my excitment deminished and I was not longer planning on going. I was scared to leave my family and mostly my father for this amount of time when he was still recovering (he had to get his bladder removed). But mostly i was scared to change, I had build this reputation for myself in this small town as the "party girl" and i was scared people would judge me and wouldnt want to be my friend if they found out i was going on a mission. But the biggest blessing of all came from my mother who was talking about cody's trip to one of my friends mothers. My friend Colten got interested in the trip and he decided to sign up, once he told me that i was so excited to go again becuase i would have some support and a good friend to help me through this great adventure! I am so excited but still a little nervous to see what God has instore for me this coming year, and I am so thankful that He brought Colten here as well! I pray that I can learn lots from the people i am going with and get reconnected with God through this experence.