Sorry for the Delay!

Kels and I in the back seet on the way home from Durban!
Janet, Same, Leslie, Me, and Drea!!!!! Indian Ocean in the background!
Kelsey, me, and Kelsey...i'm short :-)
mmmm pizza!
teresa, kels, me, and kels!
this is the same boy that fell asleep in my lap the day before :-)
bri and I sewing!
Me learning how to sew :-)

Sorry it has taken me FOREVER to post. Unfortunately...I have been pretty sick for the past week. Just so you know...it's no fun being sick in another country :-(. BUT  I'm praying I'll get better soon. 

Some events of the past week:

Had 2 clinicals...one was a not so good experience. There was a major language barrier which just made it quite difficult. Reagen and Leslie took some of us out for pizza (my idea :-) and it was DEFINITELY worth it!). On Saturday we all went down to Durban! We went to an indoor market and got a chance to buy authentic south africa things. Also, we went to the beach in Durban in the afternoon! We got to swim in the Indian Ocean! Yay! Much warmer than the Pacific...but still quite cold! Sunday I tried a new church (I'll get to that later). I have been mulling over that experience since it happened. Monday was basically classes all day long. Tuesday was clinical, and wednesday is our day to work on online classes. Homework is getting really heavy. So much to do! Besides the sickness, it's been a good week. 

Okay, on to the church experience. I wasn't going to write anything about this, for many reasons. First, I thought of course it can't be me. Second, I thought people will think I'm crazy. Third, I think I have just never experienced anything like this before. However, after sharing it with someone and praying...I think I can share it with you all. BUT this requires a few different explanation-type things. SO....First I will explain the church. It was called God's Family Life Center (GFLC), and it was VERY charismatic. I have not had much exposure to charismatic churches so this was very new to me. At the end of the service, there was an alter call. Many people went to the front. I sat in my seat and couldn't help but watch. In addition to the pastor, there were several people praying over the people that came to the alter. However, it wasn't just the regular "Dear God, please heal this person". It was praying with such force. I have never seen anything like it! People even fell down from this praying. So...as a nursing student...I couldn't believe no one was going to check their pulse or see if they were breathing! I thought they were passing out! (you can laugh...it's funny to me now that I thought that lol) Later I found out they were NOT passing out. They were simply just SO touched by the holy spirit that they fall over. However, these things were SO new to me. 

In order for me to continue...I have to give people that don't know...a little update on my life this past year. I was engaged. (Obviously I'm not anymore haha). In January, it was broken off. Unfortunately, the way it was broken off was not an easy thing for me to handle. While I have been blessed with SUCH an amazing support system, it was still difficult. I was able to move on for the most part, but there was still some sort of part of me still hurt and bitter. I was carrying that pain every day, but I did a great job at hiding it. It didn't consume me, it was just a little part of me that wondered if the next guy would do the same thing and it made it difficult to trust the people around me. It was almost as if that little bit of pain kept me guarded.

Back to the story. SO...during all this prayer I was praying on and off and sometimes watching what was going on in front of me (we were in the front row). Towards the end of the prayer, the pastor grabbed the microphone and began praying. He said, "God is telling me that there is a young lady here today who has pain from her past and is not coming forward, and that pain is from a broken relationship. He says that it's keeping you from moving forward in your relationship now and in all your relationships overall. God wants you to know that as of today you won't have that pain anymore He will remove those scars from you". He then put the microphone down and kept praying. A few minutes later the service was over. My first instinct was "Oh my goodness that's me". Then I talked myself out of that. I thought that there was no way that out of everyone there God would have spoken through the pastor to ME. Surely there were SO many other people that needed to hear God. However, the more I pray about it and think...I am certain that was for me. Which is strange, because I have never had any experience with anything like this before. For some reason, unknown to me, God saw the pain I was carrying. I have been praying that it wouldn't affect future relationships (in a negative way)...mainly I have been asking Him to take away the bitterness and the sense of guarding myself I have had. For those of you who know me...I'm usually not very guarded...I trust too easily and forgive too easily...but that's me. That's who God has created me to be. Sometimes it's a weakness...but often it's a strength. For the past few months, I have had trouble being that girl. I've had trouble forgiving and trusting. In the past four days...I have felt like the girl I was made to be. The one that trusts and forgives too easily. The one who let's other people in...that's who I am. I have also noticed that I have no horrible feelings when I think of it. It is part of my past. I have grown more than ever from it. I am thankful for it, and I can say that with complete honesty. I love where I am now in my life. I know I am where I am supposed to be. It is hard for me to even think much about it. I have no bitterness or anger, and I don't hate him or the people involved. Instead God seems to just let me switch my thoughts whenever it comes up. I have accepted it, and God has shown me that was not for me. I am on the right path now, it just took a while for me to see that. It also took me coming to South Africa for me to see this. However, even if this were the ONLY thing I learned from this trip (which there is NO chance of that happening- i'm learning a ton every day)....this trip would be worth it. times a million.

Thank you all for being supportive for me over the last year of my life. There have been more ups and downs than anyone could have predicted. I could not have made it without my family and my friends. Thank you for all your prayers. I can't thank you enough. I love you all more than you know!

Please pray for clinical tomorrow! Tuesday was not so great....Hopefully tomorrow is better!

" I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."

-Psalm 16:7-11