This Girl is Going to :: RWANDA

Lately, I've been learning a lot about adventure. What does it look like to passionately use gifts for the joy, glory, and praise of the name of Jesus? What a way it has shifted my complacency, brought my passions and loves to light, and made me more aware of living in the flow of the Spirit!

I just finished reading a book called Love Does by Bob Goff - a lawyer/founder of Restore International, an organization committed to uncovering atrocities and injustices done to children. He's a pursuer of justice and an advocate for children. He's started schools in Uganda and brought over 200 Ugandan cases to trial of children who have been in jail for years and who were left forgotten.

The book was inspiring in every sense of the word. And what I keep thinking after I've put the book down and what Bob kept reiterating is that we get this life! Every day we wake up with the chance to fully live, to live fully in who He is and in what He has made us to love, and to do it together with God and with each other. We've got a chance to engage and in this urgency, we've got a chance to love. The people at home and the people who live on the other side of the world.

I remember a long time ago (back in high school - was that a long time ago!?), I read some books about Rwanda and in my little journal at the time, a semi bucket list, I wrote that, one day, I wanted to go there.

To Rwanda, that little country about the size of the state of Maryland in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa. Rwanda, that little country that borders Burundi, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo with a population of 11.7 million. Rwanda, that beautiful little country that experienced a heartbreaking genocide in 1994 that took the lives of over 800,000 people in a short span of three months. Rwanda, that beautiful country that has worked hard to rebuild itself and to rebuild relationships between its people.

Our adventure is bringing the love and light of Jesus to His children, to serve wholeheartedly with the gifts we've been given, and to be refined and sanctified and to be grown so beautifully in the process.

I'm going to Rwanda!

I'm beyond excited, thrilled, and honored as I travel with 12 other Jesus-loving women to Rwamagana, Rwanda October 26 - November 4 to work at the Institute of Women's Excellence. This school was founded in 2006 for girls in middle school and high school. There is so much power in what education can do in rebuilding and in changing lives - especially for these women! We will be facilitating a conference for the oldest students and the faculty and we'll also get to see the seniors graduate (eeee! this is my heart. so excited!). We'll also be working with all of the students to collect information so we can help them get sponsors. Check out this website to learn more about the school and how to sponsor a student (http://www.seedsscholars.org/projects/institute_of_womens_excellence/).

We'll be partnering with ALARM (African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries) to facilitate this trip. They founded the school and Seeds of Hope has been a major supporter of this school. Their mission is to empower African pastors and other leaders to bring hope and transformation to their communities.

Will you help me? Will you be a part of the adventure?

I want you to partner with me and partner with what the Lord is doing!

One of the ways you can help me is through prayer. Pray pray pray. Pray for the trip, for our team, for the students, for this country. Pray for me as I humbly travel. Only by prayer and only through what God can do can we be effective vessels of His Word.

There are also financial needs for this trip. The cost is $3,500 - each team member is responsible to raise this money through support. Gifts to the church, with an expression of preference to my trip, are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. If you are able to make a gift to the church to assist with the trip's expenses, visit our blog (you know I love blogs) where you can donate online (http://fhcmissions.org/rwanda2012/). If you'd prefer to write a check, let me know and I can let you know some more details. I deeply appreciate and am humbled by any financial gifts you are able to give. With my whole heart.

Thank you for reading this, for engaging in this mission of the Gospel, and for partnering with Christ in this new adventure He has given. I appreciate all your prayers, your support, and your friendships!

I love you all more than you know. You each mean the world to me and I am honored, humbled, grateful to walk through life with you!