Hey guys!!!

My name is Taylore Lantz, and I live in a very small town called Pettisville, Ohio. Pettisville has no stoplight and everybody knows everybody else. I am 18 years old and just graduated from Pettisville High School this year. I have two brothers, Trevor (19) and Kyle (14), and one sister, Payton (13) who was adopted from Cambodia. I also have a quirky chocolate lab named Macy. I love my whole family and have been extremely blessed to be born into this family. My Mom and Dad are so supportive of me going on this mission trip. 

I had always just expected  to go to college after I graduated from high school. I mean thats what everybody does. But little did I know that God had a different plan for me. When I started college searching, I began getting overwelmed and would start feeling sick. I didn't feel ready. I didnt know how I would know which college God wanted me at. It was coming to the end of my senior year and I still had no idea were I would go after high school. My parents then gave me the idea of maybe taking a gap year from college and going on a mission trip. I felt so at peace with this idea and knew that this was were God wanted me!

I have gone on three mission trips with my church youth group. In the Summer of 2007, I went to North Carolina where we painted and re-roofed the house of a person who was financially in need. The second mission trip I went on was to Mississippi. We put up dry wall on a house that was being rebuilt after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The most recent mission trip I went on was in the Summer of 2010 to Philadelphia,PA. This was a different mission trip from the other two in that we worked with intercity children and the homeless. We helped with a kids summer camp and various homeless shelters.I think that all these have really contributed to me wanting to go to Kenya, Africa.  

Some things that I enjoy are doing anything creative, watching chick flicks, fashion, shopping, listening and singing to music (although i am not the best singer), and finding vintage treasures at auctions and garage sales with my Mom.

I am a shy person at first but once you get to know me I'm crazy!!! I am horrible at public speaking and don't feel like I know as much about the bible as some of you, but i am very passionate about what I believe in and know that God never gives anybody anything that they cannot handle. I am also very excited to be working with kids. I am excited for this mission trip and cannot wait to meet you all in September. I know that this trip will be so life changing and im soooooooooo excited!!!