He is my refuge and my fortress my God in whom I trust

Psalm 91 (New International Version)

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [a]

2 I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Thank you for all your prayers for the time I have been here. Especially for yesterday and the prayers for our security. God is faithful, and last night their was rest! No Quakes!!! After two nights of 4.7 and smaller tremors, located only 8 miles away, this was such a blessing to us and we awoke refreshed and ready to work.

Beautiful Worship

My teammate said it well today after we attended this mornings worship service under the trees, "the church was forced out of it's walls and now there is no borders!"



It was not only at the service we attended that people were pouring out praises to God. Later this afternoon, our neighbors across the street met with their home church and sang praises for hours, it was truly beautiful. Brian and Sarah went for a stroll up into the surrounding hillside and heard praises ringing out all around them echoing off the hills!

Joy in the midst of Suffering

It is a popular phrase, "Joy in the midst of Suffering" but until you see it I don't think you can fully understand the power of God to bring peace to us. (at least that is true for me)

On Friday night I was asked to put together a 2 hour kids club for about 50 kids in a room that is smaller than most American living rooms for Saturday morning. Ok, I can do that, I have run kids clubs, camps, I was a Children's Ministry Director, and a Youth Pastor. Not a problem. And to tell you the truth it was not a problem. We made a ball out of a t-shirt and duck tape, balled up my socks for smaller balls, brought along a clothes line and a key chain ring for another game. I found a Bible story that was simple and relevant and we made a game plan. I was confident that we (my team of 5 and I) could pull this off.

But on the way to the club my emotions crept up to the surface and I found my self overwhelmed with tears as I thought about the kids we were going to minister to. Kids who have lost EVERYTHING, kids who have not had enough to eat in weeks, if not their whole lives, kids who have witnessed more death and destruction in their short lives than most adults ever will. My heart broke, even now as I type my heart breaks and the tears well up.

I lost my confidence, that I could hold it together. But God is faithful, we hit traffic, and by the time we reached Delmas 19 I had been comforted by my team and had managed to pull it together again.

When we arrived, things were already in full swing. Chairs in rows, filled with children 3-15 years old singing praises to God. My heart was truly blessed. We listened, and tried to sing along. Then kids took turns reciting scripture verses from memory! With such pride they stood up to share!

Then it was my turn to take the reigns. I took the stage, with my interpreter, Orange and retold the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. Then Linda (one of my teammates) wisely shared how we too had seen God meet our needs in a similar way this week. It was great. Then we sang, played games and sang and prayed. It was a beautiful morning! Filled with Joy and Peace that ONLY God can provide.

We spent the next hour or so taking pictures with kids, which they could not get enough of. We exchanged, smiles, hugs and love.

After the kids had been picked up we headed out into the Neighborhood of Delmas 19 to take a tour with the Pastor Absalom and his brother Orange of the neighbor hood they and the kids call home. They wanted us to see that this area had been missed by the distribution maps. Which means they have not gotten food or tents. It was once again heartbreaking. We were so devastated that we could not meet their physical needs, but we are making efforts to get them connected.

I promise you that I will always remain heartbroken when I hear a child from America complain their room, their meal, the latest toy. The kids we met, have nothing. And yet they have more joy and smiles, than any kids I have ever met.

PRAY for the people of Delmas 19!!! Who are sleeping under sticks and sheets, who have not had food to fill their bellies. PRAY that God will provide for them like he did for the 5000.

After our tour we were welcomed into Pastor Absalom's home, to visit with him and his pregnant beautiful wife. They fed us a wonderful lunch even though they have nothing. Our conversation was sweet.

Now I am off to church, to worship with people who once again have nothing but God, who realize that and love Him even more because of it! What a blessing. May you too be blessed today!

Day 5

It is so hard to believe that I have already and only been here for 5 days. I feel like I just got here and that I have been here forever.

Everyday is different, each day my role has changed, but tonight Mark (Our Fearless and intrepid leader) has suggested I..." be the go to person for volunteers when they arrive, to have figured out where people are sleeping, to communicate with rest of team/rosita who and when and how many are coming…, do team debrief when the leave, do orientation and set up monitor the house rules, to listen and invest and challenge the teams as they hang out in the evenings, to be like ‘cruise director Julie on the Loveboat’… ok, probably dating myself… and that could be you if you are willing. "

Today I spent the whole day at my computer, I know doesn't sound like life in Haiti, but part of what we are doing this week is preparing for future ministry, and that means systems and procedures need to be worked out. So today I typed, created and brainstormed how we can set up a lasting ministry here in Haiti. At the end of the day I have completed 8 documents that explain everything from Meals to Job Descriptions. Funny how skills like starting a non-profit come in handy.

At the very end of the day we found out that we are doing a kids club for 50-100 kids tomorrow morning at 9am. So I spent the last hour "planning" what that might consist of. But given that I do not know the kids, have not seen the room, don't know the language, and a millions other factors the best I can do is have a general game plan and be prepared to wing it! Looks like years of Child Care, Youth Ministry, VBS and Kids Clubs was good preparation.

All that said though, I covet your prayers for my emotions tomorrow morning. Seeing one little boy who was blind was almost more than I could bear,

Tomorrow's Bible Story is the Matt 15 version of Loaves and Fishes, I found it in Haitian CreoleThank you Jesus and I will have an interpreter,yet another new experience for me.

Please pray that the kids who come will experience the overwhelming love of Jesus tomorrow, that they will get to know Jesus a little better or for the first time if need be!

Hurry Up and Wait

There is a lot more to being a missionary than I originally thought, and one of those things most missionaries fail to mention in their speeches at churches is the idea of, "Hurry up and Wait." I too have struggled with how best share with you my supporters what the Road to Rome is like. Do I paint you a pretty picture, do I bore you with details, or do I give you the raw truth. I am opting more and more for the raw version.

Why? Because I feel there are a lot of misunderstandings about missions, and missionaries and I want to have a more open dialogue about the reality of missions. So today we tackle just one aspect of missionary life, that of, Hurry Up and Wait.

This applies more often than not I am finding. When I applied to be a missionary with ReachGlobal it was a 6 month application process, filled with many, many tests and forms in the beginning, then months of waiting, then interviews, then more waiting. Then a plane ride to Minnesota for a week long interview and information session, then an day of waiting for the final decision.

Seeing that this is how things started you would think I would have caught a clue that this was just the beginning.

Then there is Support Raising, which any honest missionary would tell you is a whole lot of hurrying, for appointments, and contacts and phone calls, and an abundance of waiting for returns on those investments. If you have ever worked on a church committee then you can imagine just how much waiting it takes to get a decision from a church on whether or not they can and will support you.

Right now, I am waiting for the remaining 49% of my support to come in. I would be lying if I told you this waiting was easy. That is not to say I cannot see God at work even in the waiting. I have indeed seen him at work in the waiting, and I know He is using this time to prepare me for more, Hurry Up and Wait. As that is culture in Italy, and many parts of the the world.

I am also waiting for word on when I will be heading to Haiti, right now this is the hardest wait, because I can see reminders everywhere of the vast need, and I long to be there working, serving and growing in my relationship with God. But again I hurried to get ready to go and now I wait.

As I touched on waiting is not horrible, it is part of the process, part of being a missionary, perhaps part of being used by God. As I wait I am not only waiting on people but I am waiting on God. That is a good but not always easy place to be.

How can you help me in all of this waiting? So glad you asked.

1. Pray for me. That I will continue to wait on God and His will and timing rather than own.
2. Join me in fasting tomorrow for the people of Haiti. Perhaps as we wait together at the feet of Jesus on behalf of the people of Haiti we will in fact be just where He wants us to be.
3. If you have a church that I can come and share at please invite me to do so. If you work at a church I would strongly encourage you to take some time, to look at your missions policy and missionaries and see if there are ways you could help speed along some of the waiting. There is room for improvement on both sides.


Thanks for joining me on this journey for encouraging me along the way, and for your many prayers, it really does help especially in the times of waiting.



Lessons learned during the wait:

God is Faithful
I cannot do this alone
My timing and God's timing are not the same and His is best.
Waiting gives you time to wait on the Lord, use that time wisely.
If I was in Rome already we would have missed out on being in Haiti.
My waiting is nothing in comparison to those waiting for Food, Justice, and Shelter, Hope and Peace.
There is time now to rest, there might not be soon.
What can I be doing for God and with God here and now?
I need to be ready when the time comes

Just to name a few.

Holding Pattern

First off thank you for all your kind words, your prayers and your support!

I wanted to let you know that as of yesterday (meaning could change at any moment) I am in a holding pattern for Haiti. I spoke with some of the men in charge and they felt that at this point Haiti is too unstable/unsafe and they would like to hold off in sending me.

So I am waiting.

When I signed up to go I was willing but not longing to go. In the past week I have developed a heart for Haiti, and for the people there, and I can honestly say I long to be there helping as soon as can.

I will keep you posted.

Please continue to pray for those serving there, and for the people of Haiti who for so long have lived in the midst of death and fear. Pray with me that God will use the people who are left and the people on the ground to bring peace, and life to the nation of Haiti! That He will not only meet their needs but will raise them up out of the rubble and plant them on a firm foundation!

I want to be sure you see positive images coming out of Haiti not just the stories the news chooses to focus on. Here are some pictures from last Sunday morning in Haiti, where hundreds of Haitians gathered together in a tent to worship God!



The images are of my team leader Sarah and some local people, whose names I do not know. Please pray for more of these kind of situations and reports flowing out of Haiti!

BIG NEWS Going to Serve in Haiti

I have been asked and approved to head to Haiti to join the Crisis Response hand of TouchGlobal and ReachGlobal from February 9th through the first week of March to serve with Brian and Sarah and other Reach Global missionaries. It looks like right now I will be working to set up two houses that will be used to house all the future teams of relief workers. I will also be working on building and maintaining relationships with all of the new organizations we will be partnering with to be the most effective in helping the people of Haiti.

Many of you are giving to my financial support for Rome, and I still need you to keep doing that, and I will be continuing work on raising the remainder of my support. I am pleased to point out that I am now at 50% of my monthly support for Rome up 8% from last week. It seems that God is honoring my obedience to go wherever He leads and new supporters began rolling in as soon as I said I was willing to go.

If you would like to Give a special gift towards the ministry I will be doing in Haiti, I do need money for airfare, and to get some Haiti appropriate clothing and supplies as well as all the shots and travel insurance that I need. Please let me know if you would like to give in that way and I will let you know how to do that.

If you cannot give above and beyond what you are already giving but would like to be involved I would REALLY Value your prayers. Pray that God would be preparing my heart and mind for this time, that I would be a blessing to all that I work with and for. And of course Pray for the people of Haiti. I am also in need of some supplies like:

good boots (size 9)
water purifier for a water bottle
First Aid kit
Bug Net
Batteries
High Energy Snacks

I will let you know of other needs.

Pray Pray Pray

Thanks

Meet A Real Live Missionary Night

Last night I was invited along with two couples to share at the Felton Bible Church AWANA for their "Meet a Real Live Missionary Night" I got to share with the TNT Girls this year, last year I shared with the Sparkies. I was asked just share about what a missionary is and where I am going and what I will be doing. It was a privilege to share and there were a couple cute moments...

The first was when a little girl came up and gave me a few bucks and then read from her book "I know it is not much, but I hope it helps!" IT DID!

The next was when someone was searching for Italy in Asia.

And finally my favorite moment was when one of the girls volunteered to pray for me, and the line that I loved was, "and help her not to get so bored on the long plane ride!" That is why I need people of all ages praying for me, we get all the bases covered!

In the Press

Yours truly has been selected to represent Reach Global in a new recruiting video aimed at reaching a younger population. (that's right I am "younger") Myself a a few others were asked to participate in a 2-3 min video that will be sent out to churches around the country to capture the imagination of our peers and perhaps inspire them to consider becoming missionaries.

If you are a George Fox Alum you will also see me mentioned in the upcoming George Fox Journal.
(that is a link to their last one I will post a new one when it come out.

Just thought you might want to know.

If you cannot wait for the upcoming video to come out and would like to know more right now about becoming a ReachGlobal Missionary you can click here for more info

Join Me

I was reading in the book of Joshua today the familiar story of God giving the city of Jericho to Joshua and his army. As I meditated on this passage and reflected on the other amazing ways that God has provided for his people not only through out scripture but through out history I was moved to ask God to provide for me in big ways too.

But I also felt compelled to ask you my supporters to join me in my request. I need roughly $4000 a month more before I can join my team in the city God has directed me to. I have boldly and with complete faith asked God that he would provide the needed support by the end of the week.

It sounds impossible, it has taken me a year to raise half of that much, but God is God and I believe that he is capable of providing. I have seen him provide. So, join me in praying this week that God will open up the hearts and minds of his people that they might give out of what God has already given them. That by this time next week I will be able to shout with a loud voice, "THAT WAS GOD!!!"



Ways to pray:

That God would Provide individuals and churches who's combined support would equal $4000 a month.

That those who have shown interest or promised to support would follow through this week.

That through all of this the world would know that God is faithful and able to meet all of our needs even when they seem too big.

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!

Here and There

I am away from home. I feel like I have been away for quite some time, though in reality it has not been all that long. Not in comparison to how long I will be gone when I move to Rome, or even as long as others who are here with me in Minnesota. There are two couples who have spent the last 7 weeks in the Congo, and are now here and then they will finally get to go home. Which makes my month long journey not seem all that bad. But tonight friends I am tired.

It has been a great week of learning and of meeting with other missionaries to get to know them and the greater need around the planet, but learning can be exhausting. I am no longer used to sitting and learning for 8-9 hours a day. We have covered all sorts of topics and am certain they will come in handy on the field.

Tomorrow is my last day of class, and then I am off to see some friends for a few days and then back to my old home and church in Cokato, MN on Sunday to share with the church there about the need in Rome, and the work I will be doing there. Then on Monday I will be home.

Then in the beginning of November I am heading back to Colorado for two weeks for Language Acquisition School.

Thank you all for your prayers. I really do appreciate them, and it has been evident that God has been at work here this week not only in my life but in the life of all of us here. It was so nice to realize this morning that while I was here praying there was a group of people at home and around the world praying for me.

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:

October

In just two weeks I will be finishing up with my official work at Felton Bible Church and I will have 100% of my time to dedicate towards going to Rome! It is hard to say farewell to the students as their leader, but I trust that I am leaving them in God's hands and I can already see Him providing for them in big ways as He is also providing for me.

Many of you have been joining me in prayer regarding an upcoming training in Minnesota this October, praying that I might get to attend and not have to wait until the next time it is offered in April. Thank you for your prayers! God has seen fit to answer and I do get to attend the Pre-field Training Live Event from October 7th-15th! This is exciting news because it means I am one huge step closer to leaving for Rome and joining my team!

Speaking of my City Team, there is exciting news there as well! I just got word a week or two ago that I have two almost three new teammates joining the team. Brian and Sarah my Team Leaders, just got the opportunity to host Zach and Naomi as they came for their Vision Trip to Rome a few weeks ago! After the trip I found out that they have accepted the call to join our team in Rome, and that Naomi is pregnant! So really it will be Zach, Naomi and the new baby joining us in the Eternal City!

God is doing some pretty amazing things and I am getting more and more anxious to get to Rome and start serving along side my new teammates! Thank you all for your ongoing support and prayers! My monthly support is continuing to come in and with each new donor I am that much closer to starting this new life in Rome that God has invited me to! SO THANK YOU!!!