Counting down the days...

6 days from today I will physically begin this adventure. (It has already begun spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.) I cannot wait. I have faith that God is going to do great things through this trip.

We have completed the curriculum that we will be using for our women’s Bible study. It is similar to the “Essentials” Bible study that I led through Grace Bible Church this past year. The study we have written is 6 lessons that focus on different Bible doctrines that are key to our faith.

I cannot say THANK YOU enough for your prayers, encouragement, and donations. All of my funds have come in and people still continue to make donations daily for Bibles and other needs we will see. I am blown away by the generosity I have encountered.

I have thought a lot about I Corinthians 12 this week. God has given us all different gifts so that we can all be a part of His perfect plan. He has called each of us to pray, send and go. Right now, I am going and you are sending (and we are all praying!). I can honestly say that all of you are as much a part of this trip as I am.

Speaking of prayer, I want to challenge you (and myself). Many of you, especially former team members, will remember this from past trips. Whenever you see the oh-so-familiar Starbucks symbol, let that be a reminder for you to pray for our trip.

More specifically,
-Pray for the last minute preparations during the next 6 days
-Pray for peace for our families and friends who we are leaving
-Pray for safety in our travels (for us and our luggage!) and throughout our trip
-Pray that God would begin His work now, preparing the fields that we will be working in
-Pray that while we are there, our time would be used effectively and we would make the most of every opportunity
-Pray that we will give God ALL the glory of this trip

(again, I cannot say thank you enough.) I love you all dearly.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.
I Corinthians 12:12

ALL to Him I owe

I will admit, I am procrastinating. I woke up at 5 this morning to study a little more for a final I had at 8 and now I SHOULD be studying for another final at 3. (and then I have two more on Monday.)
Pray for me. I'm a little overwhelmed right now.

No turning back now: the tickets have been bought! Again, I want to thank you all for your faithfulness in giving. The financial aspect of the trip is huge and God is really using it to teach me. I want to share something that happened a few weeks ago regarding this. I was on campus one evening, about to go to class, when my mom called. We started talking about the funds for my trip and the fact that the tickets were to be purchased that week. At this point, I really started to panic. The money I personally had saved plus the money I had raised at that point wasn't nearly enough. I remember sitting on a bench in front of the library and praying "Lord, you've shown your faithfulness in my life time and time again. Don't allow me to doubt you or your perfect will. If this is your plan for me, I know you will provide." (and then I had to go to class) Well, I was sitting in my management class and I noticed my phone light up. I received a text message from Mr. Stone saying that I had received enough money that day to cover the remaining part of my ticket. PRAISE THE LORD! He is so faithful and I still do not understand why trusting Him can be such a challenge. I cannot say it enough, THANK YOU.

Growing up, I took hymns for granted. I have realized in the last 2 years that I LOVE them. A few weeks ago at church we sang "Jesus Paid It All". I have always liked this song, but that Sunday God used it to teach me. "Jesus paid it all, ALL TO HIM I OWE." wow. I am such a selfish creature. ALL to Him I owe. That wiped out any doubt and all fear I've had about this trip. It doesn't get any clearer than that. Since then, I get that wonderful song stuck in my head weekly.

So, I can't actually take credit for this, although I wish I could. I found this on the internet a while back and wanted to share.
"AFRICA is amazing. Africa is a million and one things. It is a land of contradictions, and a land of great controversy. Africa is more diverse than any other place on the planet. It has experienced the greatest combination of foreign thievery and foreign goodwill. It is plagued with individuals who are hurting, dirty and dying. It is plagued with rich leaders. It is strong, joyful and resilient. Africa is filled to the brim with song, dance and soccer. It fills your lungs with life with every burnt breath. It fills your eyes with tears with every sight. The sun blazes, the rain pours. It has more sky than your eyes could possibly take in. Africa is humbling. Africa rips the heart out of your chest and buries it in the rich red soil, knowing that you will someday return, to see the growth. And there is no doubt it will grow. Africa is dangerous, welcoming and addictive. It is prosperous. It is poor. It is all too overwhelming. Africa knows the value of friendship. Time is not money in Africa. And money goes a long way. Africa holds a mirror up to your soul - letting you see all your selfish desires, and not letting go, until you're completely broken."

It's true: Africa 'ripped out my heart and buried it in that rich red soil' and now I'm returning. and I can't wait. I love you all dearly.

(now back to the books...)