"You Only Live Once"

You Only Live Once….

The popular phrase with today’s youth is YOLO.  You hear it music, on television, and pretty much anywhere you turn.  It is the abbreviation for “you only live once”.  I was not fazed by this saying until a few weeks ago.  For the past 2 years I have been surrounded by new relationships, new marriages, new roommates, and soon to be newborn babies.  After turning 23, I began to reflect on where I am at in my life spiritually, physically, and emotionally.  God began to open my eyes and show me how He is better preparing me through all of these “new” changes.

I reflected back upon the last 3 years that I have spent here in Mozambique.

From the person who I was to the person that I have become…God has been hard at work!

Here are a few things that have occurred over the past several years that make my life here very unique:

Moving to Africa when I was 18

Having the privilege to work with these precious street boys

Being able to see God transform these boys into young men

Having malaria and pink eye for 5 months straight

Seeing hope restored within these boys’ and their families

Being the only women living amongst 9 teenage Mozambican boys

Being able to learn and speak 3 languages fluently

Being able to travel to more than 7 countries before the age of 23

Having some of the best friends that are all under the age of 15

Having a whole grilled chicken, fries, and salad as a “fancy meal”

Spending late nights in the emergency after a drunken brawl

Playing with 250 little orphans is “vacation”

Getting gross worms in my pedicured feet

Seeing little boys dumpster dive for food, clothes, or anything useful

These are just a handful of things that have made me laugh, cry, scream and just truly rely on God.  I pray for many more years to come in Mozambique.  I love this beautiful country, and I am proud to call it home.