Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011!

Every year, I post my goodbye post to the previous year and a welcome to the new year to come. I actually kept track of things that happened in 2010. So it's broken down in months. Of course, not everything that happened is listed, just the things that stuck out to me.
January:

• Haiti had a massive earthquake that devastated most of the country. The earthquake was felt in the Dominican Republic. My heart broke when I heard the news due to me being in the Dominican before on a mission trip. We briefly went into Haiti to minister to people.
• I also started Chemistry and Math at school. I was stupid to think I could handle both classes at the same time. It would be the worst semester of my life, ever.
• I found a church that I felt alive again in. A church who had one of their main focus of missions is to speak for children who can't speak for themselves. God started working on my heart for South Africa.

February:

• I celebrated my 33rd birthday by going to a pretty bad bought of depression. It took a friend to smack the truth into to me to snap out of it.
• After Haiti, Chile then had a massive earthquake that broke my heart even more. I know a lot of people in Chile and I was hysterical. I just wanted to get on a plane and do something, anything. I wish it were so easy.
• Captain Phil from the Deadliest Catch passed away.
• I learned a hard lesson about opening the door to my past again and decided to shut the door for good. Not only did I shut it, I nailed it shut, bolted it shut. My past is still managing to creep through.

March:

• I took the HESI nursing test and passed with flying colors. I was so worried about that test and studied very hard for it. I felt so accomplished!
• I decided to go on a walk for an organization called Helping Hands in Africa. God had already started preparing me for South Africa, but I fought it and wasn't going to go. He kept putting more things or people in my path that had something to do with South Africa or Helping Hands. After a lot of fighting with Him and many tears about not wanting anything to do with South Africa, I realized I just wanted to work with kids, no matter where I was. I put my deposit down to go on the trip of a lifetime.
• I moved into my very own apartment after many years of living with people. I love the freedom I have. I love my apartment and the fact that it stays clean. I feel like a grown up now. :)
• One of my favorite stars from when I was a kid passed: Corey Haim.

April:

• We had our second round of layoffs at my job. It was one of the scariest days of my life. I was trying to trust God, but I was finding it difficult. I was very humbled at the end of the day when I still had my job.
• Arizona's history changed when SB1070 started being talked about.
• I was struggling beyond comprehension with Chemistry and Math and two weeks left in my classes, I was failing both. I made the decision to sacrifice one to save the other and dropped Math right before my final. My professor was very forgiving and knew I had struggled the entire semester. I managed to pull my Chemistry grade up to a high C in 2 weeks.
• I spent Easter in California and experienced my very first earthquake. It wasn't very bad because we weren't the epicenter. But I felt it and it scared me silly!

May:

• I passed Chemistry! Yay.
• May brought the deaths of some major stars: Gary Coleman, Dennis Hopper.

June:

• More deaths: Bill, a local radio celebrity here in Phoenix, Rue McClanahan
• I met my teammates that would be joining me in South Africa.
• I went to my very first Yankees game.
• An old worship pastor of mine took his life and rocked everyone hard to the core. Shortly after that, a relationship would deepen with a friend who was struggling with the same thing. God had me and other people surround him with love and understanding to help save his life.
• Eclipse came out, definitely the best of the movies so far.

July:

• My paychecks became lesser and lesser. We had pay cuts start in July as well as furlough days. It's been difficult, but I've survived by the grace of God.
• I went home to Indiana for the first time in 5 years to visit my family and attend my 15 year high school reunion. I decided two things: I was understanding what family was about and what "home" was about and I was missing both desperately. And I also decided that the reunion wasn't all that great and I would never attend another one again.

August:

• This month brought 10 years since my grandma had passed. I can't believe it's been that long. I still miss her every day.
• No school for me, I decided to take the semester off to go to South Africa.

September:

• Our governor completely embarrassed herself as well as the state of Arizona in her debate. Oy vei!
• I found out that a dog I've pet sat for a long time had passed away due to cancer.
• My mother's one year anniversary of her passing. Domestic violence is something I strongly support now due to her death.

October:

• I took the trip of a lifetime and hopped on a very long flight to minister to people in South Africa. I encountered the AIDS epidemic first hand and was incredibly saddened by it and incredibly blessed by it at the same time. I'll never be able to fully explain that. If you were on the trip with me, they would all say the same thing. My world view was completely changed.
• I crossed one thing off of my Bucket List and went on a safari while I was in South Africa.

November:

• My dad went into the hospital with heart problems. It made me realize how much I needed to be near him.
• I celebrated my 8th birthday of giving my life over to Christ.

December:

• First time ever, I actually cared about World AIDS Day.
• This could be my last Christmas in AZ. I am hoping it is.
• God re-opened a door that I thought had closed. I am excited and nervous about it at the same time.

The entire year brought many blessings. Many moments of being humbled to tears. I lost relationships, I gained relationships. I deepened some, I pushed some away. Many doors were opened, many were closed. God was with me through it all and I'm ever so thankful for that.
Goodbye 2010, hello 2011! I'm excited about the opportunities that are ahead!