full.

It has been a while since I have written. Life has just been full of working, and volunteering, and moving. I moved eight times last year..and that is enough for awhile. It taught me that the Lord is my rock and my constant. Recently I have been completely overwhelmed by God's grace and abundant joy.

I feel like finally, the Lord has filled me to the brim. He has answered my prayers and filled my broken places with Himself and his love. I never expected at 24 to have the opportunity to be involved in so many things I am passionate about, and be surrounded by such wonderful people. After almost a year of being home from Uganda I am beginning to see how much that trip truly changed me. I am a new creation. The me that existed 2 years ago is thankfully, long gone.

A couple at my church has started an organization called reclaim|orphans. It is focused on having a holistic approach to orphan care, foster care, and adoption. There isn't much out there like this organization. We are hoping to be able to walk with a family through every aspect of foster care and adoption. For some reason, the Lord has entrusted me to be the Director of International Operations [it sounds much fancier that it actually is]. It is so huge and so much bigger than my little self. I have been so encouraged by the people who are willing to sit down and talk and plan with me about effective ways to move forward. Initially we will be focusing on Uganda, and then wherever the Lord leads us. I am humbled that at 24 I am getting the opportunity to essentially do what I have dreamed about doing since I returned from Uganda. Seriously, international orphan care, with some of my best friends---could life get any better?!?! There are somewhere around 163 million orphans out there. Last night at our reclaim meeting the weight of that number just hit me. That many children went to sleep without feeling the soft touch of a mother or hearing loving words from a father who loves them. This is why I must do something. Even though I cannot adopt right now as a single woman--I can still do something. As Christians there is a clear call to serve the fatherless. I long for a day where it will be the norm for Christian families to have an adopted child. We have been adopted into Christ's family and as John Piper says, "God's cost to adopt us was infinitely greater than any cost we will endure in adopting and raising children." Everyone on the reclaim | crew has been astounded by how much the Lord has moved in just a month or so. I cannot wait to see what the road ahead has in store.

I have also had the opportunity to get involved with sending a girl to live in Uganda for 2 year through Vintage21. I am leading the ministry to care for the in-country team and the stateside team. I have loved having the opportunity to care for the Morris family again who I lived with for 6 weeks in Uganda. They are so strong and so brave and everyday I admire their faithfulness. It has been hard planning for someone else to go while I stay here. I know I will go back someday, but I know the Lord has me right here for a specific time and a specific reason.

I never knew that life could be this good. That the Lord had this much joy in store for me. There were many days when I wondered if joy for me was ever going to be a real possibility. But here I am. Filled to the brim with thankfulness, joy, and love for our Savior.

" Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen"

Ephesians 3: 20-21