Just kidding! I'm actually not off to Brazil physically, but my heart is definitely there.

I want to write today about an adventure I will be beginning. (I haven't had a real direction for this blog, so this new beginning with Brazil will also be a new opportunity to scrap "the old blog" and begin again.) A youth group that I attend at university is in contact with a group called Vision Trust International. They're a Christian based organization that helps give opportunities to children in impoverished areas to receive nutritious meals, clean water, school supplies and uniforms - as well as education itself -, and access to learning about God's love.

I'm working on bringing Latte Losers as a small ministry to my campus with a close friend Shelly, but lately God has been pressing me to do more. I've felt convicted about doing more for a long while, but now that I have a small job on campus that will allow me to put money out, I'm letting this conviction become action. You see, Vision Trust offers a sponsorship program. For $35 a month, a child will receive all of the benefits I listed above.

I prayed a lot about it, and have friends who sponsor either through Vision Trust (like my contact for them, Ashley, who is also helping me with LL - she's such a blessing!) or Compassion that I've spoken a lot to. I decided to search the Vision Trust website, at the advice of friends, to see if anyone caught my eye. Your sponsor child isn't random; you get to choose the country and the child. You're given background information on the child as well to help you get an idea of what their life is like. I was told when you see your sponsor child, you just know - and oh my gosh, they were right.

Once I saw little Diogo (and once my heart stopped breaking for his twin brother Maltheus, who I
simply can't afford to also sponsor - fingers crossed that Shelly and her boyfriend Eddy sponsor him!!!!), I knew he was my boy. My boyfriend agreed to sponsor with me, which also took a lot of discussion and prayer - if we ever break up, we didn't want Diogo to suffer - so we'd originally wanted a child from Peru, Guatemala, or the DR - Spanish speaking countries to make contact easier, because Oscar speaks fluent Spanish. But I couldn't help falling in love with this little Brazilean boy, and once I let Oscar search the site, he agreed.

Oscar isn't going to be in my state until June 22nd, so I had to do some contacting with the organization to actually secure Diogo without *actually* signing off on him until that date so Oscar and I could do it together. Luckily, a woman named Ashlee (not to be confused with the other Ashley - LOL) contacted me and told me it was totally doable.

So today has been a very, very exciting day for me. (And Oscar, but let's be honest - I'm stoked.) We will not officially be Diogo's sponsors until June 22, 2013, but today I know that I don't have to stress and pray that nobody comes in and sweeps him away because they can immediately sponsor - my little boy is sticking with me! I actually just went on the website and saw that they took him off. This girl is all smiles.

If you have any questions about Vision Trust or Latte Losers, let me know - I'd love to answer any questions or help you start donating! (Latte Losers is $5 a month - not bad!)

-- E

This weekend, I attended a Christian retreat with Campus Ambassadors.
We were separated into small groups, and mine ended up being,
"Will I turn out like my parents?"
At first I was disappointed because it was my third choice - the choice that
I felt I could contribute to, not gain anything out of.
But I knew God had a plan for me and as I expected,
I didn't gain anything - but I know I was able to help at least one person
see some things differently, and it was nice to see others change.

I think this is a really interesting topic, Christian or not.
Will your life turn out like your parents? We decided it was plausible.
Everyone has a choice to be above the mistakes,
but we can't do that unless we acknowledge that mistakes can happen.
For example, you can say, "I would never cheat on my husband."
But the possibility is out there; if you acknowledge,
"I would never cheat on my husband, but I live in a world where
it's completely possible that I could fall and make that mistake,"
then I feel like you're more set not to fall into that trap.
You can't ignore the elephant in the room and then be surprised
when he steps on your foot.

I know that it's possible. I know that I have a temper like my mom's.
I know that I have a no mercy policy like my father.
I know I hold grudges like my grandfather.
I acknowledge that I have these negative characteristics.
But I also acknowledge that I have a huge, generous heart like my mom.
And a drive and strength like my father.
And an ability to calm others like my great grandmother.
Legacies will always be passed down, but it's up to us
to figure out how to react.
When I know I'm participating in a negative legacy of my family,
I stop that behavior immediately and try to respond differently.
You can do it, too.

What traditions do you thank your parents for? Dislike them for?
Do you see them in how you behave and believe?
It doesn't have to be a bad thing.
But when it is, you don't have to own it.
Don't hold on to what holds you back.
Be more than your lineage.
No family is perfect; this goes all the way back to The Fall in Genesis.
But like in the case of Saul and Jonathan, we don't have to be like our family.
God equips us to overcome any chains that bind us.

And truthfully, I never felt freer from my past than when I accepted Christ.

It seems I always find time to write once the boy has gone and the loneliness seeps in.
I miss him terribly. I'm not cut out for long distance relationships.
Saw that with my huge FAIL with Noel.

Have I mentioned I started writing again?
Not very well, mind you, but the process has begun.
God put it on my heart and I don't really know what it's about yet,
but the format of the story is not something I'm accustomed to...
Nor is it something I would buy at a book store.
But I'm excited by the familiarity of typing rapidly on a page.
That's good for something.