I live in the mountains of Johnson City, Tennessee. This time of year the mountains are covered in beautiful trees of all colors. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love living in the mountains. Johnson City is kind of a small town so if your looking for something to do you can go out to eat, go to the movie theater, or do something outside. When it is warm my friends and I are on the lake, hiking, caving, or having picnics in the park. 

I love my family! They are being to understand that I am being called to missions. It is taking time but I am so thankful that God has begun to work on their hearts. I have a younger sister Callen who is 18 (11 1/2 months younger than me). I also have a little brother Colby he is 15. I am the shortest person in my family. My little brother likes to remind me how much smaller I am than him ALL THE TIME Joh boys!! 

I went to college at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN last year for my freshmen year. I really enjoyed it and miss all the friends I made but the nursing program there separated from Vanderbilt and Lipscomb was starting there own. I didn’t want to be a guinea pig so I came home. After a whole summer of trying to figure out what school I would go to in the fall God made it very clear that school was not what He has planned for me at the moment. Which was not what my parents wanted to hear. I grew up knowing that after high school I was to go to college. Funny how we plan our life but God turns it up side down and turns it into more than we could imagine. (Proverbs 16:9)

I do live in an apartment at the moment that my parents help pay for. I live here only because I was going to school but dropped out when I realized that it was not for me (at this time). I work as a host at Outback Steakhouse. I enjoy working there for the most part. 

At the moment I am involved with the high school youth group at my church. I am a sponsor which just means that on Wednesday night I get to hang out with high school students, Thursday night I lead the freshmen girls bible study, and go on the trips. It’s a pretty good deal. I love getting to hang out with them. They teach me just as much as I am hoping I teach them :) I just enjoy being outside. I am always up for a challenge or adventure. I like to do things to say that I have done them. In Costa Rica a couple years ago a guy dared me to climb down a man hole so of course I did. 

Likes:

Outdoors, hiking, long talks, studying the bible, chicken, sleeping in, Asian food, mountain dew, movie nights, harry potter, good book, lazy days, giraffes, Africa, singing (but I cant carry a tone to save my life), rain when you are going to bed, music, Worship, and that all I can think of at the moment.

I have been blessed with the chance to go on many mission trips. I have been to Mississippi, New Orleans, Costa Rica (twice), Chicago, and Zimbabwe Africa this summer. They were all amazing but Africa cant be put into words. The people and the amount of joy these people had and most of them own one pair of clothes and walked for miles just to go to school. It was a very humbling experience!! I miss the singing everyday. I am listening to them now :)

I am beyond excited to meet each one of you! I can already tell that we are all going to get along well. I am excited to see what God has planned for this trip! He has handed pick every one of us. I think what God has been telling me about this trip is that I need to trust Him. To trust in His plan. I think He keeps telling me this because we are going to have to rely on God and trust Him so much during the 4 months that we will be in Thailand. I am nervous about how I will raise the money but I know that this is just part of me trusting God to make it happen. We serve an amazing God that has a great plan for each one of us on this trip. Rest in that. I know I have to. I am already so proud of where God has us all at this moment and cant wait to meet you all in about two months!! 

I am praying that God will provide each of us with the funds it takes to go on the trip. I pray that he begins to prepare our hearts for the people we meet and prepare the hearts of those we meet for the message He has sent us with. I pray that He will bring us together in a way we can’t understand. Love you girls already!!

Alexa