A bit of my city living

I thought I appreciated things and that I was aware of the little things in life.

Until now.

Life in Pennsylvania.  Life in the city.  It has revealed a couple things I never realized were so wonderful.

Things like - a driveway.

Don't take it for granted, that long/short slim stretch of cement/gravel/dirt/anything right outside your house that is always open and ready.  It's convinience offers a quick dash to the house in case of rain or freezing cold, the opportunity to wash your car, clean out your car... and last but not least, a short trek with an armload of groceries.

But on the flip side of things, City Parking (i.e. street parking)  has improved my paralell parking skills by the upwards of 100%.  Not to mention my left arm gets daily workouts as I finagle an armload of groceries/random junk, all the while my right hand has become very deft at reaching for the keys and unlocking doors in a rather short amount of time.  And while the wind howls its chilly breeze I may or may not consider myself a hero as I square my shoulders and walk a block and a half to my car in the rain/cold/snow.

And shall we mention laundry appliances?

What happens when you live your whole life with a washing machine and dryer in your basement, a literal 30 sec walk away?  You get spoiled, that's what.  And let's not even mention a sister who will do wash, dry, fold and put away your laundry on occasion.

BUT, on the flip side.  A laundromat can be very relaxing as you're forced to sit and wait for an hour as your clothes flip and spin through the clear doors.  It causes you to think twice before you throw your favorite sweater in the laundry basket, because of course you wait until the basket is overflowing and you can get your money worth out of the big industrial size machines.

So go wash your favorite sweater in a load by itself, just because you can.  Actually don't.  Because that would be wasteful.  And when you finally have to pay things like water heating bills, you start to notice things like that, too.

I think I was spoiled my whole life long.  Just tell that to thirteen-year-old me.  Ha.

Just the beginning...

"It is a safe thing to trust Him to fulfills the desires which He creates." - Amy Carmichael 

 Waiting for a basketball game sitting on bleachers, my eyes wandered up to a hanging banner.  A forlorn picture of a little girl stared at me and the banner's message declared a quote I will never forget.

"No Girl Should Be For Sale."

Several months passed before I finally looked up Tiny Hands International to learn just what they were all about.  It only took a few minutes before I clicked the "volunteer" button.

A small dream was born inside my heart.

I wanted to travel to Kathmandu, Nepal.  I wanted to work with the current missionaries to see what overseas work was really like, to be imerssed in a foreign culture and dish out hugs like they were going out of style; to live the love of Jesus in practical ways.

Tiny Hands works in a variety of ways with poverty, street children and human trafficking.  The latter kept coming back over and over again.  I began to research.

My small dream grew.

I learned about a six week missions trip - entitled Tiny Hands VisionTeam - where members of the team jump into Nepali culture head first, work with the ministires of Tiny Hands, spend time with partnering organizations and are immersed in the culture and happenings of Kathmandu.

Could my ever-growing dream become reality?

I prayed, consulted and finally began the application process. After several months {including a lost application, Skype interviews and a move across the country} I received an email of congratulations!  I had been chosen, along with eight other girls, to be a member of the 2015 VisionTeam.

My dream morphs into reality.

In an effort to share this exciting, daunting and God-given opportunity with you, I've started a blog specifically for my Nepal trip.  Before, during and after, I'll be posting regular updates.  I would love to have you join me over HERE. Or

If you're inclined to social media, please feel free to "like" and "follow" my new Facebook Page.

This current blog will still be updated with random posts of my life - just as it is now.  So if you want info, pictures and prayer requests in regards to my summer trip, please click the link on the side bar.

Have a lovely Saturday!