Namaste! (Hello) I just wanted to share some VERY VERY exciting news with you all! The Lord has brought in all the funds for India! All $3,300 and my passport! He has been so faithful to follow through on His call for me to go this summer and in His perfect timing He provided. I hope that all of you know how very grateful I am that you have been a part of this process. It is far from over, however we have reached a huge milestone in this journey. For those of you who are praying, please keep praying, and for those who have given, thank you for your gracious giving!
I am going to get my immunizations this week which will unfortunately be about another $300. However, I am hoping to use the money I raised from my bake sale and some other money I have personally saved up to pay for those. God has taken care of this whole process and I know that He will continue to do so as we inch closer and closer to leaving.
It's officially 16 days until our plane takes off and I am getting more unsure about what to expect (although I am very at peace about that), and still all the more excited! This past week a couple of us from our team have started a nightly prayer meeting which we plan to continue every night until the day we leave to pray for each other and the people of India. It has just been 2 or 3 of us each time, but that time has been such a blessing and I can't wait to see what the Lord does with our prayers. :)
I look forward to updating you soon! You will probably hear from me one more time before I leave for India and then Lord willing very soon after my trip with stories, pictures, and I'm sure plenty to share. Until then, I will continue to prepare as best as I can for this trip and leave the rest for the Lord to do. Have an awesome night! You have each been a blessing! Jivita!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Financial Update
Hello all! Ok, so I told you in my last post that I would update you on where I sat on the fianancial part of my trip after I went to my missions meeting. The meeting was awesome; alot of information, but really exciting. I was told this last meeting that we are to have all of our funds in by next Wednesday, April 20th. I received an updated amount and realize that I still have just over $500 to raise before I can go to India. I trust that the Lord will provide the money, He definately has so far, I am just now in the process of figuring out what I need to be doing to get the money in. I don't have my paper with me right now, but I believe I am right at $2,757 and I need to get to $3,300 plus the cost of immunizations (the original cost was $3200, but has gone up because of recent price hikes).
Our team as a whole I believe is only at 76% funds raised so alot of people on the team are in the same boat. I will be holding a bake sale and raising money on campus in an effort to get some more support, but I would like to ask that if the Lord has placed this trip on your heart and leads you to give that you would do so. If you are unable to financially support, please, please bathe this in your prayers. I appreciate all the support that you have already given and I look forward to seeing what the Lord does during this crunch-time because God is definately not the God our our timing!
Faithfully waiting,
Rebekah
Our team as a whole I believe is only at 76% funds raised so alot of people on the team are in the same boat. I will be holding a bake sale and raising money on campus in an effort to get some more support, but I would like to ask that if the Lord has placed this trip on your heart and leads you to give that you would do so. If you are unable to financially support, please, please bathe this in your prayers. I appreciate all the support that you have already given and I look forward to seeing what the Lord does during this crunch-time because God is definately not the God our our timing!
Faithfully waiting,
Rebekah
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Boldly Unqualified
I got to visit Washington D.C. for the first time in my life this weekend! We took our prayer leaders (small group leaders) on a retreat to thank them for all their hard work and service to their girls. The weekend was awesome! Friday evening we arrived at a friend's house just outside of D.C. and we made dinner for them and spent the night playing games and reflecting on this past year. I was reminded of how blessed I am to serve with these girls daily to the girls on my hall.
Saturday we took the Metro into the city. From the moment we stepped off the train, we saw tourists all over the place. Many were there for the Cherry Blossom Festival; others were just there to see the sites. Throughout the day we walked around, working our way through the various monuments. Walking through the city you ignore alot of things because there is so much going on. However, on our walk back to our starting point, I started paying attention to what was going on around me. Not just the events, but the actual people.
In preparing to go to India, just about everything about India catches my attention. My friends tease me because I get so excited if someone talks about the country, or if I see anything that slightly resembles the culture of India. Obviously, Saturday was no exception! As we were walking I heard Indian music and looking over, I noticed that there was a huge gathering of Indian people in their colorful clothing and some religious ceremony going on. Of course I was intrigued and I decided to stop and ask a man walking to the ceremony what they were doing. A man explained to me "this is the day we celebrate our religion...the Sikh religion." My mind of course started reeling trying to think of what to say and how to share Christ with this man but my mind was so busy trying to remember the details of the Sikh religion that even after throwing out a quick, silent prayer for words, words just didn't come out. Before he scurried back to the ceremony, the only words I could get out were "have a blessed day."
I left there disappointed that I didn't say anything that could have changed that man's life. Not say something as in meanly condemning him for his beliefs, but say something about the hope that my One true God has given me and the life that comes from that. After the fact I thought of things I could have said; maybe even using the fact that I am going to India this summer as a platform for explaining why I am even going in the first place. But nothing came out. I wrestled with that the rest of the day, and honestly I still do. For me, it is a reminder of how little I truly share the basics of my faith because it doesn't come second nature to proclaim. Boldness doesn't take over when I see someone who is lost. In fact, as much as my heart breaks for those people, it is fear that sets in of being rejected or not having the right words to say that often keeps me from being bold.
A reality check was definately in play for me that day because I realized that I am going to India...a place FILLED with that man that I met times millions, who are just as in need of true salvation and purpose. If I can't talk to one man on the street, how am I supposed to reach the many people we will encounter just outside of temples throughout the streets of India asking us who our God is?
Saturday we took the Metro into the city. From the moment we stepped off the train, we saw tourists all over the place. Many were there for the Cherry Blossom Festival; others were just there to see the sites. Throughout the day we walked around, working our way through the various monuments. Walking through the city you ignore alot of things because there is so much going on. However, on our walk back to our starting point, I started paying attention to what was going on around me. Not just the events, but the actual people.
In preparing to go to India, just about everything about India catches my attention. My friends tease me because I get so excited if someone talks about the country, or if I see anything that slightly resembles the culture of India. Obviously, Saturday was no exception! As we were walking I heard Indian music and looking over, I noticed that there was a huge gathering of Indian people in their colorful clothing and some religious ceremony going on. Of course I was intrigued and I decided to stop and ask a man walking to the ceremony what they were doing. A man explained to me "this is the day we celebrate our religion...the Sikh religion." My mind of course started reeling trying to think of what to say and how to share Christ with this man but my mind was so busy trying to remember the details of the Sikh religion that even after throwing out a quick, silent prayer for words, words just didn't come out. Before he scurried back to the ceremony, the only words I could get out were "have a blessed day."
I left there disappointed that I didn't say anything that could have changed that man's life. Not say something as in meanly condemning him for his beliefs, but say something about the hope that my One true God has given me and the life that comes from that. After the fact I thought of things I could have said; maybe even using the fact that I am going to India this summer as a platform for explaining why I am even going in the first place. But nothing came out. I wrestled with that the rest of the day, and honestly I still do. For me, it is a reminder of how little I truly share the basics of my faith because it doesn't come second nature to proclaim. Boldness doesn't take over when I see someone who is lost. In fact, as much as my heart breaks for those people, it is fear that sets in of being rejected or not having the right words to say that often keeps me from being bold.
A reality check was definately in play for me that day because I realized that I am going to India...a place FILLED with that man that I met times millions, who are just as in need of true salvation and purpose. If I can't talk to one man on the street, how am I supposed to reach the many people we will encounter just outside of temples throughout the streets of India asking us who our God is?
The more and more I "prepare" for this trip, the more and more I realized how truly unqualified I am. I needed this weekend to slap me in the face and show me how unqualified I am because I don't know what India will hold for me. It hasn't set in yet that I am going halfway around the world to a very desolate place, far different from my own comfortable, Westernized world. I am going there with one purpose, and that is to share hope and the name of Jesus and that must remain my focus. Until then, I am called to be bold here. I appreciate every prayer you pray for this trip and for me! You have all been such a blessing! I have another missions meeting tonight and will update you on how the funds are going soon! I love you all! May God be glorified through our boldness!
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| Here is a picture of our lovely leadership team from our trip to D.C. |
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