When your heart leads.

I just returned for a trip into the "Jungle".  Although we live in the jungle, when we say we are going on a trip to the jungle, that means deep.  Past the end of the road, past the grocery stores, the comforts of running water and chocolate (yeah, I'm kind of chocolate junkie)!
I have to say that for me, the night before any trip to the jungle is like the night before Christmas for a child.  The expectancy, the joy, the hope, all wrapped up in a butterfly in my stomach!

What made this trip so different and exciting (and now that I'm back I'll confess... a little nervous as well) was the fact that it was the first time I would be taking a trip with just ladies.  We were a team of four, two of my heroes, Bertha and Amanda who are leaders in our national missions team, my sister in law Katie McDonald and myself.  We were quite the team and we were pumped!
It was going to be a quick trip, only three days but we were on a mission!  Our main goal was to support our local missions team in their evangelistic outreaches, visit our church plants and visit some new ones as well!  We were able to spend our days visiting with the beautiful people, pray for the sick,  encourage the weak, teach and preach.  We ate more grub worms than you'd care to know, drank chicha, enjoyed some fresh coconut juice and boiled peanuts from the jungle earth!
The dug out canoe was hard, the mosquitos mean, the rain fierce but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

When your heart leads, you follow!  And when your heart beats to the rhythm of missions, you go, no matter the cost!

In His Hands,
-Leah


To watch a little video recap of our trip, click link below:
VIDEO: TAKE ME WHERE MY HEART LEADS

Being Mom

One of my absolute favorite things in the world to do is hike.  I love the mountains, I love nature and I love exploring her!  There are times when I get this urge to just take off, anticipation to find what is foreign to my eye, to experience what is lying on the other side of the mountain.  
I also absolutely love being mom!  I have found that there are seasons in our lives, a very wise lady once told me to embrace the seasons that you have, because they last only a short time and before you know it, they are gone, moving on to something new.  I learned that when my children were very young and I have tried with everything in me to hold on to the season, but I've only recently felt that the season with my children, as much as I try to hold on, is slipping from my fingers, like water cupped from the stream, I cannot hold on.  I can, however, choose to live in the season, cherish the moments I presently have and live this season to it's fullest.   


This past week, our family had the opportunity to go hiking together, what an explosion of emotion for me, to have the ones I most love by my side when exploring God's creation!  We hiked at 11,500 feet to waterfalls and over mountains, exploring together and finding beautiful flowers, interesting insects and perfect hideaways!  


Those are the gifts I leave behind.  I may not be able to give my children expensive gifts or the latest gadgets, but what I can give is the love of adventure, memories that will forever be imprinted in their minds and hearts.  

Being mom is the most perfect feeling in the world and I am so very grateful for the opportunity!

Embrace your season!