Here goes nothing!

Here is my first attempt at a blog-bear with me..... I have no idea how this works or what I am really doing!

As many of you may know in one week, I am going to embark on a journey of a lifetime. I will be boarding a plane to Swaziland, Africa with Hosea's Heart. Hosea's Heart is a non-profit organization that works to empower the girls of Swaziland to achieve freedom from sexual abuse and a better future, for more information check out their website: http://hoseasheart.org/about/mission

I first learned about this organization during my freshmen year of high school (2011), when Mary-Kate Martin (Founder and Executive Director of Hosea's Heart) was my English teacher. She told our class many stories about her adventures in Africa-the good and the bad. My friend and I decided we wanted to do something to help these girls who were our age and experienced situations we could not even imagine! Long story short we came up with the idea to have a soccer tournament called “Kickin’ up Hope” to raise money for these girls, which we have had for the past four years. I told Mary-Kate freshmen year that the summer following my senior year, I would be joining her in Swaziland—and here I am! Words cannot describe how excited I am to see the girls I have been fundraising for the past four years!!
 

I will be gone for a month and this blog will tell all of you back home a little about my journey: the relationships I build, the lessons I learn, and the incredible experiences I will hold with me forever.