Age 24: Whirlwind Tour!

I have done a terrible job of keeping this handy little site updated!  I keep thinking, ahhh there is so much to talk about and write about...where do I begin, what clever remarks, witty post or bits of wisdom would be relevant to share, and who is actually reading this anyways?

This routine usually starts with me sitting in front of a blank word document after a major event or cool moment happens, not knowing how to put it all into words, getting hungry, making a sandwich, getting lost in the deliciousness of the simpleness that a sandwich can bring...just meat, cheese, and bread and of course occasionally spicing it up with toppings that just make your heart beat a little faster...and as you can see....getting completely off topic and off task from ever writing a blog.  So, If you are still out there reading, I'm sorry I've neglected all 2 of you!  (shout out to my mom as one of those faithful readers!) What I've decided is just to write a whirlwind tour of 2011, so I can start age 25 as an avid blogger!  It probably won't be clever or witty or even have much wisdom in it, because anything wise that comes from this is probably plagiarized by so many other people that have spoken truth into my life.  Anything I know or have learned has nothing to do with me! Let's get yall updated, so I can turn over a new leaf and not have to do speed through cool stories of God's goodness.

First off: Moved to England to start working on organizing outreach opportunity for the 15,000 expected volunteers coming for the Olympic games.

Initial reaction: Michael Phelps is going to be my new best friend! This is going to be Amazing, the Olympics!!! I love the Olympics, Maybe I will meet one of my heros (the US Olympic Gymnastic team in 1996...I was 10 years old...had the poster of the team and wore 400 clips in my hair just to be like them..Kari Strugg and the magnificent 7 were my heros!!)

False Reality Check: 15,000 people is like counting to one hundred a lot of times...I don't think I've ever even counted to 1,000 before much less 15,000....I get bored after counting to a 100...BAHHHH this is hard, this is stressful, I can't do it, I'm significantly insignificant!....

Lesson Learned: This isn't about me or the 15,000 people and what we can or can't do; it has everything to do with the fact that God is moving and shaking hope and love into a nation that needs a reminder of their first love...it is about God showing mercy and grace and saying "hey Dondi, I'm about to do something incredible in the UK, do you want to play? I'm going to do it with or without you, but I want you to experience that same love I'm pouring out.  You want to sit back and watch or join in the fun?"  I chose to join the fun and such a crazy adventure it has been...


Adventures around the World!

Denmark: Spoke at a Danish Youth Conference, taught on "First Love", realized in the process, my own motives of doing good things didn't come out of a relationship with God or out of love, but merely fulfilling expectations I thought He expected me to perform.  Good times in Denmark and was able to see DTS friends while learning how much I love dark bread!

Sweden: Stayed with Swedish friend and experienced Swedish hospitality!  What I learned in Denmark about Dark Bread is the exact opposite of what I learned about Swedish Licorice...I might have found the one food in all of life that I strongly disagree with it's existence, but thankfully the Swedish meatballs came to the rescue and redeemed the horror story of "oh look a chocolate stick...(gag) AHHHH it's licorice!"

Scotland: Soccer School in Aberdeen!  Coached soccer everyday and spoke about Jesus to 6-18 year olds!  Was able to watch and be apart of the story of 15 guys acknowledging the hope in Christ for the first time!  Also stayed with a host family that lived in a mansion and owned segways and had the most amazing snack food drawer in the world!  Ritchie Rich would have been jealous!

Austria: Went to a week long Equipping leaders conference in Vienna.  Had a vienna sausage and vienna schnitzel.  Learned lessons about Hope.  Hope is something the world is starving for and the answer for restoration for the nations.  It goes cross culture because it is written on our hearts and sometimes has been forgotten.  The church sometimes loses focus on the hope that the gospel brings, and if we don't bring it in it's pure form, someone else will step in with a puesudo-hope that does disappoint.
Also, I was able to travel up to the place where the Sound of Music was filmed!  It has been a family favorite movie for years and a tick off the ole' "bucket list" as I spun on the same hill the "Maria Von Trapp" sang about them being alive!  I know you are wondering...YES, I did sing every song from the entire soundtrack at the top of my lungs!

Visited the Country of Las Vegas!  Such an amazing time meeting new people and being loved outrageously!  Went to meet the family and friends of my boyfriend....(good looking guy on the right in the picture) and go to DISNEYLAND!! Ate some amazing food (oddly enough most of my post have something to do with food) but we did have some incredible food cooked by Kyle's Dad (It's in their blood, they are born amazing chefs...Italians can't help it), Learned to appreciate the Boston Red Sox via the David family, and talked more sports with Kyle's mom than I ever have with Kyle....Glad someone understands me :) It was almost the vacation you see in a movie including a view of sunset over Vegas....and we all sigh in unison..aaaawwwwwwwwwwwww

Now for the lightning round:

Taught football/soccer, Led recreation and sports for 400 youth at a Youth Camp, Spoke around the UK about the Olympics, Worked in a Prayer booth during Europe's Largest New Age Festival (that one needs a blog of it's own), 500 people prayed for, multiple healings, and was able to personally be apart of praying with a lady making a decision to follow Jesus, Toured Buckingham Palace, Wicked, and London Tower when my Grandparents visited, Camped with 10,000 youth and led sports outreaches, Was able to be with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins in one place for my cousins wedding for the first time in 10 years, Went on 4 week long outreaches to the different Olympic host cities, Saw the Lion King when my sister Jacee and best friend Katy came to visit in London, Watched the princess get married while standing in front of Buckingham palace, Organized a Texas Night fundraiser full of line dancing and chicken fried steak, played flag football during thanksgiving in England, and learned I'm going to be an AUNT!...All in All it has been one crazy adventure!

If you are still with me and haven't lost interest yet or didn't get distracted on the sandwich part and went to make your own (like I almost did) Thank you so much for being such an incredible support to me! I'm sorry my communication has lacked, but I'm writing this now, so you can quote me, 2012 will be full of incredible stories and highs and lows and joy and frustration, and I want you all to be apart of it as well!  I don't want to have to play catch up on all that God is doing, because I believe these stories I get to see and experience are not my stories to keep to myself, but God's stories of how He is making himself famous in the nations.  I will try to regularly update this blog this year, so keep checking back!  I would also love to hear your stories as well!  Send me updates!  Thanks for everything, you all are precious to me!