New Blogger!

So, this is my first blog post ever! Thank you to all who have come here to read through my journey to Costa Rica! :)

First, let me explain the title of my blog. I chose "In Christ Alone" because these next few months of preparing for Costa Rica are solely going to be done In Christ Alone. That is my prayer. These are going to be some stressful months but the reward will be totally worth it!

Second, let me bring you to date on all that has happened already in the process of this trip!

About 2-3 months ago, Chris (my amazing youth pastor) approached us with the possibility of an international mission trip. If I recall correctly I started jumping up and down. I have felt the call to go on a mission trip for quite sometime and the opportunity came! So I jumped right on it! I approached my parents with my desire to go. A few weeks later we had the first informational meeting where we found out we would be going to San Jose, Costa Rica. My parents and I prayed about this for the next 1 1/2- 2 months and in January we put my name down. I am so incredibly excited! Then everything started rolling! We had our first team meeting about 2 weeks ago, where for the first time, we saw who everyone on our team was! And let me be the first to say, what a great team it is! There are four girls and nine boys. Our team leader is the amazing Chris Woods, who is also our youth pastor. I am so thankful God put this man over our youth group! During this meeting we got all of our general information for this trip. And wow, is it a lot! I have to get shots, medicines, passports, etc! But I know that it is all in God's hands!

Last week we had our first team workday! We went to a local elementary school in our area, and refreshed their landscaping. I say refreshed because last April, during D-NOW, our youth group actually totally redid the landscaping. This workday was a blast! It felt so great to work as a team for the first time! And let me tell you, the difference was amazing!! I wish I had had a camera! I will try to add pictures when I can of the team and what we accomplish through God's help!

Sorry this was a long post! I hope you will continue reading this and go on this incredible journey to San Jose with me!
~Hannah
1 Samuel 16:7