Wouldn't you just LOVE and iPod Touch?!

In the hope of creating more way's for my friends and supporters to Show Me The Love and get personally involved in getting me to Rome to plant churches I have come up with friendly competition!

SHOW ME THE LOVE

Here is how it works...
You have from now until the end of February to Show Me The LOVE by drumming up as many new monthly supporters as you can for My Road to Rome.

For each new monthly supporter you secure, giving a minimum of $5 a month, you will get a raffle ticket entered in the Show Me The LOVE Raffle increasing your chance to win an iPod Touch loaded with Italian Love Songs and Pictures. (which you can later replace with the things you LOVE)

1. Contact your friends and neighbors, share with them about Reach Global and the work I will be doing in Rome. If you need more info just ask or look over the Blog.

2. If they are interested in joining my monthly support team get me their name and number and I will contact them. If they sign up I will let you know, and put a raffle ticket into the raffle for you to win and iPod Touch!

3.On February 28th at 7pm I will draw out one ticket from the raffle and that person will win the iPod Touch loaded with Italian Love Songs and Pictures!

***At least 5 names must be entered into the Raffle by the drawing on the 28th or all entries will be invalid.


What I LOVE about this contest:
It gives you a chance to be more intimately involved in my journey to Rome!

It broadens my Support base!

It is more creative and fun than just calling people!

I might get to go to Rome sooner with your help!

The family of God is working together to build the Kingdom of God!

People who are not able to give monthly themselves may have friends who can and this way they can still feel like they are helping in a big way!

Alright, the contest starts now and I will give you updates along the way! Tell your friends or just invite them to join my monthly team so you have a better chance at wining the iPod Touch! (whichever you prefer)

Lovely Surprise

Isn't it lovely to be surprised by God?! I am finding myself in that state more and more. Each day or so I open up my Support Report and almost everyday this week I have had a new Supporter!!! I should not be shocked, I asked God to provide and He is!

It is just that the support continues to come from people I barely know, or only briefly met...as well as from people I have know in my past and people I know now, and everyday it is a joy to watch God move His people into action!

Like I said in my last post, I am just so thankful for each member of my Support Team and their role in building God's Kingdom in Italy! It is such an honor to have God and His People provide for all my needs!

So THANKS!!!

A Heart That Is Full

It has been my hearts desire through this whole process that as God prepares me to go to the mission field He will also invite others to join me in the process. Not everyone is called or even able to pick up and head to Rome, but God has equipped His people to be involved in His Kingdom Building around the world in other important ways like supporting missionaries through prayer and financial even sometimes sacrificial giving.

Today was one of my happiest days thus far in my support raising!(Thanks to all of you who were praying today, God answered your prayer!!!) Today was a crazy day...it should have been a super smooth day, but nothing timing wise seemed to be working the way I thought it should. However when I finally got to sit down spend sometime with Jesus and rest in Him things seemed to get less stressful. (go figure) Then I turned on my computer and found I had a Facebook message from one of my High School Students letting me know that they would like to support me monthly! I almost cried, joyfully, but still tears! (I am my mother's daughter)I have longed for people from my church, my community, my past of all generations and church backgrounds to join my support team. Not because I want their money, but because I really want them to be involved in the work that I will get to be a part of in Rome, I want them to feel connected to God's Kingdom work around the world! More than any other people group I had prayed for was that my students past and present would one day join my support team, and that we would get to join in ministry together! God started to answer that prayer today! And I was truly blesses by it. It was such an affirmation and joy to have them join my team!

On top of that I also got a lot more new supporters this week and a few the week before. I also get to go to Felton Presbyterian on Sunday and invite even more people to catch the vision God has laid on my heart for the people of Rome.

I go to bed tonight with a heart that is full of joy and a life that is blessed to be on this amazing adventure with God! I am struck again and again just how cool it is to live the life God created me to live, and that He desires for me to be part of His plan to redeem His creation. Friends God IS GOOD!

Excitment in the Air

{Pardon the randomness of this blog, I have been constructing it to be my news letter, and have been adding it to each day, but I decided that it is not the newsletter I want to put out so I thought I would share it with you now in the form of a somewhat rambling blog...}

My plane to Minnesota was full of anticipation as we lifted off the Chicago runway during the final minutes of the Minnesota Twins Game. There had been an audible groan when the flight crew made the announcement that all electronic devices needed to be off so we could be on our way, and 10 minutes later the plane erupted in cheers of joy as the announcement came over the speakers that the Twins had won the game! I found out later in the night that not only did the Twins win, the Vikings (that is football for those of you who don't do sports) and as I sat with my plate of French fries at Denny's the Minnesota Wild (hockey) also took home a win. Not a bad week to be in Minnesota.

You may be wondering why I am in Minnesota. Well if you have been following me on this Road to Rome you will recall that I have taken all sorts of online courses to prepare to live in Rome as a long term missionary. Those online classes are culminating this week in a class here in the Minneapolis. I will be here learning from today till next Thursday. Then Sunday the 18th I have been invited to return to my old home in Cokato, Elim Mission Church to share about my calling and ministry in Rome with the people there. This may be the part of the trip that I am most excited for, as I have not been to Cokato since 1989 age 9. I am excited to return to this little town that holds so many happy memories for me. The church where I first discovered my heart for those around the world who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as I watched a Compassion Video along with the Youth Group there at the time.

There is a sense of anticipation in the air as I enter into ReachGlobal more completely, now that I have finished up serving at Felton Bible Church. It is like when you know you are going to Disneyland and you just cannot sleep or think of anything else.

Did you know, that in Rome there is a desperate need for the Gospel? There is. Our Director of ReachGlobal told us yesterday that, "Europe is Less than 1% of the population has a relationship with Jesus. My friends that is why I am so excited to go to Italy, so ready to move forward on this Road to Rome. I am so excited to be here in Minnesota this week learning how best to serve as a missionary in Rome. It is so encouraging to be with other people who are learning along side me. To share this part of my journey with others who have also been called to be missionaries around the globe.

There are 16 of us here this week and every Continent represented. Though we are all headed in different directions, all share a passion for sharing the good news of the hope we have in Christ Jesus and the forgiveness he offers to those who have not encountered this truth yet. This common purpose and passion ties us together. One of our assignments this week is to work together as a team to create an event that will allow people to engage with The Great Commission.

We had this event last night, the 16 of us set up an evening that allowed people to move from one continent to another to experience the need in each area of the world, as well as hear some stories of what God is doing in each area. This is the video we shared at our Europe area before sharing a personal story. Then we came together for a time of corporate prayer and of course cookies and ice cream.

That was the end of the day, at the beginning of the day we all got sent to various churches throughout the Minneapolis area, most with an emphasis on one culture or another. The church I got to go to however, was a combination of almost every race and culture. The Sanctuary Covenant Church is a beautiful picture of the variety of people in the Kingdom of God, all coming together to worship. It was a blessing and joy to worship at The Sanctuary.

This morning in Minnesota it looks like this: