Why September 25 is a significant day.

Two years ago.

Two years ago today I left the country for half a year to pursue an adventure in missions. Two years ago today I left my family and friends for six months. Two years ago today I did something that I had planned on doing for over a year. Two years ago today I left for Newcastle today to complete a discipleship training school with YWAM.

I can't even believe it's been that long. Two years does not seem like it's gone by. I'm a completely different person today than I was two years ago. I mean, I'm a completely different person than I was six months ago too.

For this blog post, I want to post a few pictures from my trip that marked a significant changing point in my life.

This picture is from a day center in Riga, Latvia. This day was significant for me because it reminded me of times I felt like these kids--lonely, hopeless, sad. And it also reminded me that although things might seem dark, there is hope in the Lord.

This was one of the days that we were trying to raise the rest of the funds for our outreach. We were spending the day in worship and prayer. It was around this time that I received word that someone had anonymously donated $1200 (exactly the amount I needed for outreach) to me. This was the day that I really saw God's provision right at work!

This girl. This girl represents God's ability to change hearts. This night was the night that I saw that at work. That's all I will say :)

This was the day that I spent homeless. I slept on a train with newspaper to keep me warm. I ate crackers and expired chips for dinner. I walked around the beach and prayed for people. This day changed my life and my perspective.

This was the first day I got to explore a bit of Australia. My beautiful friend Emma let us stay with her for a few days before DTS started. We went to this zoo and got to feed kangaroos. I was in bliss. This was the beginning of my dreams coming true!

This might have been one of the most significant days of my life. My friend Manu and I got to talk with a cross-dresser we met in the red light district of Sydney. This was also the day (I think) that I gave my purity ring away to a homeless, heroine-addicted woman. It was beautiful. If you want to read more about this day, go to 

http://gloriouslyforgiven.blogspot.com/2013/01/living-like-jesus-loving-prostitutes.html 

This was the day after we arrived in Moldova. I was in culture shock for a few days. But God showed me that His light was bright enough to shine in the darkest of places.

This was the day I decided to go to Latvia/Moldova on outreach. This was a hard decision for me because I couldn't decide between there or Thailand. This was the time that God showed me that He doesn't necessarily show me directly what He wants me to do, but He allows me to make my own decisions all the while trusting in Him.

This day Katie, Jess, and I were able to teach kids English in a village in Moldova. Little did I know that this day would play a significant role in a decision in my life two years later.

Australia, I miss you. Latvia, I miss you. Moldova, I miss you.