God Cares

I was driving back to Indiana from Ohio on Sunday night.  I left my mom's at around 3:30 that afternoon and it was rainy, cloudy, dreary...I'm sure you remember the nasty weather.  Anyways, as I was getting close to Columbus, I felt the urge to pray.  I prayed that God would give me safe travels, that I would not get in an accident and that I would make good time.  

When I was going South on 270 in Columbus right by the Easton exit I was driving in the left lane and there was a big pickup truck in the center lane. My exit was coming up so I was getting ready to merge into the center lane when all of the sudden this BIG white thing flew out of the truck and was coming towards me!  I quickly swerved back completely into the left lane and the thing hit the front passenger side of my car.  I was literally freaking out cause it made a loud bang.  My car continued running fine and my lights were working so I didn't pull off the road--and the truck didn't stop either.  I finally calmed down and continued my drive.  When I stopped to get gas 2 hours later, I forgot about checking out my car...so I didn't get to check it until I got home.  When I opened my passenger door, it made a loud crack!  It was too dark to really assess the damage, so it wasn't until Monday morning that I got to get a good look at it.  It hit at the edge of my fender--about 1 inch from my tire.  If it would have hit my tire, it would have busted it and I most likely would have gotten into a serious accident because I was driving about 65 MPH.  God protected me!  I also realized that if I would have been in the center lane or had not swerved back into the left lane, it most likely would have hit my windshield.  It made a large dent in my car, I can't imagine what would have happened to me if it had hit my windshield.  God protected me.  I was truly thankful that God put it on my heart to pray for His protection so He could answer that prayer.  

Another praise...I called my insurance agent on Monday morning and explained what happened and it is covered under my comprehensive insurance.  He instructed me about which body shop to take my car to and that the body shop would arrange for my rental car.  I took the car in Monday afternoon and the estimate was $711 and would take 3-4 days.  The best part is that I have a zero deductible and 80/20 rental insurance.  I don't have to pay anything for my car to get fixed and the rental car is costing me $6.18/day.  

This whole experience was a nice reminder that God is our protecter, provider and that He cares about what happens each day!  God is good!

My Apartment

I decided to rearrange my apartment and I got rid of some things at a garage sale and got some new furniture at Ikea. I also finally found a place to display all my souvenirs from across the world.  I wish I would have taken some before pictures, but I didn't think about it until after I had moved out my big furniture...oh well:)  Here are some pictures of my "new" place.

My new lamp and a mat that was made by this wonderful family in Africa!

My new bookshelf

My new kitchen cart--I LOVE that I can fit all my baking stuff on it--including my cookbooks.

My New desk and chair.

I am not completely finished, but it does feel like a whole new apartment--which is nice!

Dog-Sitting

So I'm currently dog-sitting for my co-worker, Kara and I thought I would share a little story of what happened last time I was here:)  The dogs, Emerson (boxer) and Izzy (lab-mix) are very active!  Izzy makes Emerson do what she wants and one evening while they were out in the backyard, I noticed that Emerson's collar was off.  It was already dark outside, but I went out anyways and tried to find his collar.  I gave up after a pass through the yard and decided I would find it the next morning when I let the dogs out. 

The next morning (Sunday) the dogs woke me up at 6am to be let outside, so I came downstairs and let them out.  I remembered that I needed to find Emerson's collar, so I went upstairs and got my shoes then as I was going out, the dogs were ready to be let in.  I went out, the dogs came in.  I searched the yard for about 10-15 minutes and finally found Emerson's collar, Izzy had actually broke it!  I went back to the door and the door was LOCKED!  The dogs had somehow locked the door!  I tried to get them to unlock the door by following my hand up, but it didn't work.  It was at that moment that I realized that my key and cell phone were inside on the kitchen island.  I had no way to contact anyone and no way in the house.  Kara's parent's (my boss) live about 15 minutes away, but they were out of town together! 

I walked around the house trying to find a way inside and I saw the garage door opener and got excited!  I didn't know their code, but I do know their number...so all I needed was a phone.  I decided to just wake up their neighbor, who is hispanic and doesn't really speak english.  I was able to ask her to borrow her phone quite easily, thank you high school spanish:)...I called and asked the garage code to find out that it didn't work!  I started freaking out thinking that I would have to break a window or something to get in!  I found out that Kara's mom had a spare key at her house, so I just needed to find a way there!  It was looking good.  I got off the phone with them and then I was ready to call a friend to take me to get the key. 

Then I hit the next roadblock...I don't have anyone's phone number memorized!  I asked to use a phone book, but who has a land line anymore!?!  The neighbor had woke up her daughter by this time and she spoke perfect english, so we no longer had a language barrier.  After a few minutes of me searching frantically for someone's phone number, they offered to drive me!  So these people that I woke up at 6am on a Sunday morning saved me by letting me use their phone and taking me to get the key. 

Thankfully when I got back, the dogs hadn't gotten into much--there was just a few pieces of paper shredded on the floor and a rug from one room in another room. 

This time, I have not gone anywhere without my phone and the house keys!  Oh and Kara mentioned after they got back that the dogs had done that to her husband, Jeremiah...it would have been nice to know before it happened:) 

Ethiopia

Today I had the honor of joining a family at the airport as they welcomed their two new children/siblings home!  A wonderful family from church has 3 biological children and now 5 adopted children--and it was so fun to be able to welcome them back!  The new kids are from Ethiopia and are a beautiful brother and sister and I know they have a lot of adjusting to do, but they couldn't have found a better family to join:)  I'm just glad I could be a part of it and see the joy on their faces!

Baja, Mexico

I am getting excited for my mission trip with Global Expeditions to Mexico in 83 short days!  Wow there is so much to be done before then!  I was able to book my flight and it was less than I was planning, which is an answer to prayer!  I still need $822 to pay off this trip, but I know God will provide.  If you would like to donate, you can click here and search for me by my Missionary ID #2215584.  (Thank you!)

Earlier today I posted on facebook that I need a few supplies for the trip...an air mattress, hammer, paint roller covers and a paint brush and within a few minutes the air mattress was provided - PRAISE GOD!  Now, a few hours later, the other supplies are provided as well:)  God is GOOD!

I've decided to do a fundraiser with MudLove.  A guy I went to college with started a pottery business and he builds wells in Africa with a portion of the profits, so this fundraiser will not only help me get on the mission field again, but it will provide water for Africans...truly a win-win situation! 

I'm also participating in a contest on facebook so if you haven't yet, you should go like my picture!  I have a chance to win $750 towards my next mission trip! Click here to vote for my photo!

I'm definitely feeling blessed because I know God is in this and the support I am receiving from my family, friends and church family is awesome!

South African Safari and Lion Park

While in South Africa, we had the opportunity to do two pretty fun things during our free time.  We got to go on a safari and to the Lion Park.  Since this was my second time in South Africa, it was also my second time visiting each of these places.   

While we were on our safari...

we were about 20 minutes in and we hadn't seen any animals--besides deer (impala, spring buck...) and who really cares about deer on a safari! Anyways, one of the students on my team decided to pray that we would see giraffe and no lie, as soon as we turned the corner there were three young giraffe standing there. 

We thought it was cool and continued on the way. We saw a rino WAY off in the distance (basically it looked like a rock...) anyways, someone else said lets pray to see one up close--so someone did and we all agreed. We met a truck carrying another group and our drivers stopped to talk--the driver said there weren't any animals this way and we would be wasting our time to go there. Our driver went anyway and we turned the corner and there was a

RINO and BABY! It was so awesome. Then we prayed for elephants and we had the same thing happen with another truck, but we turned the corner and

saw a big group of elephants! We did the same thing wtih Hippos and we saw hippos. The one of them prayed for lions. I was thinking, yeah right...we will not see lions--they said there were only 2 prides living there, so the odds of seeing them is SLIM. Well right before we got to the place we have our barbeque, we saw 2 lionnesses! It was so awesome--seeing how God answered even those simple prayers.  We also got to see zebra, a warthog and hyena!

About a week into the trip we went to a lion park where they have lots of lions and other animals that you can drive through their habitats. 

Our Experienced Driver

There are also some wild cubs that you can touch/take pictures with. Well...I was posing for a picture and there was a lion right beside me and...

 it BIT ME! I GOT BIT BY A LION! It hurt a little, but didn't really bleed, so that was good....but who can say they got bit by a lion cub in Africa?!?

Kwandebele

We spent the second half of the trip in Kwandebele--a more remote village/area. Since it was more spread out, we didn't get the chance to do children's ministry there. We did door to door each morning and afternoon and then we did a revival in the evenings. I PREACHED AT A REVIVAL IN AFRICA! I never thought I would do that, but God spoke through me and I believe it was good and touched some lives. I don't rememeber everything I shared, but it's better that way right--cause that means God was talking not me!

We met many people who after answer many questions gave up worshipping their ancestors and chose to follow Christ. It was awesome to be a part of that. We also met many Christians who were discouraged and we were able to encourage them and pray for them. Some of the families we ministered to we were able to go back and visit them before we left--I really felt connected there--and I wanted to stay.

We spent one morning visiting a clinic where we shared the gospel and laid hands on the sick to pray for them - many were aids patients, so that was sad. We also went to an old person home where we shared the gospel and prayed for them as well. God was working and we were just extensions of His hands.

One story from Kwandebele that stands out is about my new friend Julia. She walked up to me while I was at another house and she asked me how to get Satan out of her mind. I began talking with her but she had to go to a meeting so she made me promise to stop by her house that day. I made it there right after lunch. She was under some intense spiritual warfare. She was depressed and had often contemplated suicide. She had been abused in her past and just had a rough life. Her parents didn't want her, so she had grown up with her grandparents and she still lived with them. She had an 8-year old daughter and her daughter was the only reason she was still living. My heart broke for her and I shared from my heart. I told her about how I struggled with spiritual warfare in college and how through proclaiming the Word of God it went away. I shared the gospel with her and the authority Christians have as HIS children and that Satan has to listen to us. She committed her life to Jesus right then. It was so awesome to hear her cry out to God in her own words, why she needed him and wanted to change. Then I instructed her to read the Bible out loud and if she ever had those feelings that she was being attacked to speak out loud that she is God's daughter and that Satan needs to leave her alone. I made her say it out loud with me. She was shy/hesitant at first, but after my leading a few times, she was proclaiming it. She ended up coming to the revival that evening and she told me that she had already started saying that and reading the Bible out loud and it was helping. She also asked me to counsel her to help her work through her problems, but I was leaving in a few days, so I connected her with the Pastor's wife and she was going to disciple and counsel her. It was t that point that my desire to be full time in missions hit me more. I deeply desired to stay and disciple her. I wanted to see what God was going to do in her life.

I have heard from the missionaries and our translators that followup/discipleship and Bible studies have already started with the people we met/led to Christ/prayed for. God is still working and it's awesome.

A family from my church made hats for me to take and distribute to the children I met in Africa.  I had 36 hats and these are a few of the beautiful kids who now have warm heads:)

I was so blessed to have a great team and awesome translators!