Trying to put into words my journey thus far...

I have sat down countless times to blog about my journey over the last year.  I always walk away with an unfinished piece.  It is hard to describe my journey this past year coming from a middle class lifestlye to  living in a third world culture.  I have a hard time putting into words all the many things that the Lord has been   showing me, teaching me,disciplining me, testing me, and molding in me. One thing I know for sure, if you want to be tried and refined, move somewhere or do something out of your comfort zone.  I look back and giggle to myself at where I am:
1.  I said I would never be a missionary when I was a teenager.
2.  I thought home schoolers were weird.
3.  I said I would rather be cold all the time than hot, if a choice. I only like to sweat at the gym.
4.  I hate camping. I hate bugs.  I hate dirt. I hate smelly smells. I hate cats.
5.  I like orderliness, punctuality, and commitments kept.
6.  I don't love cooking, but I try to do it in love!
7.  I rather avoid conflict than face it.

NOW,
1.  I am a missionary, in a third world culture.
2.  I home school.
3.  I am almost always hot and sweating.
4.  I feel like I am camping many days, not in a tent, but a house.  We have bugs, dirt, Yankee Candle Smell of manure or sewage, we own a cat to chase the mice.
5.  Order here is hard to achieve, the culture has a joke that they run on 'Dominican Time' (late!!!), and it is a safe bet that when someone or something to be done at a certain time, it won't be.
6.  I cooked for over 200 people this past year, 10 weeks of the year breakfast and dinners.
7.  On can't avoid conflict when the people you live life with is your friends and coworkers.

This last year, I personally, faced many giants in my life.  These were difficult lessons to learn and walk through.  Many days it was so difficult spiritually and emotionally I just wanted to avoid them.  Though here you can't avoid them.