Christmas was great. I spent the whole day going from house to house... it was nice seeing everyone. New Years was pretty quiet... I spent most the night watching Grey's Anatomy. :)
On a more serious note, I went to a funeral this morning for a friend of mine who was killed this past weekend in a car accident. Please pray for his family... this has been tough on them as anyone can imagine. However have joy because we know that he is in heaven with his daddy. It's always nice to be reminded of how precious our lives really are and how we should live them to the fullest.
Time has been flying by and I cannot believe how close this trip is getting... 19 days!! God has really been working on me lately, it's amazing how much He can teach you if you let Him. I feel confident about Africa, I have been doing my best to prepare myself... spiritually, emotionally, and physically... to completely give it all up to Him. I'm excited to see where He will lead me.
Anyways the next couple of weeks are going to be packed with finishing college applications, finals, my GRADUATION!!!, packing, and spending as much time as possible with everyone here. It's going to be sad leaving but I know I am going to come back a stronger person.
I hope everyone had a safe New Year and I hope yall have a great week!
WHEW!! Today marked a huge moment of relief. Paperwork is in,plane tickets are purchased, insurance is confirmed, vaccines are through, and waivers are signed! I can't believe that I leave in less than 5 weeks, and it's even harder to believe that Christmas is one week away! Did anyone else see that coming? I know I didn't!
My trip to Africa becomes more and more of a reality to me everyday. I've noticed that it's all I think about, all I talk about, and basically all that my life is based around right now. With school out Africa is the only thing I have to work towards (with the exception of a couple of college applications here and there). I am happy to say that the Benefit Concert was a success. The turnout wasn't anywheer near what i had expected but I could tell that everyone who was there really enjoyed it. It was awesome being with all my friends, getting to worship outside of church, and just getting to share what this trip is all about. I have been blessed with another opportunity to talk about it in front of the youth group the week before I leave.. I'm excited!! I am also doing a drime with a group of friends that really targets teens and the troubles and challenges that we face everyday including drugs, alcohol, sex, eating disorders, and even suicide. I'll put the video up here and I really suggest checking it out, it will really change you if you allow God to step in.
And now for the WHOA!!! Ok so maybe it's not that big of a "whoa" but I would be lying if I were to say I am pefectly care-free about Africa coming up so soon. My support is barely crawling in, I don't have a cent of spending money, there are so many supplies to get together, and so many other things I need to buy such as a sleeping bag, some clothes, and little things that I need to get through the three months away from the luxury of America. My human brain can't process how I am going to get that much money with the time that I have left... but I guess that's where the saying "God provides" comes from. I mean, if we didn't face these struggles how would we leave God any room to pull us through? This is where faith truly steps in and I just need to trust that every struggle that God puts me through He will pull me out of. How else can He mold me into the person He has meant for me to be? I need to leave this up to Him.
This the drime that I was talking about. Please take a few minutes to stop and watch it. It is very powerful and may be dealing with some struggles that you could be going through.
Hey guys welcome to my blog!!! With my trip to Swaziland just over 5 weeks away I will be posting updates on my support raising, preparations, and just anything else that's going on in my life! In case you dont know me here are the basics: My name is Erin Tomchik, I am 17 years old, I live in Spring, Texas, and I am getting ready to go to Swaziland for three months with the Real Life team in January! If you want to know anymore just check out my biography! :)
Well, I simply cannot believe how fast this trip is coming up... I am getting so excited! I have about 40% of my support so far and this coming Sunday, December 16, I am having a benefit concert complete with an amazing skit, raffle, and free hot chocolate to help raise some more funds. The weather has made me nervous past few days but thankfully its supposed to be clear and sunny! Please pray that everything does smoothly and that between the skit and the worship we can touch some lives out there!
This past Wednesday we had our Christmas party with the kiddos in childcare and it was so great getting to watch them open up the presents we got them. Their reactions were priceless and I am simply in love with all my three-year olds! It's going to be sad leaving them in January but I cannot wait to meet and play with all the cute Swazi kids. :)
Hooray for Christmas break, hope y'all have a great week!
