Hello Again!

I've been visiting Bemidji this week, and last night I even got to go to youth group again.  It was so good to be back in town and hanging out with friends and the high schoolers again!
During youth group, we watched a promotion video for another mission trip that the high schools have a chance to go on for a weekend M.O.V.E. During that video was playing this song by Tim Hughes- God of Justice (We Must Go.)  I remembered that this was one of the songs that spoke to me when I was deciding to go on this mission trip to Uganda.  Especially the part where it says, "keep us from just singing, move us into action..."   It is so easy to just sing words on the page, and even in the mist of worship we believe what we are singing- but as soon as the song is done then we forget about what we where just singing about.  I don't know if that happens to a lot of people, but I know I'm sometimes guilty of just getting caught in the worship songs only when I'm singing them.  That is what I want to avoid, I don't think it is right that we can sing a song so passionately during worship time, and then when worship is done we go live our normal lives in our little bubbles of christian community, were nothing bad could happen to us!

I know that we are not all called to go overseas to serve, and we don't have to travel so far to feed the hungry, or stand beside the broken... because they are all around us! But we are called to Move Forward and make a difference to those who need it most.  Matthew 25:40 "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

I just felt like I needed to share that with you all! I hope you enjoy the song!

Here is the newsletter for February the ministry sent out!

https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment?ui=2&ik=d2b03e554a&view=att&th=1354682b7836f388&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P8c3Aw0HNVvsX0zqDKS2Lva&sadet=1328823396088&sads=iLesyIubIExnoM-8RQ2B39yjcUA&sadssc=1

Here is a link to the January newsletter that the ministry sends out monthly, if you want to read what what God is doing in the Orphanage, and to see what kind of environment I will be living in!

Rafiki Ministries January Newsletter\

Today is February 1st; It marks one short month until I leave (yes 29 days)!  My original departure was scheduled for tomorrow, and oh boy, I would not be ready, so in a way I'm really thankful for another month to really prepare myself.  I don't think it has really hit me what exactly I'm getting myself into, I just feel a mixture of excitement, nervous, scared, and probably some other things too but I can't help to just smile when I think about all the things that I will learn and do on this trip! :)

By saying yes to God, and be willing to leave the country by myself, for so long has been extremely hard.  I have always dreamed that I would go on many mission trips and serve the Lord anywhere He wants to send me, but when it actually happens and I committed and so close to do so, WOW, its has been a huge step in Faith (hence the name of the blog haha).  Learning to trust Him with everything, my life, my financial needs, the strength for friends and family to believe, and so much more.  By saying Yes to this trip has also opened my eyes to really see how many lives I've touched here, just by seeing all the support, care and the other reactions I've gotten when I tell friends what God is up too in my life! So a BIG THANKS to all of you who happen to be reading this right now: I know I'm not going alone on this trip, because knowing that you care, is reassuring that this is all going to be worth it in the end, and God has all control!

I also did something crazy this last week.  I applied to Oak Hills!  It was just bound to happen when everyone thinks that I go there anyway, so I guess everyone saw it coming- except for me!!  But I am really excited to spend a year digging into the word, and learning new truth. I have only committed to a one year Bible certificate for now: but who knows where God will lead me next!