Rethinking Blog Format

I've been preparing my newsletters using Word and sending them out by email. Now I am rethinking how to include them in my blog. My current design isn't very good for lengthy updates with pictures. Please bear with me as I work through this. If you have any suggestions, please shoot me an email. If you are not receiving my newsletters yet and would like to, send me your email address and I'll add you to the group.

UGANDA: T MINUS 6 DAYS

June 15, 6:05 pm

Can you believe it? My departure date is so close I’m having a little trouble grasping it myself. After several years of preparation, many trials and much tribulation, a lot of growth and learning to depend even more on the Lord, I’m finally leaving my generally comfy life in the U.S. to begin life as a missionary in Uganda. And, oh, how faithful our God is to those who belong to Him!

Pray for me in these final days, that I will leave well and begin well!

Please keep me in your prayers as I work on wrapping up all the things I need to accomplish before the 15^th. Please pray also for God’s provision, as I still need to raise another $1,800 per month in order to be fully funded. I know that I have been called, and that the timing is now, so I am stepping out in faith that God will provide that which is needed, when it is needed.

“I thank my God every time I remember you…I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel…”

Contributions (tax-deductible) can be made online at:

www.sams-usa.org

Or mailed to:

SAMS

P.O. Box 339

Ambridge, PA 15003

(Please include my name in the memo line of your check.)

Updated Departure Date - June 15th

Well, a bit of a snag with the dates I'd planned on attending missionary training at MTI in Colorado Springs. I had hoped to attend the class beginning April 11th and ending April 29th; however, that didn't happen, so I'm attending the class that begins on Man 23rd. I won't return to Waco, TX (where I've been living with friends since 12/29/10) until Saturday, June 11th. So, I will now fly out of Dallas/Fort Worth the evening of Wednesday, June 15th, and arrive in Uganda the morning of June 17th. Then, after just a few days, we'll hit the road with representatives from The Global Orphan Project, touring some established and potential sites for orphanages. Talk about hitting the ground running! It will be fun, though, and I'm really looking forward to it. The next two months will be super busy - so much to do and so little time! Prayers appreciated!

Uganda - here I come!

Wow, so much has happened since my last post many moons ago. Quickly, after talking with SAMS, my missions agency, we have set a departure date of June 8th. I am not fully funded, but am going in faith that the Lord will provide what is needed.

If you would like to partner with me in ministry in Uganda and Kenya, you can do so on the SAMS website: www.samsusa.org

Long Time - No Post

Well, it has been an awfully long time since I've posted an update here. Believe me, it has been a crazy year; not at all what I had planned. In the midst of everything that's happened, though, I am reminded that God's plans are far better than ours. Let me catch you up with a brief outline of what's been going on in my life since the beginning of 2010:

January - Cancer diagnosis (what a bummer)
February - Surgery (no fun at all), then hugely successful warehouse sale (see earlier post) - AMAZING
April - SAMS Retreat and New Wineskins Conference - AWESOME
June - Trinity Seminary one-week class: Jesus Through Non-Western Eyes (Africa & the Middle East) - WAY COOL
July - Begin radiation treatment (not so bad at first, but really bad burns at the end. OMG)
August - Finish radiation treatment - THANK YOU JESUS
September - Now, what was it I was doing BC (before cancer)? Oh yeah, TEAM BUILDING FOR MISSIONS!

I am so very grateful to God for allowing the cancer to be detected early and successfully treated before moving to Uganda. It would have been a total bummer if I had already been in country and involved in ministry, then had to drop everything and return to the U.S. I have been so anxious to get there, but God's timing is always, always perfect!

So, the cancer shmancer has been dealt with. It's over and done; no longer a concern. Thanks be to God!

Progress continues to be made, even in the midst of all the distractions. My dear friends in Texas, Susan and Doug Claybrook, are keeping my family antiques while I'm in Uganda. Everything has already been shipped out and I was able to be there when they were delivered and spend a little over a week with Susan and Doug. What a wonderfully relaxing and fun time we had together. I am incredibly thankful for such dear, long-time friends.

This weekend I will be moving from my condo into a two-room garage apartment belonging to friends at church. Next is to determine which property management company to list the condo with, then turn it over to them to be rented out. Prayers for good, long-term renters to move in soon would be most helpful.

Well, enough catching up for now. More to come!

Be blessed, everyone!

Status Report

I praise God that so far I’ve received about 40% of the monthly support and 80% of the cash needed! Please prayerfully consider whether God is calling you to partner with me either by giving toward my monthly needs or with regular prayer, and let me know. Every gift gets me closer to Uganda!

Shalom in Yeshua

Redeemer Garage Sale - Huge Success!

My Redeemer family is AWESOME! The congregation put on a huge garage sale and raised over $5,200! So many people came together and prayed, donated items, spent hours and hours setting up and pricing things, and just worked so hard to make the sale such a huge success. There was everything you could imagine: toys, furniture, antiques, china, crystal, clothing, a piano, a telescope, office desks, golf clubs, appliances, and lots more. What a team!

As Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I thank my God every time I remember you…I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel…”