So I know it took me forever to write this entry, but I had to get over my awkward feeling of writing through a computer to a bunch of people I don't know. I'm actually really social, I just find technology to be really strange. I'm very technologically disinclined: everything I touch breaks... lol

This picture was taken last year, I apparently don't have any recent pics. Two of my friends and I went to church in my friend's hometown. We saw this pretty field so we stopped and frolliced :) My other friend was messing around with the camera and took this pic lol Fun fact: my eyes change colors and sometimes each eye is a different color.

So a little about myself:

My name is Marissa Oldiges. I'm 20 years old and I go to Texas A&M Galveston for a degree in marine biology. I'm a mega nerd and absolutely love biology. I work as a tutor for chemistry, and have also worked in the chemistry labs preparing class labs, as a grader for chemistry, and in a phytoplankton lab. The coolest thing I've done in the Phytoplankton lab was go on a week long research cruise. I absolutely loved it even though I had the night shift.  I love the water and especially the beach! I enjoy biking, kayaking, swimming, and soccer. Right now I'm in biathlon training for swimming and running. I thought it might make me like running, but no, I'm still not a fan.  I also like reading and crafts, but I don't get a lot of time to do any of that. I bought a banjo this summer and started learning how to play, but haven't touched it since the start of this semester. My taste in music is strange. I like a lot of banjo music (mumford and sons!!!!!!! and the Band Perry!!!!! for ex), but I also like pop music, some rap, and cultural (Celtic Thunder). I'm obsessed with Josh Groban... he's my husband.

So that's a little about my hobbies. I don't really like talking about myself, so I'm going to talk about my family!! My dad is a chemist at Jet-Lube and my mom is a medical technologist. I have been blessed to have such wonderful parents. I have two older brothers: one is 9 years older than me with a wife and son of his own, and the other is 6 years older than me. Yes, I was an accident lol My nephew is now 8 and will be taller than me in a few years! He's in cub scouts and school. He can be really adorable! but he can be a little trouble maker too. My older brother is a top mechanic at Firestone and his wife works at a daycare. They live close by my parents in Cypress (near Houston), so I get to see them pretty often. My other brother, Mat, lives in Austin. He works as a vet tech, plays music as a hobby, and goes to school for nursing. He just got accepted into UT's school of nursing and I'm so proud! He has a girlfriend named Cameron. I've only talked to her a few times, but she seems really sweet. I have a boyfriend: Martin. He's super duper awesome and I can't believe God had blessed me with him in my life. The love of my life, though, is my cat Ozzie. He's so cute!! We have two black cats. The other one is Lucy.

Where am I in my journey with God? I grew a lot when I first started going to college. I had been discouraged by religion because of some things in my home church that I didn't agree with.Through the independence from religion, I've been able to find a new dependence on God. He taught me that only He can be strong, and that I can't do anything myself. After I learned that lesson over and over again, I felt God calling me to be a leader in our worship group, Solace. Together, during this Christmas break, we went to a conference called Passion and it was absolutely amazing! I had already heard God calling me on this mission trip and to work with women stuck in the slave trade, but then Passion was entirely about human trafficking too. It was definitely a sign from God. I had been doubting my decision to go because I didn't have much support from my family, but after that weekend, there was no question about what I was supposed to do. Four friends and I have now started an organization at my school called Stand Against Slavery (SAS). We have our first event April 12! We have a representative from HRRC (Human Rescue and Restore Coalition) coming to give a presentation called "Human Trafficking 101." To advertise for it, we're selling Fair-trade chocolate bars and selling them during the meals at our school. We're then going to take the wrappers and write letters or sign our name on them and send them to Hershey asking them to become a Fair-Trade company. Sorry, I'm really excited about it, so I keep talking about it.

Anyways, back on topic. I've been learning this semester about how I've put walls up that need to be broken down. For a variety of reasons, I find it difficult to trust people, and starting a relationship that's begining to grow (Martin and I have only been together 3 months), I'm having to let some of those walls be torn down, even if I don't want them to be. God has been very awesome and patient, waiting for me to slowly grow more and more comfortable tearing one down and then another.

I guess that's it. I didn't realize how easy it would be to type stuff.

I'm really excited to really meet y'all and work with y'all in Thailand!! I can't wait to see how God will move during those two months! He's definitely chosen some special girls, I can already tell that :)

See ya!