Musings

June 17, 2009
We (Nana, I and a friend) our traveling east on I-40 towards the Petrified Forest in AZ. Nana wanted to see a few places in AZ before she leaves. Father has blessed us with an inexpensive place to stay - Indian Bible College in Flagstaff. Nana leaves Friday - two days. (I wish I knew how to put those little sad faces on here.)



Swaziland support is at 94%. Preparations are going well. The more I read the book It's Not Okay with Me by Janine Maxwell, the more I anticipate my trip and life for the children in Africa. I look at the things I have or think I want, and the abundance in our life. Often when spending money or buying something comes up, I think "Do I need this? - when some children in Swaziland don't even have a ______________________ (toilet, parent, schooling) - Fill in the blank.

Recently, I was going through some minor health tests, that were not major, but not made me nervous. I was praying about and thought how minor it was in comparison to some of the things going on in Africa. I was asking the Lord why some people have so much and some have so little. I was sitting there praying for healing of minor issues, when some people don't even have a place to go to the bathroom. Why Lord???? Answer: Sin and people not doing what I have called them to do. What I have asked them to do. Remember Jonah? Remember what it took? Has God asked you to do something for Him, whether big or small, and you haven't done it?

Are we being His hands and feet? Are we doing what the word says and looking after widows and orphans? Remember Jesus is the Word. If the Word doesn't grow hands and feet in the form of us as believers showing His love to others, then the Bible is just another theology book that we run around interpreting. God didn't write a theology book. He wrote instructions for living: Love me and love others be words and action. Have a relationship with me and tell others that they can too.

Africa Plus Update

33 days to THE trip and counting..... Someone asked me to do updates on my trip. Well here you go....My support is now at 85%. PtL. I get my shots tomorrow morning. Oh goody. Actually I am very thankful. I do not need that many. I am still reading Janine Maxwell's book It's Not Okay with Me. (Janine Maxwell and her husband Ian are the co-presidents of Heart for Africa, the organiztion I am going with). What an eye opener. It's affecting the way I look at life, and I haven't even been gone on the trip yet.

I think I'll do updates on others things too. As you may know, between my roomate moving and the trip to Africa, it feels like many things are changing. Aren't you glad God is constant? I am.

Nana (my roomate's code name from Camp Maripa) is moving in a week. AHHHHHH! I don't know if that was her or me. Okay - truth - it may have been both. 10 days after she leaves, I leave Arizona to head for Wisconsin. Then I fly onto Africa and return to AZ at the end of July. Packing for a month and two different climates.

Prayer

*My packing and Nana's

*Nana is giving many things away and I am keeping some. Pray that I would adjust to change quickly and not worry about how to replace stuff. God can replace it when it is time and I can wait.

*Adjusting to living on my own in the coming months

*Traveling mercies

*Continued preparations for Africa

*My health - I am healthy. The enemy is just throwing up minorly annoying health stuff.

Praise

*Our friend eye is being healed - she almost went blind.

*I have a teaching job for next year.

*I have decided not to move at this time.

Finally - Africa

I am finally going to Africa. I say finally, because, as you may know, I have been praying about when to go to Africa for awhile - eight years. I will be going on a short-terms mission trip to Swaziland July 16-26 with Heart for Africa.
Swaziland is a country on the eastern border of South Africa. Like many countries in Africa, it has been radically changed by AIDS. Approximately thirty percent of the adult population has HIV/AIDS. Most of the people dying of AIDS are in my generation. This leaves thousands of children without their parents. When grandparents or other family members cannot adequately take care of the orphaned children, they live on the streets, unless they are taken into an orphanage.
Heart for Africa is an organization that partners with orphanages in Africa and assists them until they become self-sufficient. I will be going to an orphanage in Swaziland called El Shaddi. This orphanage is almost self-sufficient. They care for about 50 children and have their own school. I will be working with the children, planting gardens, and working within the community.
If the Lord is leading you to partner with me by giving, you may donate to this trip directly to my account with Heart for Africa. Heart for Africa accepts donations by mail, internet, and phone. Donations must be received by June 18th.

Heart for Africa
P. O. Box 573
Alpharetta, GA 30009
1-800-901-7585
www.heartforafrica.org
My Trip Code - 7001483