I have a condition of not being able to stay in one place for very long. Of course, I haven’t been able to travel as much as I’ve wanted to because I’m a high school student and only got a car a few months ago (’02 Pontiac Sunfire – it’s such an old, ugly car, but it gets me from point A to point B, and that’s all I want and need.)

However, when I have gotten to travel, I went to some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. I have been to Mendocino, CA. in the summertime. It’s full of natural beauty, has the freshest air I’ve ever breathed, and it’s a coastal city… I’m planning on visiting again someday. I have been to Albuquerque, NM in the winter. It has amazing mountains, covered with the first snow I had ever seen in my life. And I’ve travelled to Pennsylvania. I won’t narrow it down to one town, I’ve been all over and all of it is gorgeous. I haven’t been many places, but that’s changing soon.

After high school, my plans don’t include going to college or heading straight into the workforce. Around the time the rest of the class of 2016 will be starting their lives at a university/workplace, I’ll be heading to South America for a 28-month mission trip. I’m excited and anxious for this adventure to begin and have been preparing both spiritually with constant prayer, talking to God about what I need to do and what I need to work on, and logistically with tons… and TONS of paperwork… It has literally been endless. This trip I’m taking is with a group called Extreme Nazarene. I attend Orange First Church of the Nazarene on MLK and found out about this group over this past summer.

For the first 14-18 weeks there, I will be intensively studying Spanish in the morning and taking Bible classes in the afternoon. After that period of time, I’ll go to whichever South American country the group decides to send me to. Upon arriving, I’ll meet the family I’ll be living with for the next 2 years, and 14-15 other people who are on my team. After that, the rest of the group and I will set out to meet the locals and introduce our theology to them and hopefully bring them to Christ. After teaching them what we know about how to reach people, their mission is to go out and do the same.

This past weekend I went to Trevecca Nazarene University to take classes preparing me for missions and to interview for Extreme. I learned a lot in the classes, and will know in about a week and half whether or not I’ve been accepted to go. I’m nervous and anxious, but am overall excited for whatever is in my future. Whether it is the mission trip or something else, I know everything will work out for the best.