Hi Everyone!
Wow it has been a while since I wrote on the blog!
It’s amazing what can happen in your life when you let go
and let God. That is basically how I have been trying to live especially these
past few months. I struggle at times though, I absolutely do. But I have
learned and witnessed through myself and others that if you TRUST YOUR STRUGGLE
it will help to fuel you to go where you are being called, where the gifts and
talents that you have been given can be used to help others reach that ultimate
goal in life. That ultimate goal of helping others to become aware, find,
strengthen their relationship and become closer to Christ and to know the love
He has for each and every one of us.
Right now I am preparing to go on a mission’s trip to
Guatemala! I will be going to The village of San Gaspar Chajul which is a tiny
community of indigenous Ixil people in the mountains of the department of
Quiché, Guatemala. I am beyond excited and I want to share with you some of the pin points in my life that brought me to this next journey because I am absolutely taken back by them!
I could go back so far to the pin points but I’ll keep it
short and simple for now and put the main ones down!
-In 2007 I chose to go to Temple University to study Sport
and Recreation management
-Randomly was matched with three other roommates for
freshmen year, (We had the best freshman year and we all got along, still do
today!! E430!)
-Freshman year Misha, one of my roommates, became a football
manager for the football team.
-Summer after Freshman year Misha was diagnosed with
Leukemia. (She battled for two and a half years and the whole time was
self-less, strong, and an inspiration to others.)
-Skip several years later and in March 2011 Misha passed
away.
-Graduated college December 2011 after returning back to
Pennsylvania from Arizona for an internship, I was asked by Misha’s bosses at
Temple Football about becoming a Graduate Assistant for Equipment and working
with them.
-After a few months of deciding and after having a
conversation with her Aunt, she told me that I could fulfill a dream of
Misha’s. And so I did. (Thanks Auntie!)
I came back to Temple and moved in with my best friend where we grew up next door to each other since we were babies.
-Since I was going to be a Graduate Assistant I had to
choose a Master’s program. I chose Liberal Arts because I was always in to
poetry.
-In the Liberal Arts program you are required to do a
thesis.
-This past January when thinking about my thesis I thought
that if I have to write one I want to do it on something I am passionate about.
I had the idea of going on a missions trip and using that as part of my
research. The desire to go on a missions trip has always been in the back of my
head, it was just never the right time…and now I know why!
-When I moved to Philly I wanted to join a church parish and
because of one of my roommates friends and my conversation with her about the
type of parish I was looking for I went to a Mass at St. Malachy’s and it was
exactly what I didn’t even know I wanted let alone needed! And so I joined!
-I become friends with some of the parishoners and they
would ask me what I was doing with my life. And so I would tell them about
school and how now I am trying to figure out a thesis topic and how I would
love to go on a missions trip as part of my research.
-I met this one woman who told me she went on trips a lot
and so we met for dinner and talked about possible opportunities because she
knew people in Latin America where she has gone before.
-She emailed her friends in Latin America and copied me on
the email explaining to them what I was looking to do.
-Well one of the women on the chain, her last name
happened to be my last name, KITA!
-She emailed separately and said, if you family is from Poland
we could be related!
-Well my entire family is from Poland!
-She told me where some of her ancestors landed when they
came through Ellis Island..... Philadelphia and Bayonne, New Jersey.
-My Grandfather was born in Bayonne!!!
-After this connection and further conversations with her
she told me that she would love if I came down where she is to do a mission.
Sister Bernice Kita lives in San Gasper Chajul.
-Before I knew it I was buying my plane ticket to go down
there. I had and have no doubts that this is exactly where I am supposed to go
next. I will be teaching children in a school and will also be focusing on teaching them how to play sports!!
-Oh yea not to mention where I live now, there were actually
some Kita’s that lived right in my neighborhood! AMAZING!!
-We have not yet figured out the direct relation of our
family members but the connection is already there with us.
A former roommate has a sister who is a Spanish teacher and she has been tutoring me for the past month on Spanish!
-And just like that God is fulfilling this desire I have
always had in my heart and it is better than I could ever imagine!
That is the short version of the pinpoints to bring me to
this trip! However, I am not writing my thesis on this topic because The Lord through
other pinpoints directed me to another thing that I am passionate about and
will share at another time.
My thoughts!
-This year the one word I choose to live by is “SERVE.”-
praying to do that one word God has blessed me with this opportunity to serve
the people of Chajul.
-I find it amazing that the choices and the paths that other
people take in life are created to help one another. It is important to
recognize the paths of others and when and how our paths cross.
-Trusting the Lord and trusting that His plans are greater
than our plans.
-In my heart I always wanted to do a trip, I never had any
worry about it. I think it’s important that we verbally tell others about
things that interest us and pray to keep our hearts, eyes, and ears open to
recognize when we are being called for something. We are all instruments in
God’s orchestra so let’s create music.
I am beyond excited and feel beyond blessed to have
encountered so many people in my life to help me get to this point. Everything
doesn’t always make sense now but just keep having faith.
No wonder why it was never the right timing for me to do a
missions trip before hand because if so how would this connection with Bernice
Kita have been made! God’s timing is perfect! Be patient and in your patience,
trust your struggle!
I am asking you all to pray for me the next week as I prepare to make my way down there. I ask that you pray to help me be an instrument to help others get closer to God.
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."-Luke 11:9
God Bless!!!
