Born in Pensacola, Florida to a good family, Lauren grew up living the proverbial dream. The only girl of four boys she was the apple of her parents eye and more work then they ever imagined. One of her earliest memories is of her mother forcing her to wear mint green corduroy OshKoshB’Gosh overalls for her 1st grade class picture. Lauren was mortified and from that day forward she has been a major player in her own style choices and the style choices of her friends and family. While attending boarding school she pirouetted across her first copy of French Vogue where she promptly fell in love with high fashion. In college after being threatened to be placed on a strict budget by her father she learned to love vintage. Lauren believes that being a Christian woman and being fashionable (even fashion forward) are not mutually exclusive.
Life was easy for Lauren. By twenty-five she had done and experienced more then most people do in a lifetime. Culture, love, fashion and travel. Lauren’s cup ranneth over. In November of 2009 at twenty-something years, Lauren made the decision to leave her life behind and embark on a new journey. She packed her (designer) bags and in June of 2010 she arrived in Ghana, West Africa to live in a world so drastically different then her own. She currently lives on site at Haven of Hope Children’s Home and Academy. She spends her days helping with the day to day operations of the school and doing all she can to show Christ’s love to the abused, neglected, abandoned and forgotten children of Ghana.
This is her story, her struggle, her thoughts and her search. The story of her life as she is living it. The good, the bad and the ugly. About leaving luxury behind, living her faith out loud and her unconditional love for Jesus. Her day to day struggles that come with living and working in a third world nation, self-control and positivity. Her thoughts about life, love, travel, religion, fashion, culture and politics just to name a few. And her search for what lies ahead.
January 27th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Lauren,
you are such a blessing and I do not even know you!
I was given your blog link by Theresa Bradford–I recently just got back from South Africa! I knew i was called to Africa about 5 years ago, but I sat and waited Patiently on what God wanted me to do and where exactly he was calling me. Finally, December 31, 2009, I got on a plane and flew to Magaliesburg, South Africa. my life was changed…i left my heart there! I will be praying for you and following you for sure! Stay strong in the Lord! He has you! ahhhh–keep shining His light!
In Him,
Shawna Shealy