Looking Forward: Tanzania

Just moments ago, I shared in a blog that Africa Inland Mission appointed me to serve in full time ministry. You may be wondering what that will look like. To tell you the truth, so am I! ;-)

I can tell you a few key things though…

I accepted an opportunity in Tanzania! The goal is to go there in January 2015. That may seem like a quick turn to make but through prayer and counsel, I believe that is the best position for me. God has been calling me to Africa in full time ministry and this is where it is going to happen. I am confident that He will provide in excess to make this a reality!

Where: Tanzania
When: January 2015
What: administrative work in a school
Who: I will go with another girl that will be teaching and a few other missionaries are already there.
Why: Because God has called, I have said yes
How: God's provision and guidance will get me there

First and foremost I need your prayerful support. This is going to be a giant step into God's will for my life. I am crazy excited to see what it will look like and to be living in it. There are many first world things that need to be taken care of and decisions to be made. Please pray for wisdom for me to make those decisions, guidance for those that may aid in the decision making, and openness of all those that are directly affected by this move into ministry.

Another main need is for financial support. This will fall into two categories: outgoing and monthly. A number of things will need to happen on the front end to bring together the logistics of this endeavor. The monthly support is for when I am on the field.

Right now, all I want you to do is pray about how you can best support me. I want you to support me in the way that God shows is best for you and your family. So many people will be part of this journey and not everyone is called to participate financially.

Some of the outgoing estimated costs are as follows:
Orientation school - $950
Medical (immunizations, physicals, medical clearance) - $700
Excess bagage fees - $500
Domestic travel  - $300
International travel - $1500
Travel Documents - $200
Language Acquisition Course: $5000


These are just a few of the areas that I know God will provide in their entirety. Actually, I know He will provide for everything!! That is so comforting and so mind boggling at the same time. I know He will do it, but just don't know how. I have peace knowing that I don't need to know how, not right now.

I will be sharing with you as I find out more specifics for both the preparation phase and the in country phase. Please don't hesitate to ask questions as you feel God leading you to inquire about certain needs or any ways that you can specifically help. I don't have any idea what to expect over the coming months. I know that God will be the center of so much and I very much look forward to how everything unfolds.

Flashback Friday: when the body comes together

About six months ago I asked some people at my church if we could gather a group to help a single mother of two move. It was something that she truly needed. A blessing that I definitely felt she deserved from my Earthly point of view.

It was a chilly day in January. We kind of trickled in that day to help. That afternoon I realized what happened.

-someone provided coffee
-someone provided a box truck
-someone provided a truck to pick up something across town
-someone provided new laundry connections AND did the connecting
-someone provided coffee
-someone watched kids so others could help
-someone came the next day to help clean the old place

I realize providing coffee and moving some boxes are not exactly spiritual gifts. But whenever, I think about this day, it reminds me of a popular passage. 1 Corinthians 12 talks about the variety of spiritual gifts and relates them to parts of the human body to illustrate how each gift is significant.

-Coffee is always good but if there is no one to drink it…then what?
-New laundry connections are a blessing but if you don't have the skills to attach them…then what?
-If the body was one eye, where would there be a sense of hearing? (v.17)
-If a foot says it is not part of the body, it does not make it any less part of the body. (v.15)

Each of us in an individual member of the Body of Christ. (v.27)

Many different gifts have been appointed to us: gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. (v.28)

When all of these gifts are combined into one act, something beautiful and glorious happens. God is glorified. That day that a group of people moved the single mother…that day, God was glorified!

So much, So fast!

After a very unintentional five month sabbatical from writing, it just seems like there are endless things to share.

Please, allow me to cover the "big" things just briefly. But, before I do that. Let me preface by saying this post is coming to you from a guest house in Kigali, Rwanda after very little sleep over a multi day travel period.

The last week or so has been literally life changing for me. I don't mean that something happened as much that I mean that something will happen. On July 3, I received a phone call from Africa Inland Mission. This is an organization that I have been working with since May 2013. I have step by step been working through their multi-level application process. It is a process that has led me to learn much about myself and the organization that I have felt God call me to serve through them. The timing of completing each step seemed perfect at times and seemed so far from "my" path that I began to doubt. The phone call on July 3rd is when everything came to fruition. I had been officially appointed to serve in full time ministry with Africa Inland Mission. My mind was blown at God's timing!!!

In less than a week, I was leaving to lead a Visiting Orphans trip to Rwanda and Ethiopia. I am part of a team of nine amazingly awesome people that God put together. (We actually arrived in Rwanda just hours ago.) To be able to come here and know that in a matter of months I will be returning to this continent that has filled my heart on a one way ticket brings such a flurry of emotions that I just can't fathom it yet. I know it is happening and I know that this is all God's PERFECT timing. Looking back, I can understand some of the areas where "my" idea of timing was wrong.

It seems almost impossible to describe how this feels. It is like the road of God's will and the road of my ultimate dreams are merging into one path. I know this path won't be straight. It won't always be beautiful. But it will bring Glory to God and I am so thankful for that. For it is for Him and because of Him that all this is happening.

RIGHT NOW (literally)…..
I am in Rwanda with a great team of people. We get to minister to the lovely people here and in Ethiopia before returning to the states on July 23. Each time God provided for this team, I just became more and more excited. I just have this deep down feeling that something big will happen on this trip. I don't know why. Big things have happened on all of my trips to Africa but this seems different for some reason. I may never know what happen. Maybe we will only plant the seed of the Gospel and that will lead to life changing decisions that will change a town or a country. My the life of a team member will be radically changed beyond their imagination. Whatever happens, God has it all under control.

A few prayer requests:
-restful nights and fruitful days for the team I am with in Africa for the next two weeks
-wise decision making for me as I start to mentally plan for my move to Tanzania
-quick travel/jet lag recover followed by strength each and every day on the field
-comfort/peace for the family and friends on the team as they are without their loved ones