Martha...

Thanks so much, Hannah! : )

Well, here goes: 

1. My name is Martha Griswold, and I'm just beginning my third year as a FOCUS missionary. I'll be continuing to serve at University of Nebraska in Lincoln (GO BIG RED!!) When I found out that I would be serving there, I cried (as in, out of sorrow, not happiness). Now I'm going back for a third year. Obviously, Nebraska is a much better place than I thought that it would be, and God knew my heart way better than I did. : )

2. Gosh, what a great question...I would probably spend a lot of time outside, surrounded by awesome friends. And preferable with no schedule to stick to...just time enjoying life together and God's beautiful creation! 

3. I mean, Mumford (duh...), as well as the Avett brothers, some country (that's what happens when you move to the midwest...), Audrey Assad, Matt Kearney, Ben Rector, the Lumineers, FUN., and, well, maybe some Taylor Swift too...*blush*

4. Gosh, I would say stories about super awesome and incredible sacrificial love. I guess that's why I love stories about the saints. And one of the many reasons why I love Jesus. : )

5. Well, I've lived in the USA my whole life...(sorry, boring, I know...) BUT I have been to Italy twice. This last time that I was in Rome, I attended Pope Francis' instillation Mass. It. was. AWESOME!!! The time before that, I was able to go to Assisi, and it's my favorite place on earth. (I mean, I've only been to the USA and Italy, so maybe it's a little premature to make a judgment...but that's how I feel right now, anyways...)

6. Well, I like them both alot...but I probably appreciate sunsets more, simply because I'm really not a morning person...y'all will find this out. 

7. I LOVE John 4:4-42. Whenever I spend time meditating on this passage, Christ teaches me a little more about how only he can satisfy my desire to be loved, as well as how he is pursuing my heart, and it's super good.  

8. I think I'm most excited to share the beauty of the Faith and also just to share life with people from a different culture and country. I'm also excited for the fact that we're all going to be totally out of our comfort zones. I think we're all going to hear God much more clearly and learn so much from each other.

9. Oh, and my picture...so this is me and my old teammate Jess (she's on the right and I'm on the left). The skull and cross bones isn't permanent...just in case you were curious. 

Well, excited to spend 4 weeks with y'all!!!

God bless,

Martha

Meet Hannah Schinkel!

Hello to all! My two favorite things are blogging and God so I was totally on top of posting on this blog! I cannot wait to meet all of you and have life-changing experiences with everyone. God is going to do so much awesome stuff on this trip and I can't wait to experience it!

Now to the whole "getting to know me" part. This is a picture of me, my discipler and my disciple!! (I'm in the middle ;) ) FOCUS transformed my life going into college and I never would've thought that I would have an intimate of relationship with Christ as I do now. The one in the coral, she changed my life. Julia is my discipler and she is my "mom" in our sorority Gamma Phi Beta. She pushes me to be the best person I can be and sometimes late at night we listen to M.C Hammer in our room and let our souls dance. The one on my left, Maggie, is my daughter in Gamma Phi! She is the most hard-working, dedicated girl I know and I've been so lucky to watch her life with Christ transform. She has such a big heart.

[Q1] And now to me! My name is Hannah Schinkel and I'm going to be a junior (holy crap) at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. I'm studying Fashion Design Communications with a minor in Spanish and Art History. Basically, I want to be an editor for a fashion magazine and I really like Spanish. Someday I want to move to New York or London and do the whole "big city thing" then eventually come back to and have a family in Nebraska. That's my plan though...who knows what God has in mind!

[Q2] If I could spend one day doing anything I would definitely spend it traveling to somewhere I've never been. Whether it be another country or just road-tripping with my best friends to California, I love experiencing new places!

[Q3] Music, music, music. Something that I've always loved. People always say, "I love all types of music." <-- so annoying. BUT...I really do like all kinds of music. Some of my faves:
Mumford and Sons
Maroon 5
Train
James Taylor
Need To Breathe
Kenny Chesney
Tim McGraw
Colbie Caillat
Sara Bareilles

[Q4] Woah, loaded question. What inspires me. Sunsets, flowers, people, books, trees, colors, clothing.

[Q5] I've always lived in Nebraska BUT I've been to England, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

[Q6] Sunset, for sure. I'm a night owl and the complete opposite of a morning person. I feel like sunsets are a way of saying, "This day has passed. There's nothing I can do about what has happened today. But there is always a tomorrow."

[Q7] John 21:15-17. I have the word agape tattooed on my foot. The reason I got it is long, but it was based off of this Bible verse where Christ asks Peter three times if he loves Him. Every time I read it I get chills.

[Q8] At first I was kind of apprehensive about coming on this trip. I wasn't sure if it's what God was calling me to do and I definitely didn't want to fundraise almost $4,000 dollars. Somehow I just had this yearning in my heart and everything just worked out for me to go. It just felt right. The thing I'm most excited for is what God is going to show me on this trip. If He made all of this happen like it did to get me to go over halfway across the world, I know something big is going to happen. Also, I can't wait to meet the people and show people love through actions instead of words.


Well, after the long, LONG post... I hope this helped you to get to know me a little bit better. Again, I can't wait to meet all of you guys! I'm praying for ya ;)

Hannah

Hey y'all!

Welcome to the 2013 FOCUS Southeast Asia Mission team! This trip is going to be LEGIT!!!!! Thanks for saying yes to God and coming with us!

In order to prepare for the trip, we would first of all encourage you to pray. We cannot emphasize enough how important this is! St. Francis Xavier is an awesome guy to ask to start praying for us since we will be walking in his footsteps AND he's the patron of missionaries. Bonus!

Please bookmark this blog! We'll keep you up to date on what you need to know about the trip through it. We would love to get to know you a little before the trip, so please introduce yourself by posting the following:

1. Your name, year, school, and major

2. If you could spend one day doing anything, what would it be?

3. What kind of music do you listen to?

4. What inspires you?

5. What countries have you traveled to/lived in?

6. Do you prefer sunrise or sunset and why?

7. What is your favorite passage in Scripture?

8. What are you most excited about with this mission trip?

9. Post a picture of yourself

We're all super stoked to meet y'all, and to spend 4 weeks together growing closer to each other and to Christ!!!

God bless always,

Your FOCUS Missionaries