Off to Ecuador


At the farmer's market in Fort Atkinson, WI, with my mentor
Seeds of Hope in Sullivan, WI, bringing the love of Jesus to inmates from the Jefferson County Jail
September is already here and passing with furious rapidity. I cannot seem to grasp the speed, but I am keeping abreast with all my activities and work, sleeping occasionally when I manage to make it a priority—rarely is that the case. I am now leaving for Ecuador to continue studying agriculture. This summer has been an exploration into farming and agricultural practices, and I have never felt so fulfilled. I do believe that I have found the path down which God wants me to travel. I am invigorated and stimulated more than I have ever been, and I feel at peace with the unknown specifics of the future because I am certain of the trajectory. Always a dreamer and a goat-setter, I am confident that the opportunities and particularities of my future will unfold accordingly on my life’s timeline. More than ever, I am attempting to live each day fully and gratefully, without striving to figure out what is coming next; however, I do have plans. I always have plans. It is will be interesting how those plans take root.
Picnic at Devil's Lake for my friends' birthdays
Wedding fun!
I will be living on a farm, Finca la Amistad, in northern Ecuador for two months, learning about tropical agriculture. Primarily a fruit tree farm, with some animals and vegetables, they are interestingly also in the process of developing organic fertilizers and pesticides. I am looking forward to exploring the gardening, the husbandry and the research. Fortunate to have various opportunities on Finca la Amistad, I am certain that I will have a better idea of why I love agriculture so much. After a summer pursuing activity in three gardens in WI, I know that the domain of agriculture is my passion, but my endeavors are as yet quite new and unexplored, making it difficult to speak pointedly on the deep connection I feel to the farm.
Visiting college friends in Washington, D.C.
Family vacation in Bryson City, NC
Throughout the next few months, I am sure that I will write more about why I think farming is so wonderful and how my path has taken shape. This is a pivotal moment in my life, and I am pulsating with anticipation. Ecuador will be my 39th country, and South America will mark another continent traveled (every one except Australia). As always, my prayer is for protection and the wisdom to know how to interact gracefully with the local people. Thank you, Jesus, for your guidance. This is going to be quite the adventure. 27 years old, and I’m heading out for another excursion into the unknown. What a blessing. 
Celebrating my friends' graduation from Northwestern Medical School
Picking strawberries!



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