Colder Weather.

"Jesus replied, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head'" - Luke 9:58

Over the last five years, I have been on the move.  It seems like right as I settle in somewhere, the suitcases come out, the plane ticket is purchased or the tank is filled up with gas, and I'm on my way again.  Just four short weeks ago, I was unpacking from a journey around the world and back.  Four short weeks ago, my heart was thriving in Africa.  Now I sit here at my computer with my suitcases packed again... Packed for the reason I returned home in the first place... Surgery.  Tomorrow my brother, Blake, and I head out to Colorado.  Another journey is upon me and a new season of life beckons my name.

On The Move Again  

  

As I prepare to depart from my parent's house in Texas, my heart is overcome by thankfulness for the healing this place has brought me.  It has provided me the peace and rest my soul desperately needed as I battled through returning from Africa.  My family has given me endless amounts of love and grace as I prepare for the recovery process ahead.  My time here has let my heart slowly process the reality of being grounded for awhile.  I love being on the move and I love new and unknown adventures.  As much as I love them, I have to let them go on without me for a season... Or at least scale them back until my surgeon clears me to frolic freely :) 

With eagerness to return to the open road tomorrow, my heart is receiving and accepting another reason why I returned from Africa... To learn how to be still.  With the gypsy half of my soul super bummed, another part is coming alive.  The part that is learning to listen and obey.  The part that so desperately wants to roam free, but needs to completely hand that over to the Lord.  It feels like a sacrifice and most days makes me cringe, but how on earth could I question the plans God has for me through this?  He knows the desires of my heart and He will honor that in His time.  He keeps reminding me to be still.  To be still and heal and know that life will not be wasted during this time.  To hold tight to His promise of delivering me back to Africa on the perfect day at the perfect hour.  To enjoy every.single.part. of this incredible journey He has me on.  To smile more than I fret... To rejoice and laugh through it all.  To be honest and true and love hard.  To impact my next door neighbor, my best friend, a stranger, and everyone in between.  To not let a place or a circumstance alter my my ability to serve and love.  To let joy and light and faith rule my life instead of darkness and disappointment.  To know that I crave being as free as a bird and having no place to lay my head, but receiving this gift of a season as a homebird with open hands.  So as I shed another layer of my heart, God comes in and fills it with perfect peace.  He sets joy deep into my soul.  A joy that is not altered by the events happening around me, but rather a fountain of life that feeds into all that I am.

Rather than making our typical 13 hour drive straight through, Blake and I decided to spice it up a bit.  We googled random spots along the way to stop and visit.  We made sure to pick something zany in each state we're cruising through.  We figured we're alive with the world at our fingertips... Why not have a heck of a fun time adventuring through this beautiful life?  Feel free to check out our adventures through our posts on Instagram (bfroistad and runforestrun84).  

Pack up the FJ 

I want to encourage anyone reading this to love the life you live right here, right now.  Don't miss out on a single part of it.  Turn bad days into great days and turn disappointments into victories.  Smile at the hard things and REJOICE LIKE CRAZY when great things come your way.  Be quick to turn and praise God for the beauty He has blessed us with on this side of eternity.  Seek the absolute best out of everyone and everything.  He is good by and by :) 

I can't wait to talk to you guys next week after a fun-filled frolic in CO... Our hometown stomping grounds :) I will have exciting updates on our Rays of Grace team and the development of our school!  I wish I could hug you all!  I love you guys!

gracegracegrace,

britt :) 

    

Sue&Kurt.

"'From this day on I will bless you'" - Haggai 2:19

After church today my parents and I headed to Denny's for a little after church rendezvous.  I sat in the backseat of our blue suburban laughing at them and cracking jokes about how they are becoming senior citizens.  All of my siblings were gone today, so it was just me and Sue and Kurt aka Mom and Dad.  I felt like a little kid again.  Sitting in the back of our huge family car and laughing like I was 5 years old. I did not have a care in the world and trusted that my parents would safely deliver me to wherever we were going.  My heart smiled when it recognized yet another reason for me to be back from Africa... To celebrate childhood one last time.  To live under my parents roof one last time.  To respect my parents in a way I never have.  To have this deep, endless amount of thankfulness for them.  To see that because of their commitment to each other and to the Lord, I am able to recognize who I am and what I stand for... I am able to stand firm in my faith and cling tight to my hope in the Lord.

As we were taking our assigned booth at Denny's, we started up some awesome conversation, just the three of us.  We talked and talked and ordered coffee and discussed what on earth we would order.  We made friendly conversation with our wonderful waiter, Brittany, and joked how we both spelled our names the "right" way.  My mom and I poked fun at my dad because he is almost at the age to receive his senior discount... He didn't laugh as hard as we did :) Amidst our joy, we were quietly introduced to a couple seated behind our booth who had fallen on harder times.  They did not know that we caught word of their conversation, but our hearts could not help but do something.  I stood back in absolute awe as I watched my mom turn to my dad and say, "Kurt, we're going to buy their meal".  Without a second thought, my dad went up to the register and made sure their bill was delivered to our table.  My heart was crushed in admiration of my parents... I of course got chocked up and let those shameless public tears stroll down my face as I looked across the table at my mom.  I couldn't put into words how much of an impact that had on my heart, as their daughter.  I couldn't believe I got to call them mine... All mine.  My mom and dad.  My incredible parents.  It's not like they wrote a check for a million dollars, no, it was much more than that.  They took compassion on strangers and entertained angels.  They took the blessings they have been given and turned it into tangible love.  They may never be thanked or acknowledged for what they did at that Denny's in Small Town, U.S.A. today, but they sure became a living example of Hebrews 13:2, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it".

Mommy and Daddy, thank you.  Thank you for being compassionate and real.  Thank you for standing up for what's just.  Thank you for teaching us morals and values.  Thank you for loving us through and through.  Thank you for being my very own set of angels :)

So as I turn 23 this week, I have to give an even BIGGER shout out to these two... If it wasn't for you guys I wouldn't be entertaining you both with my extremely unfunny jokes :) Thank you for bringing me into this world and showing me what truly matters.  Thank you for believing in me and my dreams.  It is through you guys's love, guidance, wisdom, advice, and undeniable faith in God that I am able to face life with my hands wide open and ready to serve.  

With that being said, I have devoted my 23rd year of life to building Rays of Grace's new school in Uganda.  With my earthly parents and my heavenly Father backing me, we committed to complete surrender and trust in the Lord.  My surgery is February 20th and I have let the reality of being stateside-stuck set in.  It is not a punishment nor is it a bummer.  It is full of light and grace and drenched in love... Unconditional love.  Please join me on yet another journey this year.  Our initial goal is $26,000.  This will cover purchasing the land and building our very first Mt. of Olive's School.  Throughout the process we will be gathering numbers for supplies, child sponsorship, and continual operating costs to keep the school alive and well :)  

For more information please visit:  http://www.raysofgrace.org/support

Or please feel free to email me: bfroi17@gmail.com 

Thank you again for all the love and prayers you have mindfully sent my way.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't see the Lord at work.  He has answered prayers and will continue to be Sovereign in His ways.  So please join me in Uganda as we bless those who are in need.  Again, thank you Mommy and Daddy for showing me what it truly means to give selflessly and serve endlessly, I love you guys more than words :) 

"'Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him shoulder to shoulder'" - Zephaniah 3:9

With so much love and grace,

britt :) 

    

Great Places, Smiling Faces.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate

a time for war and a time for peace" - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

I have a knack for crying in public.  Whether I am happy or sad, when my heart feels something, it immediately sends the message to my tear ducts and they have a party.  I usually can't stop once I'm started so I've learned to embrace it and just let it happen.  These past two days, I cannot seem to keep it on lock down and the water works have been flowing.  

I had the privilege of spending the past two days with my Great Aunt Marylou and my Great Uncle Mike.  It's weird to call them my "Aunt and Uncle" seeing as they have felt more like another set of grandparents my whole life.  I haven't seen them in years and they happened to be passing through San Antonio this weekend.  We took this opportunity to laugh endlessly, eat extremely good food and share incredible conversation.  We were enjoying dinner at a little restaurant on the River Walk last night and laughing up a storm.  Marylou and I shared stories with each other and got all caught up on what we both have been up to.  Mid-conversation she told me Uncle Mike has cancer that has spread to his bones and has 6 months to a year to live.  I felt like time stopped at that moment.  Surely this isn't true and surely something could be done.  Rather than wallowing in sadness or refraining from living, they are greeting each new day with joy and grace.  They are praising God and glorifying His works in all they do.  They are adventuring and road tripping to visit friends and family.  They are impacting everyone they cross paths with.  They are sharing their stories of faith and redemption.  They are loving hard and boldly.  They are not looking for pity, but rather looking to live as an example... An example of life to the full.  They cling tight to the promise of eternity with one another.

To see their faith and insanely positive attitudes made me cry even harder.  To hear of their love and all of their adventures impacted my heart big time.  Their marriage of over 52 years is laced with pain and beauty... All of which they will genuinely tell you about.  They have traveled the country, all 50 states, and gone on adventures abroad that were filled with life.  They don't turn down adventure or opportunity.  They make sure every day is a good day, no matter the circumstance.  Their love is genuine and true.  I became captivated with every story they told and my stomach hurt from laughing at Uncle Mike and his extremely funny stories.  

Mike and Marylou acknowledge that there is a time for everything.  They acknowledge that time may be growing thin.  They acknowledge that they have made some mistakes.  They acknowledge their love.  They acknowledge the endless grace the Lord has extended to each of us.  They have impacted my heart more than they will ever know.  They have laughed, danced, built up, tore down, mended, loved, gathered, scattered and embraced.  They have lived.  They have encouraged me to live.  They have encouraged me to follow my dreams and truly make the sky the limit. 

As we were sharing brunch together this morning, Uncle Mike turned to Blake and me and told us, "Never settle for second best.  You guys deserve the best out there, don't forget that".  I will hold that so true in my heart.  I will take him everywhere with me.  I will strive to live the life of love and honesty that he has shown me.  I will aspire to love like he loves and spread joy like he spreads.  I pray that God's will is done in Uncle Mike's life.  I selfishly wish he would live forever and pray for the opportunity to see him one more time.  

The inevitable goodbye came much quicker than my heart had wanted.  As he hugged all of us, he smiled and said, "This may be the last time I see you, I love you guys so much.  Your family has always been perfect to me".  My vision became blurry and my tears shamelessly fell down my face.  

As much as it hurts to be back in the States when my heart longs to be in Africa, God's timing is revealing itself.  It is soft and beautiful.  It gave me the opportunity to see Uncle Mike.  To hug him one more time.  To laugh once more with him.  To listen to his stories.  To remember him in all his glory.  To follow the Lord's call on my life.  To continually build Rays of Grace and wait upon the Lord and His timing for me to journey back to Africa.  To see first hand that there is "a time to plant and a time to uproot".  I will cling to that.

So Uncle Mike, thank you :) thank you for being yourself and being real.  I pray that I get to hug you one last time, but if I don't, I can't wait to party with you in heaven :) 

Until we meet again :) I love you so much :)

britt :) 

      

Hallelujah.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland" - Isaiah 43:19

"When I see your face, I see the image of God" - A stranger I will never know.  It was a year and a half ago in the middle of Kenya.  I had already gotten two urinary tract infections in one month and I was battling my third.  Fresh water was not available at the orphanage we were staying at, so I was on my daily walk into town to get bottled water.  This had become routine and my feet guided me along the dirt roads filled with cattle and chickens.  I greeted everyone I passed and like usual, drew a crowd.  As we laughed and approached the small shanty town, I went to my favorite shack to get water.  Laughter was exchanged as I brokenly communicated I needed more water... Again.  I walked home alone and drank in everything about that moment.  Then literally, out of nowhere, a man in a wooden cart that was pulled by a donkey (think Monty Python and the Holy Grail) passed by me and told me - "When I see your face, I see the image of God".  I never saw him again.  I don't know where he came from or where he was headed.  I don't know his name and I couldn't pick him out of a crowd.  He was my angel.  He was my affirmation.  From that moment on, I knew Africa would not be a part of my life, but my whole life.

That being said, arriving back in America has been anything but comfortable.  I long to be back in Africa.  I replay every moment of Rwanda and Uganda.  I can hear laughter and picture all my favorite smiles.  My heart aches for one more set of hands running through my tangly hair.  I miss all my friends in the market making headbands.  I miss planning what our projects are going to look like.  I miss the chaos of the streets.  I miss cars zooming by me on my morning runs.  I miss being made fun of for my English... I miss everything.

As I find myself being wrapped up in what was or what could've been or what is coming, I forgot about what is.  I forgot to ask God what He needs of me now... Why He brought me back.  Why my knees, yet again, brought me back from a dream.  As we finalize dates for surgery, I truly feel like I am back at square one.  But as I start to turn my focus back to The Maker's hand in this, I feel my burdens being lifted.  I feel the Lord "making streams in the wasteland".

I will be finalizing the date for my seventh surgery tomorrow.  My heart drops at the thought of the recovery ahead.  It never seems to get easier.  I am definitely able to manage the process better, but the reality never gets easier to swallow.  Right as doubt sets in, God shows up... Yet again.  He brings me hope in the form of 6 people:

My sister, Lindsay - Even though we all thought I was going to be in Uganda for Christmas and my birthday, she had my present all ready for me when I got home.  She knows my heart inside and out.  She listens and observes everything about me.  In her quiet, reserved way, she has given me unconditional love that I could feel 10,000 miles away as well as one bedroom over.  Neatly wrapped in two little boxes were two pairs of fabulous TOMS.  She knows that my heart is overjoyed when others are being helped through what I'm receiving.  So everyone, meet Linz :)

My sister, Sydney - She went above and beyond for Rays of Grace while I was gone.  Rallying fundraisers and spreading the word about Africa everywhere she went.  Rarely was the conversation about her or what she was up to, but rather how she could get more people involved in helping in Uganda and Rwanda.  I would get messages or emails being introduced as, "my sister who lives in Africa" and would beam from ear to ear with a heart full of joy.  After many months apart, we were finally reunited today and haven't stopped laughing since the airport.  We were able to crack jokes, talk about our hopes and dreams, and fill each other in on everything we missed in one another's lives.  This is my fabulous Ferg :) 

My brother, Blake - We have the same heart.  He has been above and beyond patient with me.  He listens to me when I need to unload and cracks extremely funny jokes when he sees my heart could use a little cheering up.  He drives me everywhere and never once complains or tells me he can't.  He has let me be quiet when he sees that my mind is in turmoil.  He has encouraged me and loved me by and by.  He never once pushes me to fit into a mold or be someone I'm not, he literally just loves me for who I am... At all times.  Praise God for the grace he shows not only me, but everyone he meets.  Blake, you are a gift to this world.  Meet my heart of hearts :) 

My sister, Abigail - Ooooo my goodness where to begin.  She has been with me through it all.  In her fabulously quiet way, she encourages me to my core.  Whether it be an email, a text, or a gift, she always has a way of bringing a smile to my face.  She offers me advice that is laced with kindness and love.  She is always quick to give me a hug or let me cry.  She listens without judgment and always makes time for a Chik-Fil-A date, a baking session, or a midnight snack.  She is the bees knees.  My beautiful Gail :) 

My beautiful Mama Bear, Sue - she loves me with an everlasting love.  A love that knows no boundaries.  It is free and always unconditional.  She has gone to the ends of the earth for me and never expects anything in return.  She loves every part of me... The ugliest of ugly and the most stubborn and frustrating parts.  She never gets angry with me, but instead approaches me with this unreal amount of grace and patience.  Like Blake, she lets me be quiet when my mind is reeling and my heart is crushed. She speaks kindly to me when all I can do is cry in return.  She brushes my hair and tickles my back before bed as my pillow gets soaked with my tears.  She knows these tears come from the hole in my heart that is Africa.  She knows every hope and dream that has ever passed through my heart.  She knows of my failures and heartbreaks and loves me all the same.  She takes me to get my toes done just because.  She knows my struggles, fears and failures and encourages me to keep fighting.  I will never be able to thank her enough for being the best mom in the world... No amount of words would suffice.  Meet the gem of all gems :) 

  

Last but never ever ever least, my incredible dad, Kurt - The last conversation I had before I left Uganda was with this guy.  He knows how hard I worked to get to Uganda and Rwanda.  He saw the tears that came with a year of building Rays of Grace.  He saw firsthand the doubts and fears.  He knew and continues to know that the Lord has called me to Africa.  As we talked about having to come home for surgery from 10,000 miles away, he never once forced me to come back.  He listened to me cry.  He spoke kindly and softly to my ever-so-fragile heart.  He offered wisdom and guidance.  He was slow to speak and quick to love.  He has let me process everything and allowed me to regroup.  He has helped with the process to surgery and will continue to walk alongside of me throughout everything.  I could never ask for a better dad.  I am so so so so indescribably thankful that God allowed him to be mine.  Everyone meet the most rad dad of all time :)

  

So, although my heart longs for Africa, He has me here for a purpose.  He is doing a new thing and I perceive it.  My hands are slowly opening back up to receive His purpose in this new mountain I'm climbing.  God is not a God of confusion or mistakes and I am clinging tight to such an incredible promise.  He has loved us all, as His children, with an everlasting, enduringly strong love.  Who am I to reject such a beautiful gift?  

I want to be the image of God everywhere I go... Not just when it's convenient for me.  So go out and love.  Love hard and big on those around you and those far away.  Live a life that makes an impact.  Be different and be bold.

So much love and endless grace,

britt :)