Sifa kwa Mungu!

I can't believe it's really here!!! I took some time and looked back on all my older posts and it's just amazing how He has brought us to this point! The point were our bags are packed, our hearts are ready, and His words are waiting. Waiting for what you say? Waiting for us to be obedient, humble, loving, and anxious waiting to "show Jesus!"

So on a sad note I know the enemy is attacking as well. Tonight my laptop died :( The laptop that has my teaching notes. No worries at least I still have time to retype it. I look at it this way. Maybe those aren't the words God wanted me to use. Maybe He has taught me more this week that I had originally left out? If that is the case I'm happy to be retyping it!! He knows exactly what the plan it is and that's the only prayer I have is to be following His plan. So guess what enemy you LOSE again!

So please pray I get everything wrapped up tonight. Also, continue to pray for our travels. There are storms in the forcast for tomorrow so our flexibility may be tested. Pray for Alley and her first flight that it goes smoothly. Pray for Terry and Taylor while we are gone. Pray for our team and our health. Pray that He prepares our hearts and their hearts.

Thanks again for all of your prayers and support through this journey! We can't wait to update you in a few weeks!

Week 7- Focus

I started this week off with a nice walk/run in the city park. It's good to have a daily quiet time, but for some of us that's hard to find or should I say do. We stay busy running in different directions and when we do stop we are usually ready to just crash for the night. I always worry I will fall asleep while praying..lol. I don't think I'm the only one who has that problem :) Well my workout time is not so quiet but I do a lot of thinking and praying during that time. This weeks focus is basically repeating the previous weeks prayers. So I started today with some personal cleansing. I ended my walk/run with some praise time and prayer just sitting quietly on a park bench. I love that time with God!

Focus Scripture: Joshua 3:5
 "...Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."

Here is our prayer schedule:

                         May 27: Personal Cleansing (yes I knew I was off a day but I did something yesterday as well)
                         May 28: Pray for our Leadership team and Translators

                         May 29: Pray for our Team

                         May 30: Pray for the Churches and Revivals

                         June 1: Pray for the locations we will stay and safe travels.

So far one change in our travel, our flight from London to Uganda was cancelled. Our new flight leaves us in London for 10 hrs. Our Team has voted to go spend the day in London. Needless to say Alley is pretty excited :) However, we will lose some rest time once we get to Uganda. So please pray we get to make that up somewhere or we get a long second wind :)

Alley got her Hep A vaccination last Thursday, no side effects :) We start taking our Malaria medication around the 3rd or 4th. So please pray there aren't any issues.

Personal prayer request: Please pray for Terry and Taylor as they prepare for us to leave as well. Pray there is peace and they are able to spend some time together. Also pray as we prepare our teaching and skit material. We are doing a drama/skit in ref. to speech (1 Tim 4:12) and I will be teaching. Pray for God's guidance in each of these.

                        
Thank you for your prayers!

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Eph. 3:20-21

                        

Week 6- Locations & Travel

I can't believe we are on week six already!! Only 18 days to go! My mind is in "declutter mood" as I call it as some Church events wind down. I've seen how God has been preparing us for this journey over the last year and even more the last few months. I love that God showed me this verse again about a month ago because I have needed the reminder often. I have officially claimed it!

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Cor. 12:9

As our week of prayer focuses on our locations and travels our scripture verse is Ezekiel 22:30 "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one."

Below is a "rough" itenarary:
  
              DFW to London
              London to Uganda
              Charter Bus to Karagwe
              Emmaus & Luther Guest Houses
              Conference Location
              Villages
              Local Churches
              Bukoba
              Boat trip across Lake Victoria to Mwanza
              Safari through Serengeti
              Lodges we'll stay in
              Trip back home :)

Please pray for the following...

              The Presence of the Lord to go before us
              Peace instead fo fear
              Blessings on each host
              Luggage to arrive with us
              Everyone to stay healthy


Next up this week...Alley's Hepatitis A shot! She's not looking forward to it, but she will be fine.

Thanks again for your prayers!

Week 5- Pastors & Wives

We met with our Team last night and it was shared that there are 100 Pastors and wives signed up for this conference. Wow what a blessing this is going to be!!! It was also shared that after each teaching some of the women will come down and just kneel. This is the way they are requesting us to personally pray over each one of them. I can't wait!


Focus Scripture: 1Peter 2:9

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"

Pray for Belief (Psalm 27:13)
Pray for Revelation & Understanding (Ephesians 1:17-23

Also, Protection, Provision (Financial and Strength)

Psalm 23:1,3
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want...He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake."


We are just over 3 weeks away and there is still so much to do! Thanks for joining us in prayer.

Week 4- Words can't express!

We start out this week with wonderful news to share! We have surpassed our goal for the trip! Our God amazes me more and more everyday. He reminds us to stay faithful and obedient and all the glory will go to Him!

We will pass on the extra to the Pastor Conference to help with the ministry needs.

^"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."             1Tim. 6:12

Moving on to week 4 on our Seven Weeks of Prayer...

Can you believe we will be leaving in less than one month!! Wheeww, lots to do, lots to pray for!

This weeks focus is on Churches & Revival Messages.

Focus scripture: Acts 4:13

Pray...
   
         *BOLDNESS for the team.
         *We would bring WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT to the churches.
         *We would have the HEART OF GOD for His people everywhere we go.

Few ref. verses, Acts 4:33; Acts 16:16; John 6:44; Matt. 6:10

To update you on our preparations, Alley and I hit some garage sales and a Goodwill store this weekend. We were able to pick up quite a bit of clothes and spent under $40!

My shots are done, Alley is next. She only needs Hepatitis A so that's next on the list.

We are also working on our drama/skit for the Leadership conference. I really wanted to be able to do something without needing the translator. So I think we've got something good!

Thanks again for all of your prayers! More to come soon....

Week 3: Team

I was so excited to meet the Team (minus 2) this past Saturday! I have already been fired up but now to add my excitement with the others...wow!!! I can see Alley connected with one of the couples as well, that was great to see. Being able to step out of our comfort zone is very crucial for our trip, so making these connections is very important.

This week in our Seven Weeks of Prayer is focus on our Team. Perfect timing (God's timing) as now we have a face to go with the names on our list. I just love that! We also have some specific prayer requests mentioned Saturday to add as well.

Let's start with our focus scripture: 1 Peter 4:10-11
"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Pray...
   
      We'd rely on the Holy Spirit (Proverbs 3:5-6)
                     *HIS Gifts
                     *HIS love and sensitivity
                     *HIS Boldness

       We'd walk in submission- 1 Thess. 5:12-13, Heb. 13:17

       Order and Unity- 1 Cor. 14:40, Matt: 18:19-20

       Protection- Health

       Provision- Financial, Strength (physical, mental and emotional)

 Here are a few personal pray requests shared by the Team on Saturday.

* Peace- few are having dreams that are turning into anxiety (or could even be the the other way around anxiety=dreams). Also peace for our families.
* Financial- few struggling to gather funds required.
                -We also need additional funds for the minitry items.
* Health/Dental issues- decision to handle now or take a chance to wait until returning from the trip.
* The Temi's- an unreached people group in Tanzania. Few plan to gather information on this people group while we are there. Pray these doors open.
*Continue to pray for translators - mainly women translators.
*Prepare our hearts.
*Prepare their hearts.

Thanks again for joining us on this journey with your prayers and support!

Leadership and Translators

This is week 2 of our Seven Weeks of Prayer. We are called to focus on Leadership and Translators. Without these leaders this trip would not be possible.

Scott Whitson, Local coordinator.
Elias Kashambagani, Tanzania coordinator.

Focus Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-15

For our Leaders we pray God reveals His plan to them (Amos 3:7). We pray for protection for them and their families, against enemy attacks on their hearts, minds and emotions (Phil 4:6-7) Praying for provision; financial (Psalm 50:10), The Holy Spirit to give strength (Phil 4:13), to be seen through their spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12-13) and their fruit that is produced (Gal 5:22-23).

For our Translators- that God provides the number we need. We pray for protection, provision and blessings.

Thank you for praying with us as we prepare.

Philippians 1:9-11
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Mafanikio!!!

I promised you an update so here it is :)

I made it! I went all day yesterday with only water, not even gum this time. Sure enough not on my own. I prayed continually all day for strength. I watched other people eat, smelled others food from my desk at work, and listened to others share how they had Chicken Express for lunch that day...nice :) . I really think the gum was why I failed Monday. I think it just teased me and made me hungrier.

So this may not seem like a big deal to some of you but I normally eat 5 times a day, if not 6. Of course some are just snacks, but I eat!

Can I say I think Chick-Fil-a is on the menu for lunch today!


Now this morning on the other hand was harder. I woke up sooo hungry, had a headache and shakes. So needless to say I think I've already had my 5 meals today and it's only 11 am..lol.

What did I learn from this? I know we have it so easy, just to spend the day in prayer and minute by minute relying on Him really shows me where I fail Him everyday. To have full obedience is amazing. To be able to stay connected is humbling. I know I will never be perfect but I know He is always there to pick me up when I fall. For that I'm truely blessed!

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12: 9

Thanks for your prayers!

Focus/Personal Cleansing & Prep

Wow, less than 2 months away eeekk! So excited! Our group has started the seven weeks of prayer. This week is on Focus/Personal cleaning and preparation. I love how God prepares us. When I started reading Mandisa's book Idol Eyes the end of December it really stood out to me how much she fasted and prayed anytime she really needed direction from God. I remember thinking, wow to be able to have that much obedience.

She puts it this way:
"I've heard it said that fasting is the direct opposite of man's first sin in the Garden of Eden. Instead of eating what is forbidden, as Adam and Eve did, a fasting person refuses to eat what is allowed. The purpose of a fast is to weaken people physically in order to strengthen them spiritually.
The Bible demonstrates that God honors an obedient child who sacrifices food for a while and instead uses that time to pray." -Mandisa

"So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes." Daniel 9:3

Of course I've heard of other fast besides food, like giving up TV, Computer, things that are distracting us from spending time with God. However, I really feel God has been preparing me for the food fast.

So far I have failed Him twice, I made the mistake of trying this about 2 weeks ago when I worked from home one day. What was I thinking? As Alley would say "Epic fail #1" Then I received the information for the seven weeks of prayer and knew I really needed to do this and was not suppose to give up. So, I tried again yesterday I made it longer than the first time but failed once I got home and made dinner, "Epic fail #2." Oh and does chewing gum count? I dunno, I felt like I was cheating in some way s it probably does count. Ugh, I'm so thankful He loves us no matter how much we fail Him!!!
What's next? I continue my attempts. Any suggestions? I was so hungry yesterday and my stomach started growling right during a meeting..lol. Maybe I shouldn't work out that morning? Maybe I should eat less for a few days to shrink my stomach? I will try to eat less today and retry again tomorrow. Wednesdays are busy days, so maybe that will help? I will keep you posted.



Now to share some humbling news! Check out how close we are to our goal! Just a few hundred dollars away! God is so good! We will be paid in full way before our last due date. Words cannot express how blessed we are. Thank you!
We have started buying our clothes and other items needed. I will be getting my immunizations this week. I know time is going to fly fast and it will be here before we know it.

Please continue to pray for us as we enter the seven weeks of prayer. I will update you each week on our prayer requests. Of course as mentioned this week is on focus, personal cleansing and preparation.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Sisi ni heri!

Words can not express how blessed we feel!

A few weeks ago I met with our Pastor Bro. Larry and M.A.T leader Curtis Brister. We discussed our Tanzania trip and how the church could help us on this journey. We made several plans including asking the church for financial assistance setting a goal for $2000, having an AVON fundraiser and also a garage sale. For those of you who don't know our church a $2000 goal is highly attainable to reach due to the gracious hearts our church has for giving. Bro. Larry announced this goal to our church family 3 weeks ago and in 2 weeks they gave $1945!!!!


We are so thankful for all of you who have given recently to those who have been giving since last year!! God has truly made you a part of this journey!

So where are we at now?

We are on target for or next big deposit that is due March 31st.

As previously mentioned we will have other opportunities to share this journey with you. I will be having an AVON fundraiser that will start on March 25th and end on April 11th. If you would like to support the fundraiser you have two ways to do so, 1) make a purchase and 50% of the sale goes to our Tanzania fund 2) offer to take a flyer to show your family and friends and return to me by April 11th. Also stay tuned for details on our upcoming garage sale.

In the meantime, please continue to pray for the following:

Our group as we prepare for this trip, safety for travel, our hearts to be open to see the needs of the villages. Their hearts to be open and accepting as we share the Gospel.

I missed the sermon yesterday due to being blessed in the nursery, however I received an email kicking off our week of prayer for North American Missions. In this was request that we read Mark 2:1-5 and a challenge of "What are we willing to do so that people can be brought to Jesus?" This is something that cannot be done alone. Again, thank you!

Katika Kristo,

Milestones

I have to share this exciting milestone to our journey with you who have been so faithful in giving and prayers! By the grace of God we shared our upcoming plans with our entire Church body yesterday. We've continued to see God's hand from the first mention of this trip to today. From all the prayers lifting us up, to the generous givings. Also, seeing Him move in our lives has been amazing. His peace for my husband as we prepare to take this journey, His guidance on providing a great team to be joining, and His provision on the additional earning opportunities to help us get there.

"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:10

Yes, it hasn't been easy, but I'm thankful to be stronger.

At the end of this week we will have 19% of our trip paid. I tell you this because I want to share His glory with you in my next post.


How's the Swahili coming? Well, slow but I have this new app on my Kindle Fire that is awesome!! It has already helped me so much. Now if I can just get Terry to stop looking at me funny when I use it would be great. Ooohh maybe I can use this to my advantage. Only if I wasn't talking to myself..lol. Alley? Well, she may additional homework soon if she doesn't start learning it on her own.




Alright, this is a short one, but trust me it will be well worth it when you see my next post. I know God is only getting started here!

Through the last few weeks one chapter of the Bible has continued to be on mind, Hebrews 11. I love looking back to be reminded how without faith it is impossible to please God. That's my prayer through this journey and I'm thankful to get to share it with you.