Let's go on an adventure...

I haven't been on an out-of-the-country missions trip since I was 20, and that was to Peru. It was amazing and wonderful and exciting. I ate beef heart on a stick, hugged little Peruvian kids, and at one point thought I was getting kidnapped and going to die in the wilderness (I will tell that story in a later post). I fought the call on my life for a long time, and God has done a wonderful work in my heart, which is now huge for missions. That change happened on the Peru trip. Since then, I have been happily growing in God, getting married, finishing school, and eagerly waiting for the next trip. Now, seven years later, it is time to go again.

I have recently been given an opportunity to take one of those missions trips that stays with you for the rest of your life. I have never been to India, and I don't run into a ton of people who have. I feel like, in many cases, the idea of traveling to India immediately conjures up images of Slumdog Millionaire and "weird food." A world full of strange customs, offensive smells, and dirty streets, it seems so far removed from our American lives that we have a hard time even thinking of it as a real place.  I have to admit that I have no idea what to expect, but India is a reality for over 1.2 billion people and I want to share that reality with them, even if it's just for a few days. I will be going with a team of about 10 people (including Steve), and will be working to bless as many people as possible while we are there. Due to the nature of our trip, I am afraid I can't share details or locations about it on this blog, but would love to talk about it via a more discreet form of communication if anyone has any questions. I am excited about this trip for about one hundred reasons, but a few of the main ones are: going on another missions trip, seeing God move in a mighty way, I have always wanted to go to India, first missions trip with my husband, and the general feeling of being able to travel somewhere new.

That being shared, I have two requests/invitations. The first is for prayer support. With both Steve and I going on a trip like this, prayer coverage is a must-have and a top priority. Pray for spiritual protection and strength, physical safety, our marriage, our ministry as a couple, etc. Throw in some extra prayers against any illness or bad reaction to all the delicious Indian food we will be consuming. The other request is for financial support (cash money). The trip is about $3,200, so I am asking 160 people to give $20 each. If you feel led to give more, that is super awesome, but I feel like $20 is an easy number. I will make an announcement or something when my goal is reached, and if there ends up being additional money it will go to the Future Baby Rozema fund. In an attempt to make it as easy as possible, you can click here to visit my YouCaring page, which is a free fundraising website where you can donate and check on my fundraising progress. I will also post it on Facebook, because why wouldn't you post something on Facebook? It will take about 5 minutes from your day and $20 from your bank account, and you will be making an eternal difference in the Kingdom of God. You will also bless me a lot and I will be thankful forever, which is quite a long time. So, think about it, pray about it, act on it. I hope you will join me in this adventure and I want to say thank you for taking the time to read this. I am excited!

Chai Tea and Laundry

I'm closing in on 27 and starting to feel cool like a grown up. This morning I started cleaning the house at 7:45, which is easy to do when you finish Friday morning prayer at 7. You can get a lot done in the morning before the world really wakes up. I am one of those people who enjoys cleaning. Some say I get it from my Grandmother. And while it is true that she loves to clean more than most, I am not entirely sure it is genetic. In any case, cleaning makes me happy and having things clean makes me even more happy, so it is a win from every angle. Once the laundry was spinning away and everything else smelling fresh, I made tea (feeling hipster) and started browsing through old Tweets on my profile. As it turns out, I struggle to produce more than twenty tweets a year lately. One tweet led me to this blog, which I had half forgotten about in the business of this fast-paced life we find ourselves in. My dismay at being unable to come up with 160 characters a week for a twitter feed was accentuated by the realization I really haven't written at all in the past year or two. Granted, my current job involves writing for six or more hours a day, but there are only so many creative ways to describe a gold ring (although I do enjoy it very much). Exploring this old blog and all its six posts inspired me to pull out a dusty laptop that had long been forgotten in the new wave of tablets and touch screens. The boot up process took a while. Then came the updates and Avast ads telling me I have to be safe from the viruses running rampant on the internet. Those of you who know me know that my patience with technology is very short, so my sudden inspiration was quickly diminishing as the loading cursor spun in slow circles on the screen. Finally, after much staring and bored agitation, there it was -- the "new post" page. Rejoice, o my soul, I didn't think this computer would make it. Which brings me here, to you. Slow computers are a reminder that life should be savored. Tablets, smart phones, instant and non-stop input and information at our fingertips; everything is quick like a bunny and gone before you can blink. We never have to stop, never have to be bored, because even in the down time there is Instagram, Facebook, Pintrest -- anything we need to fill the time (yes, I know, even blogging). My dad has always said, "being bored makes you live longer," and I think that is probably true. I am closing in on 27 and am constantly aware of the fact that if I don't take time to enjoy where I am, it will make for a sad time later in life. Being a grown up is strange because there are so many things going on all the time. Family, church, work, errands, meetings, cleaning, house, car, rent -- always stuff to do and take care of. The list goes on and it is a wonderful list. There are so many amazing adventures in this world, and I am ready to take them. But, in the midst of that, to take time to sit and stare out the window while your computer tries to load and just be. I need to be better about being bored. Summer is a good time to practice, because everyone is more relaxed and the heat makes everything seem slower. So there you have it. My summer goal in my 27th year is to better at being bored. Join me, if you will. Some say it makes you live longer. 

-r