Passport photos over the years...

Was 8 years old in my first passport photo. My family was traveling to Kharkov, Ukraine to start a student ministry group on the local campus with Student Mobilization. 
I remember being elated that we were traveling overseas, seeing a new world. I told my friends in school and they all thought I was crazy...giving me a look like- why would you ever want to leave south Arkansas?? I remember at my 8th birthday party at De Gray lake my friends were giving me "going away presents" like towels and socks...I thought it was so lame. 
Feelings here: hopeful. Perhaps that when the travel bug was first planted in my mind. 










In this next photo I think I was in 10th grade so about 17, and it would be the first year to travel to Mexico with my youth group for the "mission to Mexico" trip. Our church would take the youth group during Spring Break and work with the local churches in Chihuahua, Mexico. Again, I remember telling some friends I would be building a church during Spring Break and they gave me that same crazed look like- "your going to Mexico to build a church? Not to go to Cancun and get boozed up?" (story of my life these looks). My first time there was an amazing experience. Traveling by bus into the heart of Chihuahua, felt like we were driving over the Sahara desert. When we arrived there we were all divided up into pairs and placed in the homes of the church members. The family was so welcoming, giving up their family bed so we had somewhere to sleep. One night the mom even made a birthday cake for my friend. Using her limited supplies to make her feel special. I had never experienced true hospitality until traveling to Mexico. Feelings here: amazed.

My last photo was taken  in 2008 when I was 23 and had just gotten married and needed to change my name on the passport. I had been married for a couple of months, a new resident to Florida. I would be traveling to China for a summer study abroad trip with my school. I had been waiting 6 months preparing for this trip, getting the correct documents, buying supplies and packing clothes and shoes. Then we found out there was  devastating earthquake in Chengdu, China, the city I would be studying in. Thousands of people were dead, many were still trapped. The program I was going with gave me the option not to go, and although my heart ached to go, my husband didn't feel right about it. My feelings here are complete excitement. I had traveled to China before to teach English and was going to meet up with some of my old students in Beijing. After this news I was devastated. I still hope for the day I can return to China. I know God will open that door again soon.