I want to share a secret with you all… its not a juicy gossip-like secret LOL so calm down ;-) It’s a fun secret that I’ve always had and I think the only people who know are my husband and my dad!

So about a year before I met my husband, I started saving money like crazy. I worked 2 jobs — one corporate full time job and one as a bartender on Friday and Saturday nights. My bartending job was my ‘spending and saving money’ and I was saving for a trip I’ve always wanted to take. So…the secret…

I have always wanted to go to Africa and volunteer in the Elephant Sanctuary. Doesn’t seem like a huge secret, right?! LOL. I remember telling my dad I wanted to do this and he encouraged me to do so. I met my husband and my life course changed. I would never change a thing and I’m so blessed and grateful to have met my soulmate when I did because it lead to a family. And who knows, maybe some day I will still get to volunteer in the Elephant Sanctuary. Elephants are just so amazing to me. They’re beautiful and smart creatures and they’re gentle giants. I remember riding one as a kid at the State Fair and thinking how awesome it was. I hate seeing them in the zoo and at the circus (even though they’re starting to take them out of circus’s — yay!) because they shouldn’t be there — they should be with their family in the wild. Elephants are extremely close with their family and friends, forming life long bonds and mourn the loss of loved ones the way humans do. That to me is so amazing and makes my heart hurt so much when I hear of poaching and people who are cruel to elephants (and all animals — my heart just can’t take it).

So, you’re probably wondering how this ties into my Salt & Light series. I believe that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world and while we should most definitely spread that to other humans, I believe we should spread it to anywhere else we feel the need. So for me, thats animals, and most specifically, elephants! Which is why I have sponsored a baby female elephant, born just a month before my sweet Aubree Lucille. Her name is Siangiki (which means ‘young girl’) and she was brought to The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya, Africa when they noticed she was separated from her mother. Again, elephants are super close to their families so they think something may have happened to her mother. She was also found a long way from where elephants are typically found and she seemed confused — poor baby girl!! Not wanting her to be alone, they rescued her and have her at their sanctuary.

You can sponsor an elephant too if you want by visiting The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust website! There’s a small minimum of $50 for the year or you can donate whatever else you’d like past that $50. Below is a video of Siangiki’s rescue which just warms my heart so much!!

I’m grateful I was able to be the salt & the light to this sweet little baby elephant who will probably never see her mother again. God always wants us to work where we can to be the salt & the light to others — just remember it doesn’t stop at us humans ;-) I encourage you to be the SALT and the LIGHT in someones day today!