Hey amigos! It's been a while...my bad. It seems every year after tax season I go through this season where it takes a couple of weeks to learn how to be a normal person on a normal sleeping schedule again. That sounds strange, but it's totally true. Thankfully, I was just able to spend a week with a really awesome friend in San Diego and just slow down.
Since it's been so long, I think now is a good opportunity to provide an UPDATE!
So what's happening these days? Well, there's a whole lot of:
EXCITEMENT:
I am getting SO EXCITED and ready for this journey! I've got a lot of passion, faith, and expectation for this adventure. Galmi is on my heart so often these days. My heart is so excited to serve them. The folks at Galmi Hospital have been praying for a very long time for a full-time accountant to serve with them. It is incredible that out of the entire world and the billions of people that live on this planet - I get to be that person. This is by far one of the biggest privileges I've ever had. I am so excited to join the team at Galmi - most days it's hard to focus on anything else!
FUNDRAISING:
And lots of it! This process might be the biggest character-builder I've had in life. It is a journey. I am so grateful for all of the gracious hearts who have already played such a big role in this and whom have given so generously to this cause. I am getting so close to reaching the goal and it is in large part due to the generosity of so many. You know who you are!!
Drumroll... to date we have raised over $10,000!!! I am currently about $8,000 away from reaching the goal. It's definitely a marathon, but I'm in awe of how God has provided so far and continues to provide. I'm trusting that God will show His creative ways in the next couple of weeks and that He will open doors for me to walk through at the exact moment I need to walk through them!
FRENCH:
The French study is officially underway!! Having NEVER studied French before, the beginning stages feel a little slow, but this language nerd is totally loving it and soaking it all in. This is a challenge I happily accept, and I am so excited to see where I'm at with French a year from now.
PLANS:
While I would love to tell you I am leaving on X date, I am still a couple of weeks away from having an exact launch date (woah!). That said, things are starting to come together such as vaccinations, paperwork, visa applications, and all that fun stuff! This is becoming real!!
Want to get involved?
1. PRAY
Please be praying! There are a lot of moving pieces here, or at least it feels that way. You can be praying for:
- Time management in coordinating all of the necessary details/paperwork/phone calls/doctors visits/etc.
- Continued commitment to study and practice French
- Smooth visa process
- My employer - this will be a transition for me as well as for them
- Ability to raise remainder of funds required
- Galmi Hospital and the team there as they prepare for my arrival
- Peace over leaving life behind here for a whole year - especially for my Poppop - he's nervous ;-)
- More peace - this process in the past couple of weeks has brought on somewhat of an emotional roller coaster
- Prayers for Deb & James - friends and part of my Fellowship Community Church family. Deb & James, recently married, are returning to Galmi after almost a year of home(s) assignment. It is going to be super cool to be able to share this experience with them and have someone from home at Galmi with me for the entire year! Check out Deb's blog!! http://dberruti.blogspot.com/
2. GIVE
Would you consider partnering with me financially on this journey? I would love to have you be a part of my team! If it is on your heart to donate financially, you can do so at the following link:
To keep within the time of frame of my target launch date (last week of June), I will need to be fully funded by the end of the month (May 31st). Trusting God's provision and plan with this one!
3. GO TEAM GO!
- Do you like Chick-fil-a? Come out and have a meal with me! The Marlton Chick-fil-a has been kind enough to let me hold a fundraiser! A portion of your meal will directly benefit my upcoming journey to Niger. Come get some waffle fries :-)
- Subscribe to this blog! A big part of the fun for me is just simply sharing about this incredible journey!
- Send me your email! I am collecting information so that y'all can stay informed of Niger happenings over the next year!
- Call me, let's hang out before I leave for a YEAR :-)
4. PRAY SOME MORE!
The power of prayer is an incredible thing. God is so faithful in answering prayers. I wholeheartedly believe that prayer will get me much further than any dollar amount will.
Sending love and a HUGE thank you to all you wonderful folks out there who have been walking this journey with me so far. I'm so looking forward to what lies in this year ahead!
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
Kathy, thanks for sharing at FCC today. You mentioned the need for prayer about language acquisition. I'd like to invite you to a visual storytelling workshop (June 23) in Philadelphia hosted by another missionary who is going to Africa in July. Story and art is a powerful way to transcend words and communicate deeply as you are still learning the language. Let me know if you'd like to know more. We'll be praying for you over the coming year. Ron ron@sidebarstories.org (609)332-2798
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