I'm going to Belarus??

Hello all! Welcome to my blog about my journey to Belarus. I'm sure you have a lot of questions. I sure did at first. So here's some explanation:

Just a heads-up: how this all happened is a bit nuts but really is a testimony to God and his great plans.

The summer before your junior year in college is the ideal time to study abroad. Being the planner I am, I had big plans to be work as a camp counselor in Europe for the entire summer. A great opportunity that would aid me in the future as I study to be a high school teacher. Everything was going smoothly according to my timeline. But it was my timeline and I was calling the shots. God had a different plan in mind. Those plans promptly fell through and I was left wondering what I would do. I knew I wanted to go abroad but wasn't really certain about anything.

God then presented me with this amazing opportunity: teaching English and the Gospel to college-aged Belarusians in Brest, Belarus. While I was uncertain for a time, God has made it abundantly clear that he wants me to use the gifts he has blessed me with to serve him in Belarus this summer.

So yes! I'm going to Belarus!! And I am beyond excited about it.

"How?" is probably the next question you have. I am a part of the CCF (Collegiate Christian Fellowship) community on the University of Oregon campus. CCF is a ministry of First Baptist of Eugene. CCF has a history of sending teams to Bolivia but this will be the first Belarus trip from CCF! Our team consists of seven college-aged disciples of Christ. We are all extremely excited about the opportunity. For most of us, this is our first major mission trip.

There is so much more to talk about and don't worry, I'll be blogging a lot! But right now, my efforts need to be focused on sponsorship letters! Eep!! Flights to Belarus don't run cheap!

Keep checking back here! In the meantime, please pray for the trip! Pray for the team as we raise funds and as we prepare to serve our glorious Lord! Yay!!

In Christ's peace and love,
Emily