luckiest girl in the world!

I am feeling so grateful and so lucky this week.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how lucky I am that I get to have lived in Hawaii for my first year of college.  That when I am not doing school I can just walk down to the beach and lay in the sand! This is the dream of so many people I know- and it's my reality.

Ever since my Sophomore year I have said "one day I am going to go on a volunteer program in Africa"

...... ok well so does everyone else.

But everyone else said "I am applying to BYUH"... but no one came.

 And I did.

SO my best friend and I applied to go to Kenya, Africa this July and we got accepted.  Through hard, dedicated fundraising... we are going to make this dream a reality.

All working up to us applying, I kept thinking to myself "there is no way"  I didn't see how it was going to happen.  I would pray and pray to put me in the position I am suppose to be in.  To let things happen how they are suppose to be.  

When I got accepted, I still didn't understand. I didn't see how it was going to work.  I knew my parents would be worried about me and I know it has been and will be a busy year and this just doesn't match the schedule.  I didn't want them to worry and I didn't want them to be upset with the choices I am making.  Then last night I had this feeling to just pull out my patriarchal blessing and read through it.  So I did. and wow.  Heavenly Father speaks to us in ways we could never imagine.  I read something that made my decision so much easier.  I now know that I need to work extra hard raising money, and finding a job that will be flexible with me (which I think will work out well thanks to Tessa), because there are people in Kenya that I am going to go and help and they are going to touch my life in a way I can't even imagine.

It's not going to be easy. It will be much much different than anything I have ever done. And it will be HARD.  But I am excited. And I am excited to share the experience with my best friend.

More to come on my Hawaiian, Utahn, and African adventures.  Feeling truly blessed.

Now back to the studying for midterms.......