Introducing...Rajeswari and Sumayiya

Last winter I felt the urge to sponsor a child.  It kept coming up and I kept putting it off.  I was at Acquire the Fire in Muncie and I just knew that I needed to do it!  I went to the Compassion booth and that's where I found Rajeswari.

She is a twelve year old girl in India - and she lives really close to where I went on my mission trip in 2005.  I have loved getting mail from her and it is such an honor to pray for her.  I got an updated picture of her last week...and I'm so excited to see how she is changing:)

The promting for sponsoring a child came back this winter.  I wasn't sure if it was God leading me to sponsoring another child or if it was just a thought running through my mind.  Compassion had a booth at ATF again, but I decided I couldn't afford another sponsored child.  I couldn't get it out of my mind that I should sponsor another child.  I found myself browsing the Compassion website looking at children, but for some reason, I never took the step of sponsoring one of them. 

Then in March I was at the Revolve Tour and there was a presentation by World Vision about sponsoring a child and I knew that I had to do it.  I went to the table and that's when I found Sumayiya! 

She is a beautiful 9 year old girl in Uganda!  She has unsatisfactory health and I'm pretty sure she's an orphan since she lives with her grandmother and sister.  I can't wait to start writing to her and to get my first letter from her.  I know that God wanted me to sponsor Sumayiya and that's why I put it off:)  I had talked wtih World Vision and there was a chance I could meet her while in Uganda, but since my trip is cancelled, that won't be happening now!

Someday I would love to meet both Rajeswari and Sumayiya...

Change of Plans...

So I have been planning to go to Uganda on a mission trip since October when I was placed there as a Team Leader.  I've wanted to go to Uganda for about 7 years now and have had a few opportunities that just haven't worked out.  I have had such a great time preparing and praying for Uganda over the past months.  Then Friday happened.  On Friday the people of Uganda rioted by burning tires and trees in the streets among other things.  The police and military came in for crowd control and using tear gas and guns and some people were killed.  Therefore, it was deemed unsafe to take a team of 25-30 high school students.  I'm disappointed that I won't be going to Uganda, but also thankful to be a part of a ministry that is always looking out for the safety of the missionaries!

So where will I be going?  Monday I was told there were no longer any Team Leader spots open and I would be going to the Philippines as a Country Assistant.  (Country Assistant in the Philippines does all the cooking and is basically an assistant to the leaders--doing whatever needs done!)  That was a major curve ball since I've been preparing to lead a team to Africa since October!  All that changed yesterday!  I got the call and I'm now leading the same students that were going to Uganda, to SOUTH AFRICA!  I'm pretty excited about it.  I went to South Africa in 2007, so it will be good to go back.  I have never gone on a trip to the same location, but I'm excited about going back and I am bringing the experience from my last trip--and all my warm clothes as it will be winter in South Africa!