I’ve met a countless number of kids who are taught not to dream. One specific little girl in Guatemala was told she was not allowed to dream. Dream meaning to have aspirations or hopes for the future, not the kind of dream you have while you’re sleeping. From a young age she was told that growing up to cook and clean for a family was her only possibility. In those situations it’s hard to decide what to do. Either you share what you believe and go against what they’ve been taught, or you stay silent. We decided this little girl was worthy of more than the future that she was told she would live. We told her that having hopes for the future is okay, that she can desire to do more. Because the Lord has perfect plans for her. Because the God that created the world created and hoped that we would explore it and it’s possibilities. Yes, she would certainly have to work harder than children in the US, a whole lot harder. There is no denying that. But, I believe that little girl is going to do some incredible things with the Lord by her side.

Something I’ve realized recently is how incredibly lucky we are in America to have the opportunities we do, specifically with education. In the U.S., parents teach children to dream big— that anything is possible. Then, the older you get the more phrases like “that’s not realistic” become common. We’re taught to shoot for the stars, then later told that the stars are completely unreachable. Why is that? I’m not sure if it’s worse to tell children not to dream at all, or to tell them to dream and then to tell them everything they’ve dreamed of is unattainable. I’ve gotten used to keeping my hopes for the future to myself out of fear of being told that I will never achieve them, or being judged and called “naive”. But while I’ve been on the race, that’s changed. I’ve learned to share my wildest hopes and dreams, because I’m surrounded by people with very large dreams as well. Traveling and meeting the people we’ve met and the things we’ve seen has impacted that a lot. It’s made me realize too that the world really isn’t as huge and scary as I thought it was. That I’m not trapped in the box that society has created that tells me to go to college, start a family, and then get a 9-5 job. I’m fully capable of anything that I dream of. In fact, the Lord’s plans for me and for you are bigger than any of us could even imagine, so we’re capable of more than we can dream of. If the creator of the stars tells you to reach for them, there is no doubt he will help you get there. I know that the majority of people who read my blogs are adults. I want you to know that the Lord continues to have hopes for you. Its never too late to start going after those things you dream about.

Working in the garden, I’ve had lots of time to think. I’ve thought about the past and dreamed lots for the future. One thing I keep come back to is a phrase I grew up hearing from my parents: “you can do anything you set your mind to”. I’ve really started to understand how true this is. I’m excited to return to the states in a couple months, to start college, to accomplish new things, to travel, and to make my future anything but what everyone else expects. I’m also excited to continue chasing my dreams. And I especially can’t wait to show little Amy that if she chooses to chase the dreams the Lord has put on her heart, He will make them come true.