Here We Go!

Night has fallen on my last day in Kansas (for 10 months anyway). I had a great day hanging out with my family and eating a ton of my mothers amazing food!... I'm definitely feeling a mixture of extreme excitement and kinda scared at the same time!.... It's hard to believe I'm finally going, it seemed like this day would never come.

I really hope that I get a lot closer to God though this experience. I hope that there are days I can just go out into the savanna with my Bible, a journal, my camera and just chill with God and get to know Him!... I've gotten a lot of encouragement from people the past few days, and I know it's been the Holy Spirit speaking through them, and that has been very comforting to me. This is a huge step for me, and I trust in God that He will be faithful to be with me through every bit of it and give me a whole new perspective on life.... God's blessed my life so much. Wonderful family and friends, provision for all of my needs, and now this once in a life-time opportunity to serve Him and be involved with what He is doing in South Africa! God is good.

Packed & Ready To Go!

I packed my bags yesterday and I'm ready to go! Amazingly I fit 10 months worth of stuff into one check bag, one carry-on, and my messenger bag! I didn't think it was all going to fit in there, but with some creative packing and some cramming it all fit :)

The picture is of Shikwaru Lodge, where I'll be staying... I don't think that's the actual place I'll be staying, but it gives you an idea of the surroundings. I found out a few days ago that the internet at Shikwaru isn't the most reliable, so I'm not sure how often I'll get to post, but I'll do my best to keep everyone updated as much as I can!

I'm really getting excited and I just want to go! I've been getting ready for this trip for just about a year now and it's finally about to begin :)

Above & Beyond

God has provided ALL of the funds I need for my trip! Praise the Lord!

Not only did I get the $12,000 I was blessed with enough funds to cover all of the expenses that I've had to get ready for the trip, and for any expenses I will have in South Africa. And... I'll probably be able to donate some of the extra money to OneHope!

It's just two weeks until I fly out to Florida now! I'm getting more and more excited as it gets closer.... I will be in Florida for a week to do training and then we head out to SA on Feb 8th... OneHope let me know who all will be going on my first Nomad trip (the first 3 months I'm there) and I've been able to find them on facebook and get to know them some which has been nice... I also found out that I'm allowed to bring a laptop, so I went ahead and got a new one to take with me since my old one died last semester, let's hope this one lasts longer than a year and a half! It will definitely come in handy to store photos and keep in contact with everyone back home :)

Thank you all for all your prayers and support, I really appreciate it and I know without you this trip would not be possible... God's really, really, really amazed me with how much He's provided for me, and I know that my life will never be the same after this journey!

Almost There!

Once again it's been a while since the last post, this last month has been a very busy and crazy one, but now that I'm home for Christmas it's beginning to slow down a bit! I'm completely done with college now (praise God!), so from here on out I can completely focus on getting ready for my trip.

The Photography Show was a huge success. I sold about 70 photos and made a profit of $1,500! I was amazed by how many I sold, and I've continued to be amazed by how more funds have continued to come in! The total is now at $10,500!!! I only need another $1,500 and I'll be there.... $1,500 seems like nothing in comparison with what God has already provided.... 30 people at $50 would totally cover it. I know God will provide, and just the fact that He was able to help me raise $12,000 during a recession is a great testimony in and of itself.

I've had my photos up at Radinas; however, I haven't sold many there. I'm going to have my photos up at my home church in Fort Scott, Faith Christian Center. Hopefully with that and another speaking engagement I have in January, I'll be able to get the rest of the funds I need.

Not only am I almost there as far as funds go, I'm literally almost in SA! Just about 5 more weeks and I'll be on my way.... I am getting more and more excited as it gets closer and I know it's going to be great experience.

Photography Show

It's been a while since I've made a new post, so I think it's time for an update. As a fund-raiser I will be having a photography at the KSU Gardens Visitors Center. Above is one of the photos that will be in the show. I have a variety of photos, mostly plants, ranging from places like the East Coast to Panama. The show is from November 14 to 21 and is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. I'm really excited about doing this, and getting it all put together has definitely kept me busy the last few days! Doing a fund-raiser like this can be kind of risky because you never know if people will actually buy the photos, but I'm trusting God will continue to be faithful and provide for me!

Speaking of providing, the fund-raising total is now at $7,200! Only about $4,800 to go! This number may seem big, but I know God will provide. If you think about it, if just 96 people gave $50 that would cover it!

Again, it's important to remember that me going to South Africa for a year isn't about me. It's about getting the word out and saving the lost! In many ways I feel inadequate to do this, but in my weakness God is strong! This is a huge leap of faith for me, and I'm excited to see what the outcome will be.

The trip is getting closer and closer and it's starting to feel more real. I'm feeling a mix of excitement and being totally freaked out! But, it seems like the great things in life happen when you have to be a little scared to do it.

Please continue to pray for South Africa, the effectiveness of our ministry while we are there, and the funds I need to go on this trip.

Half Way There

It's been three weeks since my last post and in that time over $1,000 has come in! The current total is $5,750, just about half way there!

A few weeks ago I was able to speak at my sister's church, Centerville Community Church. I was a little bit nervous about speaking at a church, but it went very well and I was extremely blessed through doing it. Although it was a very small church (less than 50), they gave an offering of over $400!

I will be having a photography show at Radina's coffee-shop here in Manhattan during the month of December. I'm very excited about doing this, hopefully it will be a good fund-raiser and it will be a lot of fun to have my photos on display at Radina's :)

On October 11 I'll be speaking at my church, First Assemblies of God. I'll have a few minutes to present during the service and then I'll have a table set up in the back where I can speak with people who stop by.

As always, God never fails to provide and I'm continually reminded of His faithfulness.

The picture above is one that I found and I just wanted to show everyone. I'm really looking forward to living in this beautiful land, and experiencing everything God has for me there.

$ Update $

I'm very happy to say that my fund-raising total is at $4,695 now! A lot of money has come in these past few weeks, and things are moving along nicely. Dr. visits are done with and the paperwork is still going well. I'm getting some more plans worked out for fund-raisers and speaking at churches.... That's about it, I just wanted to give you all a quick update. As always, thanks for the prayers and support. It's always incredible to see how God provides! :)