Do I sound like a broken record?

I'm in Africa. In Namibia, the unemployment rate is approximately 50%. Next week, I'll visit an orphanage that has over 45 children in a 4 bedroom home. So much poverty, sadness, disparity, and need.

And yet, even while being surrounded my other's desperate states, I'm selfishly struggling with continued frustration that I am still single.

I've had several people that I've met already, ask me if I'm in high school. No worries, I look young, I'll be glad about it later. Perhaps its because I look 16 that I'm told frequently "Emily, You are too young to be worried about not being married." Here's the thing: I'm 27 and have wanted to not be single for about about 4 years. Don't misunderstand me. I'm not obsessed about "the wedding". I could care less about that. And it's not about just having the title of being "married". I'd rather be single and 35, then married to the wrong person. I'm looking for God's best for me.

I pray for God's will to be done, that's my first desire. My second is to find a Man of God whom I can be a helpmate to, let God love through me, and be a reflection of God's love of the church with. However, I realize that God's will may not be for me to find that Man, and that's a harsh reality for me currently.

I sat next to a super-nice Australian woman, 29 years old, who runs a cattle farm in western Australia, with over 1400 head of cattle. She wasn't a Christian, but yet even she expressed the same frustrations I did about being the age we are and single, and wanting to be married, but only to the right one, not just anyone. So, I realize I'm not alone in this. Though, some days even that thought doesn't quite soften reality.

So, first, pray for God's will to be done. Second, Pray for the people of Africa, that they would know God. Third, pray that my heart would be tuned to HIS will, no matter what I want.

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This is me, unpacking all the "Christmas gifts" for mom and dad, after about 36 hours of travel... I crashed about one hour after this picture was taken....