Who knew that Pampered Chef, Arbonne, car washes, and the generosity of strangers would all come together to send me to Africa? It's such a blessing! I don't know why I doubt someone whose very name is Provider, but being human, I suppose doubt comes naturally. Nevertheless just as my nature never fails me, neither does His. (I like His nature a lot better though!) For those who are curious - I am about 1/4 of the way to my final goal in terms of support. I also had a lovely visit with the travel clinician at the university last week and he gave me lots and lots of pills...and I have to go in for shots. Oh well...that's all part of going to Togo. I'm getting excited! (Well, some days I'm excited, others I'm just overwhelmed with everything else that needs to happen...you know how that is.) But for right now - I'm just thankful and hopeful. I'll leave it at that...more to come soon, I promise!
~kl
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Good News
This week was productive - support is starting to come in! PTL! I didn't get to everything I wanted to, but I got to a lot. Still have to start follow up phone calls. One thing I'm learning is that support-raising is an awesome chance to be a great witness through your actions - through your diligence, through your gratitude, and through your humility. It's so cool talking to people and hearing all their stories and experience with other people who have served and traveled abroad. I am learning a lot about the people who are supporting me just through the conversations that this trip leads to. It's awesome.
I'm also learning a lot from others who have gone to Africa in the past - little tricks about what kind of gear to buy and what kinds of things to expect. I've been told that the best thing I could possibly bring for me and my team is garlic salt. (I hope that makes you laugh out loud!) My dear friend advised me that garlic salt is the only thing that saved her from getting bored out of her mind with eating the same things every day. She also suggested that I journal a lot while I'm there, which is something I'd been hoping to do anyway. She was telling me that there are a lot of things she wishes she had journaled about because she can't remember things as clearly now as she thought she would be able to. I think I'm going to buy myself a new journal to fill up while I'm there (because I'm a neurotic freak and can't journal about different topics in the same journal). I'm really looking forward to having that to look back on when I come home.
I still don't think I really grasp the reality of what I'm going to do this summer. Being away from home, from family, from friends, from church, from everything I've ever known hasn't really set in in my mind yet. When I do take the time to think about the magnitude of what that means, I get overwhelmed and excited at the same time. I can't wait because I know the work we're going to do in Togo will be meaningful and life changing. I know by the end of the summer I'll wish I could stay longer. But I know it's going to be hard. Hard work physically, emotionally, and mentally. I don't really know if there's any way to prepare for that kind of emotional upset. Sometimes I wonder if I should or if the beauty of going through a change as big as the one I'm heading toward is in letting Abba carry you through it. So maybe the preparation I need is not learning to anticipate and avoid the change but to trust in Him through the change. It's hard to say. I guess my biggest hope at this point is that I don't end up getting more out of this trip than the people I'm going to serve. I want to milk every moment I'm there for all it's worth - to learn and grow and change and become more of the person Abba is calling me to be. But I'm not going there for me. If my only desire was to grow and change myself I could stay here, you know? But my desire is to see the nations change - to see the Good News shared and to see people coming to know the Truth. That seems like such a lofty goal when I sit here and write it down, and it seems like a goal that in the achieving will change me just as much as it changes others. Abba's funny like that, I think. He's glorious. And He will be glorified no matter where I am or what I'm doing. If you are one who is lifting me up to our Father, please specifically ask that He would show me His glory and that He would continue teaching me to reflect His glory. That's my biggest hope and desire right now as I prepare to go and for while I am gone. Thank you!
Ready Togo,
~kl
I'm also learning a lot from others who have gone to Africa in the past - little tricks about what kind of gear to buy and what kinds of things to expect. I've been told that the best thing I could possibly bring for me and my team is garlic salt. (I hope that makes you laugh out loud!) My dear friend advised me that garlic salt is the only thing that saved her from getting bored out of her mind with eating the same things every day. She also suggested that I journal a lot while I'm there, which is something I'd been hoping to do anyway. She was telling me that there are a lot of things she wishes she had journaled about because she can't remember things as clearly now as she thought she would be able to. I think I'm going to buy myself a new journal to fill up while I'm there (because I'm a neurotic freak and can't journal about different topics in the same journal). I'm really looking forward to having that to look back on when I come home.
I still don't think I really grasp the reality of what I'm going to do this summer. Being away from home, from family, from friends, from church, from everything I've ever known hasn't really set in in my mind yet. When I do take the time to think about the magnitude of what that means, I get overwhelmed and excited at the same time. I can't wait because I know the work we're going to do in Togo will be meaningful and life changing. I know by the end of the summer I'll wish I could stay longer. But I know it's going to be hard. Hard work physically, emotionally, and mentally. I don't really know if there's any way to prepare for that kind of emotional upset. Sometimes I wonder if I should or if the beauty of going through a change as big as the one I'm heading toward is in letting Abba carry you through it. So maybe the preparation I need is not learning to anticipate and avoid the change but to trust in Him through the change. It's hard to say. I guess my biggest hope at this point is that I don't end up getting more out of this trip than the people I'm going to serve. I want to milk every moment I'm there for all it's worth - to learn and grow and change and become more of the person Abba is calling me to be. But I'm not going there for me. If my only desire was to grow and change myself I could stay here, you know? But my desire is to see the nations change - to see the Good News shared and to see people coming to know the Truth. That seems like such a lofty goal when I sit here and write it down, and it seems like a goal that in the achieving will change me just as much as it changes others. Abba's funny like that, I think. He's glorious. And He will be glorified no matter where I am or what I'm doing. If you are one who is lifting me up to our Father, please specifically ask that He would show me His glory and that He would continue teaching me to reflect His glory. That's my biggest hope and desire right now as I prepare to go and for while I am gone. Thank you!
Ready Togo,
~kl
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Support
Good news last week - I have my first supporter! Still a lot of support left to raise though...so if you're still reading, please keep praying. I really don't know how Abba is going to pull this one off - then again I don't know why I doubt, He's never failed me before.
I emailed some of the other people who will be going with me this summer...got one response already. I definitely did a little happy dance when I read the response, because so far both the people I've been in touch with are really wonderful. I can't wait to meet everyone!
Don't have all that much else to talk about relating to the trip today - but I will post again as soon as I do. :)
Ready Togo,
~kl
I emailed some of the other people who will be going with me this summer...got one response already. I definitely did a little happy dance when I read the response, because so far both the people I've been in touch with are really wonderful. I can't wait to meet everyone!
Don't have all that much else to talk about relating to the trip today - but I will post again as soon as I do. :)
Ready Togo,
~kl
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