what the Lord has done in me

It's so crazy to me to look into the past and see how much life has changed.

10 years ago, I was an accident-prone third grader in Mbale, Uganda. I definitely went through more than my share of band-aids. I think at one point, I was told that I had to bring my own band-aids to school because I used too many. I think the record was eight different injuries in one day. I couldn't stay on my feet to save my life. My head was often in the clouds, so I wasn't much good at watching where I was going. I loved being with friends. We'd make up elaborate scenarios and act them out in our front yard, or just sit around and tell stories.

5 years ago, I was 13. I think at that point, I'd just decided that believing in God was worthwhile. My faith wasn't all that strong, and it was a rough year, but I was headed in the right direction. I hung out with Lydia, Jonah, Natalie, Abby, and Zachel as much as possible. We made and ate lots of chocolate, watched a lot of movies, and created enough lame inside jokes to last a lifetime. I liked sports and writing and I think I was starting to appreciate playing the piano.

1 year ago, I was 17, and a senior in high school, still in Mbale. I still hung out with the same people sometimes, though I also spent a lot of time with the younger adults on our mission team and with Diana. The inside jokes really only got more lame. I spent a lot of time playing piano and guitar, writing poetry, running, and playing volleyball and tennis. I loved deep conversations and hard rains. I was dealing with a lot of pain, trying to reconcile the brokenness of the world around me with what I knew of God's goodness. I had applied to this one university in a small town in Arkansas because it had trees and a good study abroad program.

And now here I am. Harding University, small town Arkansas, October 2009. I'm still a bit accident prone, mostly because I have the incredible talent of tripping over flat surfaces. Inside jokes, chocolate, piano, guitar, rain, and deep conversations still make me happy. I live in America for the first time since I was 4 years old, and before I go back to Uganda for a visit I will have lived here longer than ever before. I have absolutely no doubt that God is love and is working in the world. I have so many opportunities before me, so many people to meet and places to go.

So let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich. Let the blind say I can see. It's what the Lord has done in me, and I would not be where I am today if not for him.