Our short term missions training....

Holly and I are spending the weekend in Philly for an Alliance Short Term Missions training event. We've been so blessed by the sessions, the worship time, the cultural food and the fellowship! The only minor mishap we've encountered is being left on the subway with no real idea where we were supposed to end up! How we managed to miss 15 loud people getting off w/out us, we have no idea!

Our worship leaders...

Matt Peace, our host...

I know you're laughing..wondering why on earth we are wearing head coverings and looking so strange! The story behind this picture is that we spent some time at a Sikh Temple as part of the cultural experience of the weekend. We were required to take off our shoes and wear a head covering before we could enter the Temple. (MY covering is from the extra bin that the Temple provides in case you forgot your own....Holly conveniently brought hers from home--hoping to avoid a possible case of lice from the community coverings!)

It was a great experience...sad though, as we realized there is so much of the world....of OUR part of the world even.. that lives in such spiritual darkness. Tomorrow we head back to the church for more leadership training, food, and fellowship!

This is one of our "cultural experiences"...it's called a Durian fruit from Asia. Not only is it strange looking fruit, it's widely known for its' SMELL....which can only be described as sewer-like! Seriously...cut into one of these bad boys and you would swear you're standing in a port-au-pot!!! It does not lend itself to being appetizing! (I must admit, we passed on this delicacy-hoping no one would notice...and stuck with the fried rice and salad!)

Holly and I are blessed beyond words with the training we've sat under. Mel and Deb from the DayBreak Alliance church have been AWESOME speakers! We're inspired to return home to the students and pass on all that we've learned in preparation of our departure!

Ouch!

This shows only a small area, but I wish I had gotten a shot of the whole table...it was one big load of needles and Bandaids! The women from the Travel Center came prepared for all 18 of us...even brought a bag of lollipops! While I wish I had video-taped the whole ordeal, I only snapped a few shots. Let's say it is to spare those who ended in tears, those who yelped in pain, those who went completely white.....and the one who asked for a Dr's excuse to skip gym class the next day!!! It was really quite entertaining!

...a somewhat nervous smile from Drew, pre-injection...

...the color in Nate's cheeks is indication of the nerves that were exploding inside him!!!

We each left with a prescription for Malaria pills....and a choice as to which type to choose.

Choice#1: Doxycycline -take during the trip plus 4 wks afterwards and

costs about $1 a pill....but comes with side effects that might not be pleasant while travelling!

Choice#2: Malarone- take during trip plus 7 days afterwards....less side effects,

but $12 a pill!!!

And...another prescription for Zithromax for something called "Traveler's Diahrrhea",

which needs no description.

Needless to say, these prescriptions represent more reasons we need a team of pray-ers behind each and every one of us. There is potential for stomach issues and other unwanted illnesses and again, we'd covet your prayers for protection over our bodies. The enemy would love nothing more than to plant fear into the team members and their parents over this issue, and he'd love to plague us with illnesses upon arrival in Gabon.

We greatly appreciate all the support we are getting throughout this process....may the LORD bless this trip for the church-wide effort it has become.

Tomorrow's the day.....

Yes, the time has come...it can be put off no longer...it must be done....

It's our IMMUNIZATION PARTY!!!

Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Malaria, Hepatitis....we're going after it all!

At 6pm we'll be gathering at the church for a mass torture-event! It's torture no matter which angle you look at it! We'll leave there a few hours later with sore arms and empty wallets...although the momentary pain is worth every bit, as it brings us closer to our departure day.

By the way...departure is set for 4 months and 3 days from now!

Welcome to our "Night of Africa"

A tour of our African Experience and the Silent Auction tables...

**Forgive my commentary in the background, by this time of the night my voice was shot and I should have known better than try to be heard!**

A tour of the FOOD...

The Dinner...
(Unfortunately, you'll have to put on your spectacles to actually see this one! The candlelight does not lend itself to good pictures!)

The Everything Skit...

I've seen this skit many times as the kids have been practicing and refining it...and I've never once watched it without being moved to tears...The tears come for several reasons. First and foremost because it has such a powerful message of God's unending pursuit to win our hearts; secondly because I hold a deep love for each of these students and know they acted out of a genuine desire to share what God means to them. The skit was completely student run and poured out of the depths of each of their hearts...

**Unfortunately, my camera battery died right at the end, so the video ends a little too abruptly! I'll replace it w/a better one if someone wants to send their copy to me!**

The evening was alot of fun for all of us and I think gave a glimpse to all who attended of why we have chosen to go to Gabon. We had a great time afterwards sitting with Meredith Brokopp's parents as they shared some of what we should expect and encouraged us to look for the LORD's hand in the planning process. We all walked away with a renewed excitement for what lies ahead. There is so much work still to be done and we desperately need your prayers over these next few weeks and months.

THANK YOU to all who helped us set up and put on such a great event!

The makings of an African Dinner....

From 2 in the afternoon until well after 10 last evening there was busyness in every corner of the church in preparation for tonight's fundraiser Dinner.

Bethany was a HUGE help to me as we began to put together a

walk-thru African Experience Display.

SOMEONE suggested we put those large pictures in the elevator to save ourselves

from running back and forth to the basement...SOMEONE had no idea how

small the elevator is and how LARGE the pictures are!!!

The pictures, though vinyl, were really alot harder to put up than it looks! We used
more than the normal amount of staples and thumb tacks for this project!
Mike Rankin's supply of Duct Tape rescued us a few times, too!!!
(THANKS MIKE, I'm pretty sure we owe you!)

Can your heart just melt over that little boy in the background?!? So precious....

....the beginnings of an African hut!

....the beginnings of a hospital....

There are still last minute touches to be completed...another afternoon of details...but we are so grateful to each one who has given up ALOT of time to these details in the last few weeks. I believe with my whole heart that God is in this evening...we hope to raise a good amount of money towards the $54,000 we need to raise, but beyond that, we've been blessed to work together and grow as a team. Whether or not the evening is as "profitable" as we'd like, we pray those who enter the building will be blessed because they've been there. Blessed because they've caught a glimpse of why we're going to Africa in the first place. Blessed because they've seen people through a different set of lenses....lenses of 18 plain, ordinary people who have a desire to take God's LOVE to the people of Africa.

Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself."

Luke 10:27

Preparations...

With 4 days left until our African Dinner, there is much anticipation, busyness, and work being done behind the scenes. Judging by some of the texts, emails, and phone calls I've received this morning, there's a little bit of anxiety under the surface, too!

*myself included*

So, here's a word from the One we do it all for...a word for my heart and for every one that is reading...

"...and cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ -the Message- have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives - words, actions, whatever - be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way."

Colossians 3:16-17

It's much easier to worry, stress out, and feel overwhelmed than it is to rest and cultivate thankfulness in the midst of our work. How many of us automatically SING OUR HEARTS OUT when we'd rather scream our lungs out!?! Our natural reaction is to REACT. God asks us to sing and have an attitude of thankfulness. He asks us to make every action done, an action of worship. An offering from our heart to His.

So, today, in my overwhelmingly detailed day...filled with responsibilities, expectations and impossibilities...I choose thankfulness and singing. And, I think God will honor that in all of us, because it takes an intentional effort of release of whatever is holding us. In that release we have made room for Him to move in and take over.

...all the more reason for Thankfulness and singing! If you haven't done so, click on the link above and listen to "Everything". We have free will to choose who will have our everything. Today I choose Him.

"A Night in Africa"

There are 11 days left until our African dinner and Silent auction! There's so much work being done behind the scenes...and so much more left to do in- such a short period of time!!! The kids are working on a skit and some talent and the adults are working on food prep, displays, and childcare. The church will be alive with "controlled chaos" next Thursday setting up and tweaking last minute details!

We'd ask for prayer as we finish up all the last minute preparations...and then again on the 20th that the night would go on without a hitch.

The Silent Auction is surprisingly large this year...we've gotten more donated items than we thought possible. Local businesses have donated some pretty awesome stuff, and the kids and parents are donating some of their talent and sweat.

All are welcome to attend this evening....

"A Night in Africa"

Friday, February 20, 2009

Lancaster Alliance Church

210 Pitney Road

Lancaster, PA 17602

394-1121

reservations needed!