Spending time with these lovely ladies while getting ready for our trip has been such a blessing to say the least! Between mini rubber chicken fights and goofy giggles to a sweet bible study that lead to each of us saying our hearts prayers - describing how we want to go deeper with God and surrender our different fears to Him... I do not know what God has in store for us specifically on this trip, but I am extremely excited to see the results of His movement...We will be out of the country sometime tomorrow, thats when the real fun will begin!...We appreciate everyone's prayers - keep them coming please!
God bless,
Rachel
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Packing!
First of all, I want to give a shout out to my mom! I blogged, you should be proud!! On another note, we are all packed and ready to go. I got to meet some girls for the first time tonight, and we have all started to get a long and bond so well! It is going to be a great few weeks hanging out and serving the Lord with my beautiful sisters in Christ! I am so excited to get to Kenya and start loving on the people of Africa, praying that they see God's love through me! We are all so blessed with this opportunity to be able to share the love of Christ with these beautiful people who don't yet know him! I hope ya'll will be able to follow our blog and be in prayer for the things we are doing and the people we are encountering! We want our family, friends, and supporters to be able to follow along with us on our journey with this blog, we want ya'll to feel like you are a part of the team as you partner us in prayer and follow along with our stories!
We also want to thank the wonderful people who have helped us get ready! Vivian, Tara, and Jennifer for feeding us. J.D. Tara, Vivian, and Kevin for housing us. And Vivian, J.D. and Josh for driving us! They are so awesome and we could not of done this without their help!
We are wicked excited to start this wonderful journey, and to see how God is going to mold us and transform us during this week of service! Thank you all so much for your prayer and support! We love you all so much!
Kaitlyn Walker
We also want to thank the wonderful people who have helped us get ready! Vivian, Tara, and Jennifer for feeding us. J.D. Tara, Vivian, and Kevin for housing us. And Vivian, J.D. and Josh for driving us! They are so awesome and we could not of done this without their help!
We are wicked excited to start this wonderful journey, and to see how God is going to mold us and transform us during this week of service! Thank you all so much for your prayer and support! We love you all so much!
Kaitlyn Walker
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Waiting Game (Sarah Simpson)
Hey gals!! I don't know about y'all but this week has drug on! I am getting so impatient waiting to go to Kenya that it is insane. But through the waiting God has really shown me that patience is something I struggle with.
While I was reading one day, God showed me this verse (many of you may have seen it on my FaceBook). 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
God's timing is perfect timing, and nothing else is worth waiting for. Even with my impatience to get to the day we leave, God has been preparing my heart and mind for what He has planned for me and our team. God has given me a peace about this waiting time and to look on Him throughout it. He has openned my mind to many reasons why this time is necessary. He wants to help clear my mind of distractions, give me wisdom for a situation I/we might encounter, who knows....Only He truly does. I know that through this waiting I am changed, and I can only imagine how He will change me and our team while we are in Africa.
As I hear many of y'all's stories of God's provisions, I rejoice! I can't wait to get to know y'all and I am sure the travel will open up many opportunities! :) Keep trusting in Him and praying, and He will reveal, provide, and lead all in His perfect timing!
4 Days!!! Yay!
"Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:4
While I was reading one day, God showed me this verse (many of you may have seen it on my FaceBook). 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
God's timing is perfect timing, and nothing else is worth waiting for. Even with my impatience to get to the day we leave, God has been preparing my heart and mind for what He has planned for me and our team. God has given me a peace about this waiting time and to look on Him throughout it. He has openned my mind to many reasons why this time is necessary. He wants to help clear my mind of distractions, give me wisdom for a situation I/we might encounter, who knows....Only He truly does. I know that through this waiting I am changed, and I can only imagine how He will change me and our team while we are in Africa.
As I hear many of y'all's stories of God's provisions, I rejoice! I can't wait to get to know y'all and I am sure the travel will open up many opportunities! :) Keep trusting in Him and praying, and He will reveal, provide, and lead all in His perfect timing!
4 Days!!! Yay!
"Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:4
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Speechless Beyond Words (Danielle Carty)
Speechlessness. That has been my response as of lately with how God has been blowing my mind. With random bursts of joy in between!!! I sometimes wonder if this is just one long incredible dream that I am going to wake up from, but then I have the little ache from the shots I got yesterday and I realize this is NO dream. This is really happening.
This summer has been one of transformation for me as God has been preparing me for something huge in my life. Since the middle of Fall 2011 God started to place Africa on my heart. At the time it was simply a word said to me that my best friend (Sarah) mentioned, as I went on and on about India, she said she pictured me in Africa. It quieted me for awhile and really got me looking to God for guidance in what HE wanted. Though India was still at the forefront of my mind, Africa was right there sneaking up on me. That Christmas break, almost every TV show I came across was centered on different parts of Africa and it really started sinking in that God was not going to let me dismiss this as a coincidence. I ended up spending a weekend at my friend, Allyson's, house and she brought up the mission trip to Africa that Cayla was going to be leading. It sparked an interest in me and while with Allyson I ended up texting Cayla that I was interested and feeling called to go.
Spring 2012 I ordered my textbooks online and when I received my one textbook, the receipt just so happened to be placed in a page about Kenya and completely caught my attention off guard. I knew it was a sign from God, especially considering the team Cayla would be leading was going to Mombassa, Kenya.
Fast forward to this summer and at Vacation Bible School I volunteered for the second grade class room. On the second day, I noticed there was a poster of Africa and was nearly positive it was no coincidence being the only poster of a continent by itself. I started to dismiss it before I checked my e-mail that evening and found out that we would be teaching Vacation Bible School. Now that completely stopped in my tracks and I just knew it was a sign from God.
As the date of departure was quickly approaching and funds were not increasing very quickly, I started to wonder if it truly was God's will for me to go. My dad even noticed this change in me because He pointed it out to me one night! Nonetheless, I was still determined to go through with the garage sale I had posted about for this past Saturday to just see what would happen.
The garage sale had a steady flow of people with some buying little things here and there. As it appeared to be coming to a close being out there for about 9-10 hours...I decided to pray. Shortly before I had prayed there was a God-sent lady that came up saying how she wanted a cabinet we had for sale, but had not gotten a chance to talk with her husband so she would be back in a little while. My dad briefly told her about the mission trip I was saving up for and she talked about how her husband had been on a mission trip to Africa and she left. Then I prayed, and afterwards this strong wind started to pick up (seriously out of nowhere). She came back about thirty or so minutes later, as the wind was getting even worse and we had started to put stuff up from the garage sale, and said she had talked with her husband and was going to buy the cabinet. She gave me about $10 more for it telling me to keep the change for my mission trip. After she left and we had almost everything in the garage I went inside knowing I still was a long way off from the goal and started to assume the strong wind was actually a road block God was placing in front of me. Little did I know what lay ahead....
My parents called me back into the garage and to my surprise she had come back with her husband. She introduced me to him and asked me how much I was still lacking for my mission trip. I knew I had a ways so I said, "At least $1,000". Right in front of me, he wrote a check for $1,000 and left me completely speechless. They explained how they had just had their 21st anniversary being married and how they had been praying about someone to help go on a mission trip because of how much God had blessed them. My parents were in tears and I was really just at a loss of words...And now I am completely convinced it is in God's will for me to go to Kenya. God has continued to blow my mind with how I was able to get two of the three shots I still need yesterday completely free of charge! The place I ended up going to had a show on about Africa in the waiting room and right before checking out I saw a plaque of how they supported God-given missions. So amazing!!! The yellow fever shot was back order though, so I am still trying to get that taken care of.
As far as where I stand...I ONLY need $445.24 (if I added correctly)!!!! So exciting and with God blowing my mind so much lately...I just KNOW He will provide and my focus just needs to be primarily on Him working on my heart.
As the date of departure was quickly approaching and funds were not increasing very quickly, I started to wonder if it truly was God's will for me to go. My dad even noticed this change in me because He pointed it out to me one night! Nonetheless, I was still determined to go through with the garage sale I had posted about for this past Saturday to just see what would happen.
The garage sale had a steady flow of people with some buying little things here and there. As it appeared to be coming to a close being out there for about 9-10 hours...I decided to pray. Shortly before I had prayed there was a God-sent lady that came up saying how she wanted a cabinet we had for sale, but had not gotten a chance to talk with her husband so she would be back in a little while. My dad briefly told her about the mission trip I was saving up for and she talked about how her husband had been on a mission trip to Africa and she left. Then I prayed, and afterwards this strong wind started to pick up (seriously out of nowhere). She came back about thirty or so minutes later, as the wind was getting even worse and we had started to put stuff up from the garage sale, and said she had talked with her husband and was going to buy the cabinet. She gave me about $10 more for it telling me to keep the change for my mission trip. After she left and we had almost everything in the garage I went inside knowing I still was a long way off from the goal and started to assume the strong wind was actually a road block God was placing in front of me. Little did I know what lay ahead....
My parents called me back into the garage and to my surprise she had come back with her husband. She introduced me to him and asked me how much I was still lacking for my mission trip. I knew I had a ways so I said, "At least $1,000". Right in front of me, he wrote a check for $1,000 and left me completely speechless. They explained how they had just had their 21st anniversary being married and how they had been praying about someone to help go on a mission trip because of how much God had blessed them. My parents were in tears and I was really just at a loss of words...And now I am completely convinced it is in God's will for me to go to Kenya. God has continued to blow my mind with how I was able to get two of the three shots I still need yesterday completely free of charge! The place I ended up going to had a show on about Africa in the waiting room and right before checking out I saw a plaque of how they supported God-given missions. So amazing!!! The yellow fever shot was back order though, so I am still trying to get that taken care of.
As far as where I stand...I ONLY need $445.24 (if I added correctly)!!!! So exciting and with God blowing my mind so much lately...I just KNOW He will provide and my focus just needs to be primarily on Him working on my heart.
"I lie awake thinking of You, meditating on You through the night. Because You are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings. I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely."~Psalm 63:6-8 (NLT)
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