Here we go....

Who am I?

My name is Ashley Dial, and I will be graduating in May from North Georgia with a degree in Early Childhood and Special Education. I have always had a passion for working with children but didn’t take the traditional route to become a teacher. Right out of high school, I had the intention of becoming an engineer, but the Lord had other plans for me. After three semesters, it became clear that engineering was not what I was supposed to be doing with my life. At that point, I made the decision to transfer and become a teacher. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made, and there is not one doubt in my mind that this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life. I genuinely love going to the elementary school each and every day and cannot wait to be able to do this for the rest of my life!

Why this trip?

I initially heard about the trip this past fall and was immediately excited about the possibility of going to Nicaragua to teach! I was willing to do pretty much anything to ensure that I was able to go on this trip…even enroll in grad school early! When I finally found out I could go without jumping through hoops, I realized that this was meant to be and I needed to take this opportunity and run with it! I mean, when will I have the opportunity to travel abroad with such an amazing group for two weeks ever again?!?

Now that you know how much I really want to go, you must be asking, “But why?” Like I said in my introduction, I have always had a passion for working with children and spend most of my time outside of school volunteering or working with children. Also, I have always wanted to go on a mission trip, but the logistics just never worked out. When presented with this trip, it immediately clicked that this was what I needed to do. I would be able to minister and share God’s love by using the talents that He has given me. After this realization, it became evident that this was the perfect opportunity to take a leap of faith and minister abroad.

What am I looking forward to?

I honestly cannot wait to see the children and spend time getting to know them. After all, I did become a teacher because of my love for kids. I know that my life will be forever changed after meeting and spending time with these children, and my hope is that I make at least a small impact on their lives as well! I am also excited for this unique opportunity to use my God-given talents to serve my Lord and Savior! It is such a blessing to be given the chance to serve the Lord in this way! In addition, I am excited about seeing a new country and being immersed in a new culture.

Ashley

Uncontainable Excitement!

Hey y'all! My name is Erica Jones, and I am from the small town of Blue Ridge nestled in the mountains of north Georgia. I am graduating from North Georgia College & State University on May 6th (the day before we leave for Nicaragua!) with a degree in Early Childhood and Special Education. I come from a huge family consisting of five siblings (an older step brother, younger sister, younger step brother, and two younger half brothers). Since I am the second oldest, I have always been very nurturing and motherly. I have always had a huge passion for children, and I have always known I wanted to be a teacher. I love being a positive role model and having an impact on the lives of children. I have a huge heart, and I have always experienced true joy in helping others.

Why did I choose to go on this trip? I have always had an interest and felt led to participate in mission work, but I have never been sure where I was meant to go. Over the past year, as my relationship with my Lord and Savior has grown and strengthened tremendously, I have prayed for Him to open my eyes and reveal His plan of where He wanted me to go. I first heard about this trip around last October and was very hopeful. However, when the trip was first mentioned, individuals wanting to attend were to be enrolled in a class with NGCSU. I was super bummed since I would be graduating before the trip, which meant I wouldn't be able to  go. So, I continued diligently praying for direction in my life. Two months later, in December, this proposition of this trip came up again. This time, I found out that in order to go, individuals did not have to be enrolled in a class. I knew this was God reassuring me this is where I was meant to be. I immediately emailed Dr. Barnes and set everything up in order to for me to get on board with the trip. At this point, I couldn't have even pointed out Nicaragua on a world map, but I knew this is where the Holy Spirit was leading me. So, here I am today--only 12 short days away from our departure!

Is it possible to pinpoint one thing that I am most looking forward to? No, it is not! I am going on this trip expecting the unexpected. I can't wait to see how the Lord uses me and the other girls to work in these people's lives. With that being said, I also can't wait to see how the Lord uses the people in Nicaragua to work in our lives. I am excited to be able to experience another culture, especially one that is so poverty stricken. True, authentic, infallible faith is found in such cultures because their faith is all they have to live by. I am ecstatic about being able to witness such faith. Overall, I am excited about every aspect of this trip, and I can't wait to see how our lives are transformed!

xoxo,


Erica

14 days and counting...

In merely 14 more days, we'll be departing for Nicaragua and ready to spend close to two weeks exploring, learning, and growing.  This blog will help you stay abreast of our journey and adventures.  Over the next two weeks, each student will be introducing themselves and explaining why they chose to go on this trip.  Hopefully, this will help us develop a sense of community and get to know each other before our trip.

So, I'll begin.  My name is Alyssa Barnes, and I am an assistant professor at North Georgia College and State University.

I first traveled to Nicaragua in February 2011.  I traveled with another professor from NGCSU, three professors from Piedmont College, and other professionals from different school districts around Georgia.  I was new to the group, but all of the other women were making their 4th and 5th trip.  The Teach Amigas group spent a week in classrooms around Chinandega and creating a professional development celebration for the teachers in the local villages.  Falling in love with everything Nicaragua, I jumped at the chance to take students back to experience this amazing culture.

I am looking forward to watching the faces and expressions of the students as they see the extreme poverty, yet overwhelming beauty of Nicaragua.  I know I've grown as a person from my trips to Nicaragua, and I cannot wait to see the transformations that occur in my students.

MAB