CURRENT MISSION

To meet really cool people the way Jesus said to: "35 For I was hungry & you gave Me food, I was thirsty & you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger & you brought Me together with yourselves & welcomed & entertained & lodged Me,..." Matt. 25:35

ABOUT ME

"A wanderer is not necessarily one who has no home, but someone who feels at home anywhere he or she goes..."

How do you describe who you are in a few paragraphs?
What have others said about me? I've been described by others as interesting, unusual, passionate, intimidating, crazy, intelligent, faithful, a Geek (Is there supposed to be something wrong with that?), and so much more. I'm striving to accomplish EVERYTHING that God has set forth for me to do, and not one thing less than that.

I'm an active mother of three and (young :D) grandmother of 5. :D :0) I love people, and I'm an encourager. One of my goals is to help the people with whom I come in contact to reach their full potential. One of my favorite quotes is one that my pastor says frequently, "We are blessed to be a blessing!"

I am an entreprenuer, an LPN, a freelance writer and also a missionary with Christian Collaboration, based in Roanoke, VA. At the time of this profile update I'm preparing to head back to Uganda on my 4th missionary journey. I'll also be leading a team to Peru in July 2011 if anyone is interested in joining us.

PHILOSOPHY

We should celebrate our individuality, not be embarrassed or ashamed of it. We all have idiosyncrasies. People do themselves a great disservice by not allowing themselves to see who they really are because they are afraid of what others might think.
-Johnny Depp

I was born-again at the age of 16, and Jesus is the center of my life. I live my life to be a reflection of the love that God has for everyone around me. Whether they're a Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, agnostic, atheist, or whatever, when people look at my life I want them to see God's love for them.

On Differences of Opinion: I love the quote that my pastor shared from when he was in Israel. He was speaking to a Rabbi, I think, and the Rabbi said: "You are waiting for the second-coming of Messiah, and we are waiting for the first-coming of Messiah. Let's just wait together!"

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I Surf...I host Surfers...I promote Surfing...Life is Good!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Official: Had my first "Official" (through the CS site) CouchSurf in Atlanta in October 2007. It was a great experience with wonderful hosts. I have hosted surfers as well.

Unofficial (Not through CS.com): I've surfed in Puerto Rico for a month while working there. I pick up backpackers and hikers every year and give them a couch to sleep on and a hot meal. I've slept on a few couches while hiking as well. I've hosted people from around the world including a hiker from Holland who stayed with me a couple nights in 2006. Come to find out she was from the same area my grandmother was from! We had a great visit.

Most unusual "CouchSurfing" experience was in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico. I was an independent contractor on a FEMA deployment and arrived in Juana Diaz after dark. I had little money and no contacts in town. I decided I'd sleep in my car for the night and come up with housing the next day, so I found the local police department, introduced myself, and asked if I'd be safe sleeping in my car parked across from the station. The officer I spoke with got on the phone, called the MAYOR and got permission for me to sleep in the office there. I threw my sleeping bag on the floor of the office and had a safe night's sleep. It isn't often that you get to surf at a jail in Puerto Rico! LOL!

Interests

My hobbies include spending time with my family, travel, hiking, camping, reading, writing, singing praise and worship music, and working on the computer.

• writing
• books
• singing
• dining
• drinking
• reading
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• surfing
• jewish
• hinduism
• atheism
• emergency services
• freelancing
• solo travel

Music, Movies, and Books

I love to read! Some favorite books are: The Bible. Today Matters. Developing the Leader Within You. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The Chioce. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The Hobbit. The Chronicles of Narnia. Some of the authors who have influenced my life are Dr. A.E. Crabtree, John Maxwell, Robert Kiyosaki, Og Mandino, CS Lewis, and JRR Tolkien.

The only TV I watch is normally the SyFy Channel (SG-1 & SG Atlantis, Primeval, Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Sanctuary.

Favorite movies include- Fiddler on the Roof, The Passion, The Sound of Music, The Lord of the Rings (all), Narnia, The Pirates of the Carribean (all), The Wind and the Lion, and Avatar.
I can't imagine life without music! It's an integral part of my life, but it has to have a positive message. Some of my favorite artists include: South of Sanity. Hillsong. Israel and New Breed. Chris Tomlin. Holy Soldier. Paul Wilbur. Skillet. Mary, Mary. Matisyahu. Sonic Flood. Casting Crowns. Third Day. DC Talk. Newsboys. Greater Vision. Petra. Jars of Clay. I sing Praise and Worship music.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I can't limit it to one!

I recently delivered a baby at a small hospital in Uganda. It was stillborn and we were able to resuscitate it and he's healthy and alive today!

Raising 3 awesome kids!

Witnessing the birth of two of my grandchildren.

Standing in N. Ireland at the Giant's Causeway with the wind whipping through my hair and feeling the spray of the salt water on my face.

Standing on the bank of the Nile River.

Landing at Entebbe Airport in Uganda and seeing the realization of a lifelong dream.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach:
1. How to Publish a Book - after publishing three I've learned enough to be dangerous! :D
2. Planning a Long Distance Backpacking Trip
3. Solo Travel for Women
4. Anything else I've learned myself!
Learn:
Anything I don't already know...which is a LOT. I'm a perpetual student, and life is my classroom!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uganda, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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