Outreach is near

I must apologize for the gap between blogs. It certainly has been awhile since the last one, but I hope it's encouraging content makes up for that! First of all, I appriciate all of you devout readers who have kept up with me through these little excerpts of my life so far from home. You have been persistent in asking for more and keeping me accountable and for that AND your prayers I am so thankful!! Please pass the word on to others who may be interested in knowing how i am... honestly this is the most efficient and effective way for me to communicate with all of you. It has become a bit overwhelming trying to keep up with book reports, tests... processing lectures and sending updates every week (which obviously has not happened, yikes!) So much has happened since last time... I hardly know where to begin. I'll just give you a summary to the best of my memory and if more comes, i'll write more later. Basically, time has flown by and we depart from New Zealand in less than 2 weeks. Wow! That just blows my mind! I have learned so much these past 10 weeks... so much that i'm sure i'll still be processing way after i return to the states. A few specifics would have to be how my outlook has definately been slightly altered. I no longer see foreign missions as something that a few christians who are devoted to the Lord are called to. I see foreign missions as something that all christians are called to. In matthew 28:18 God calls us to GO. Of course there is way more to it than that... but the fact is, is that although some are called to the US, we are mostly a "christian" nation.... where are most countries are mostly dominated by other religions. There are some places in some countries where the people have never even heard God's name! As an american, we hold most of the worlds resources in the palm of our hand. Globaly... we are the richest. There is so much we CAN do! I know part of the calling God has given me is encouraging others to go and be apart of the answer. Please don't think that one person can not help, because you CAN. Together WE can. I think, for most of us... it's hard to leave the comfortable life, the financially supportive job, the nice church with sweet people... retirement, etc. Or, we may have bills holding us back, responsibilities, children, sickness.... doubt. Don't we know God can overcome anything? Don't we trust he'd provide a way?? Then there are some (and i'm just as guilty) of saying it's not my calling... or it's for someone else, someone younger, someone richer. Perhaps it is our calling, all of our calling... but the enemy would like us to think it's not to keep God's kingdom from furthering and his prospering. wow! that's such a frightening thought to me. Perhaps fear holds us back... who knows? There are so many reasons that I could have thought of before... but God was gracious and provided and allowed me to follow through in obedience. My prayer is that as other people see God working through my life all over this planet, that they too will want to be used... that they will know they can trust Him for anything.... that they, YOU, will be wrecklessly abandoned for Christ! wooohooooo! For all of you who have helped me financially or prayerfully ( and i'm telling you the prayers are vital!!!) you have assisted in this mission more than you know... and my prayer is that you are blessed somehow because of that obedience. Thank you all so much... you are on my heart forever.