Our story began in 2003 when we first met in High School. We were 18. We went to college, graduated college, got married, Trenton went to Med School, Caroline pursued a design career, and together we began plotting the all American dream- two or three children that we would raise in our hometown in Charleston, SC, where everything was familiar and easy.
In 2011, Trenton graduated Medical School, we moved to a new town, and welcomed our bright-eyed baby girl into the world. We were feeling pretty good about life and well on our way to realizing our dreams. That is, until the Lord totally wrecked our plan. He said to us, “my plan for you is far different, yet far greater than your plan for you, let me show you.” He showed us alright and this is how.
Trenton
I have been actively involved in mission trips for 10 years now, traveling and providing medical relief to the people of seven different countries around the world. I can honestly say that I have received far more from these people than I have ever given. I leave each trip feeling full of life and more grateful for every single thing God has provided me. I also leave a better person, because of the people of genuine character I meet along the way. It has been a dream of mine from the beginning to have Caroline join me on a trip, and that time finally came in 2013. Throughout our time in Nicaragua, we grew in our marriage and our faith. We also realized our mutual love of caring and serving the people who need it most. A dream that I once held quietly in my heart is now shared with my wife and best friend. Words cannot express how proud and amazed I was by the strength and compassion that she showed on that first trip. What a wonderful feeling it is.
Caroline
In May of 2013, my eyes were opened to a world that I had never seen, a world I knew existed, but because I had never touched it, it had never been real to me. This world is the third world. I was given the gift of traveling with my “mission-accomplished” husband, to serve the people of Nicaragua. This was a game changer for me. It was dirty, it was hot, it had a smell that I can’t even describe, but it was beautiful. When I was serving these people who had nothing, I felt more full than ever. We served, we prayed, we healed, we played, we hugged, we held, we loved, and then we had to leave. I left feeling an immeasurable sense of guilt for having so much when these people had so little. I was absolutely certain that I could not go back to life “as I knew it.” This trip may have been nothing new for my husband’s sweet soul, but it absolutely broke mine. It shattered me and it led me to Him.
Upon returning home from Nicaragua, we both took to reading the bible. Yes, the Bible- the living, breathing, word of God that we had always heard and quoted, yet never applied to our every day lives as children of Christ. With every study, we felt less and less empty. God was filling our cup before our very eyes.
In his book, “Wrecked,” Jim Goins says this, “ I believe in the importance of leaving home, of having an experience that wrecks you. There is something transformative that happens in a persons’ life when he leaves that which is comfortable for the first time.” Through leaving our hometown, through missions, through God’s master plan, we were officially wrecked, but in the most magnificent way you could ever imagine.
In the fall of 2013, we surrendered our “American Dream” of a life plan to the Lord. We totally gave it up to Him and pleaded for Him to lead us in His ways and align our hearts with his. He, of course, answered our prayer and it became clear what our future would hold. We traded our plan for His and my how our story has changed. We are not better for it, we simply see better because of it. We were “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10). We were put on this Earth by our Creator to do his handiwork- for the weak and the broken. We can no longer pretend the hurt doesn’t exist. We have seen it first hand and we are responsible.
This is when the Lord scoops us up and places a burning hole in our hearts. This happened almost overnight. He was calling us to use our blessings to bless the broken of this world, specifically the orphans of Africa. In June of 2014 we will travel to Uganda to visit orphanages and other organizations where we will simply give our time and talents to those children most in need. We will hug on them, love on them, teach them, provide medical care for them, but most importantly, we will tell them that Jesus loves them. For someone who doesn't have much else, knowing this may be all they ever need.
It is our prayer that we will be forever led by the Lord's master plan and that he will use us not only to reach the children of Uganda, but others along the way, maybe even you. If you feel compelled to support our mission or join us, please shoot us an email (LayeredGrace {at} gmail {dot} com), or click here.
It is our prayer that we will be forever led by the Lord's master plan and that he will use us not only to reach the children of Uganda, but others along the way, maybe even you. If you feel compelled to support our mission or join us, please shoot us an email (LayeredGrace {at} gmail {dot} com), or click here.
