Hey guys!!!

Wow, I am so excited to go on this grand adventure with you all and experience what God wants to teach us and do through us. I am SO humbled that God chose me to do His work in Guatemala. I am Jennifer McLain, I am 21 years old, and I live in Cheney, Washington (home of Eastern Washington University and the 2011 National College Football Champions). I go by Jennifer or Jenn (no preference as to which), but I absolutely cringe when people call me Jenny. I am a college student, but do not attend EWU. I am one history class (which I am currently working on passing) away from receiving my Associate of Arts degree in general studies at Spokane Falls Community College. After this quarter I plan on taking the next year off to work and to go on this trip, but then I plan on transferring to a Bible college (still yet to be determined which one) and going into either youth or children’s ministry. I still live at home, but I do pay rent. It’s just my mom and I; we’re a team, we help each other out. =) She has always been there for me. I work as a cashier at a local grocery store which has taught me a LOT of patience and I have met some great people there. This job has presented me with the opportunity to love people and to shine my light, even though it is very difficult much of the time. For over a year now, I have I helped out at Cheney Church of the Nazarene’s Wednesday night Kid’s church. I love the kids there so much! They have taught me so much and I enjoy spending time with them (it’s also such a blessing when they come to the store and I hear their little voices yell "MISS JENN!" across the store! =D) I love to play guitar and sing (I have even played on my youth group and college group praise bands, and once sang the National Anthem at a Naval Promotion Ceremony). I am a storyteller; I basically have a story for just about everything. I love school (I was my high school valedictorian). I love reading, watching movies (I love romantic comedies and scary movies), playing board games, biking, going salsa dancing, playing ultimate Frisbee, going to plays and concerts, ceramics, listening to music, and just chatting with friends. My friends are some of the most influential people in my life. They have been my greatest encouragement through this process (when I started questioning if I should go on this trip, one of my friends stopped me and said, "No, Jenn. You’re going. You’re going and you’re going to do amazing things for God!") When we get together we watch movies, play games, talk, watch YouTube videos, and have jam sessions.

I have been on one mission trip before with my previous church (the Nazarene church). We went to Honduras for 10 days and it was the most life changing experiences I have ever had. To give a little history about myself and to let you know just how big this moment was in my life, I have to tell you that I have a big history of anxiety. I’ve always been an anxious and nervous person, but it began to take over my life when I was 11 years old. I was terrified by EVERYTHING, but especially traveling (No matter what form…Cars and planes were my greatest enemies). If I never saw an airplane again, it would be too soon. I went into counseling and finally put on medication and now I am a whole new person. Everyone who knows me from then and now will all say that I’m a lot more relaxed and a very happy, cheery person. However, I still HATE airplanes. Getting on the plane to Honduras was the scariest thing I ever had to do, but when I once we got to Tegucigalpa, it was all totally worth it. I never wanted to leave and I knew I had to continue in missions. I know God is using all of these events to strengthen me and use them as stair steps to bigger trips and grander adventures.

When I got accepted onto this trip, I was ecstatic…for the first day…Then the nerves and worries set in. I would have to quit my job (A position that I have had for 3 years and have good standings with), leave my mom, go with people I have never met in my entire life, and figure out how to get money that I didn’t have. I prayed about it and talked to my friends and cried….But God is constant and He made it apparent to me that I am supposed to be on this trip. One of my best friends was in Africa while I was trying figuring out what God wanted me to do and she told me, "If God tells you to go, girl, you better go. But if He says no, you had better not." I already had some confirmations in my pocket (so to speak) and that put it over the top. Once I accepted AIM’s acceptance, I was over the moon excited. God has been faithful in providing with my fundraising and I’m enjoying every minute of the ride. Like I said before though, my biggest concerns are the plane ride (Will someone be my flying buddy? =D ) and leaving my mom. I find it ironic that I am leaving for a foreign country where I do not know the language and my biggest concern is the plane ride. =P I am so excited for what God is going to teach us and how I know He is going to grow me as a person. One day at the store when I had a customer questioning me as to why I would want to go on this trip I simply said, "I just want to love them." I want to share Christ’s love with them and learn what Jesus wants to teach me through them.

I’m excited for us all to be a family.

Love,

Jennifer McLain

Here is a picture of my best friend Rainee and I (I'm on the right.) We've been best friends since we were 5 years old.