Dad wisdom, life, and the story of CamRoRica

Hello, all my beautiful friends and family. I gotta be honest with you. I’ve been staring at this blank document for way too long. I’ve had so much happen in this one week, I’m not even sure where to start. I suppose since I’ve been thinking about the same thing for the last 15 minutes, I should probably say something about it. Well here it goes… wish me luck!

     My dad has been telling me this “God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.”  Which has really been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve been so focused on trying to figure out why God had chosen me to be a missionary. I, a  person who for a long time, never saw anything special about myself, and who couldn’t possibly be good enough for whatever God has planned. But even though I was that scared girl, I came to realize that I don’t have to try and figure out what was soooo special about me. All I had to do was be willing to let God shape me. Shape me into the person he already knows me to be. I just have to take a step back, let my worries go, and let God take the lead. Knowing this honestly has taken a weight off my shoulder. I can sit back and let God do his thing because in time I know he will show me what/ who I am meant to be.  With that, I continuously pray that he shows me what he has created me to accomplish and to become the women he has created. And I ask that you pray with me as well. 

     Now that that is off my chest I feel like I can write a ten-page paper….or maybe not. You guys probably don’t want to read that, haha. 

     Okay so now that I actually have a train of thought, I would like to start off by thanking all my wonderful supporters. Your donations mean the world to me. Without you guys, this trip wouldn’t be possible. I also want to thank those who haven’t donated, you reading this post is enough encouragement for me. I can’t believe 126 people saw my last post. Let’s try to get 150 views now. Share with friends and family, or the random dude you run into at the grocery store. That guy will work too. Though now that we are on the discussion of support and donations, I would like to share my first goal with you guys. I need to get  $3,500 by June 16. I know we can do it. I know God will provide me with the funding on his terms, so I’m not worried about it. My goal is not to guilt-trip you or make you feel obligated to donate just because you are friends and family, and honestly people I have never met. My hope is that if you choose to donate because God has called you to be apart of my team. I know that not everyone’s financial situation’s are  good, so reading this is enough support for me. 

     Enough about numbers, that makes my head hurt. So my mom still wants me to be real with you guys about my feelings, and take one of my cactus pricklies off. SO… here I go. This week had its extremely good times, but those good times made me realize that I won’t have them while I’m gone. For example, my sister Onnie gives the BEST hugs (right next to my mom of course), and when I went to give her a hug I finally realized that I won’t get this small moment while I’m away. And yesterday I finally got to see my best friend after almost four months of not being able to see her. And we’re sitting in my car eating our Dairy Queen (in the McDonalds parking lot hahaha)  and I realized that  I won’t have that when I’m gone. My family and friends will be living their lives without me here. And that is really hard for me. My social circle is already small, and don’t want to come back with an even smaller one because I wasn’t able to keep in touch regularly and then we fall out. That’s my biggest worry. And I know I shouldn’t be worried because I know they love me and I them. And they all understand that I have to do this. But that doesn’t make this any easier. And being a cactus doesn’t usually bode well for me. I don’t make friends easily, and I can’t help but worry I’ll be the outcast, like in every other situation I am usually in, because I am a cactus. Truth be told my best friend GraceLyn and I didn’t like each other when we first met. And to this day we don’t even know how we became friends. Making it hard to replicate what I did then. I have no idea how to even start the process of making a new friend(s). Any suggestions? I could use all the help I can get!!!! Also, I could use some prayer of guidance, confidence, and courage to step out of my comfort zone and take some of my pricklies off. 

     Last week if you remember I talked about how I wasn’t spending quality time with God. How I had been putting him on the back burner, only thinking of him when I was “supposed to” like at church. I spent very little one on one with him, and I felt the difference throughout the week. But THIS week I made a point to purposely schedule time for him. No matter how tired or exhausted I was. I really felt the difference in my attitude this week. I’m not telling you guys this because I want a pat on the back, I’m telling you so that you can continue to pray for me in my walk with God. 

     OKAY…. Now for the moment, you all have been waiting for!! The story of CamRoRica!!! *yeahhhh…and the crowds go wild!!!* Because I’m sure after all of my way to serious talk on my life,  you could use a little fun. Here it goes…

       Once Upon a time in the household of Tennylandia around 9:00 am there lived a grumpy old man who just woke up. Just kidding it’s my dad. Well anyway, he comes down the stairs and into the living room stomping his feet like Godzilla. He starts growling and complaining that there is no coffee made. To which I laughed at because… I don’t know I just thought it was funny. Then he falls face-first into the couch, still complaining about there being no coffee in the voice of the mud slappers from the movie Monte Python: Quest for the Holy Grail. And though now since we both needed coffee we can’t remember how we started talking about my trip. And being that saying all three countries was such a handful, my dad decided to wizzle all three countries in one word resulting in CamRoRica. To which he started to say in the Scooby-Doo voice. Which I disapproved of. At that point, my sister had brought in a cup of coffee for my dad so that he could be shut up. Which only worked after his third cup. 

      Also, note that my dad gave me permission to write about shutting him up. And NO feelings were hurt in the making of this narrative. 

     Anyway…Have a GREAT day!!! Be HAPPY!! and please please please remember to PRAY!!!! Love you guys! And I’ll see you guys next Friday

     Oh! And I sprained my knee which is triggering an old injury of mine so if you guys could pray for healing that would be great!!! (I’m fine though and will be in tip-top shape for my trip. This isn’t my first rodeo. Ope.)

BYEEEE!!!!!