Progress: slow but sure

Three new people expressed the desire to partner with me in November- so now I am at 26% of what I need to minister at the Missionary Training Center.

Just to review: Each block represents $50/month worth of promised support (not necessarily just from one person). Each month is a different color. Orange is what was in place in May, yellow is June and July, August is red. November is brown. December is going to green- I'm praying for a bunch of green. Would it be thoroughly impossible to pray for a whole row of green? That would put me at 50% Woah that would be awesome. That's approximately another $700/month support promised. So.... that's a prayer request you could join me in. And if not... well... God knows. And He will bring it in with His own perfect timing.

What are you doing here?

I've been hearing that question a lot lately, as people suddenly realize that it's not summer anymore, and I'm still here. Well, if you've been reading long, you know what I'm still doing here- waiting for God to provide the needed monthly partners for me to go back to Missourri. But while working on that, God's got other stuff for me to do here.

One of them is my part time job at Chelten Child Development Center, which, conveniently, is where I worked before I left for the Missionary Training Center. What a blessing that God had a part time job for me when I got back! This particular group is special to me because I had a lot of them as two year olds when I taught before. So fun to get to have them again and get to plant more seeds about Jesus.

Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? Prov. 20:6

I have been so blessed in the five years since college- to continue enjoying the faithful friendship of these two ladies.  What a blessing to see them both while I was up in Clarks Summit!

Give me One Pure and Holy Passion....

Isn't it ridiculous how easy it is to become distracted?   And dumb stuff like, cooking or watching TV. Even good things, like spending time with people, or (cough cough) support raising, Everyday things, that God wants me to worship Him through, instead become the only thing I'm thinking about, and shut God out. The way the songs  put it is looking only for His hand, and instead of seeking His face. In regular English, the danger is wanting God to do a bunch of stuff more than wanting God Himself. Loving the gifts (or desired gifts) instead of the Giver.

I have to admit I've been guilty of this lately. I got so focused on getting back to the Missionary Training Center to continue serving, so focused on the process of support raising, that I forgot the most important thing.  Not doing that (or any) specific service for God, but rather loving God Himself.
Like the Israelits got so hung up on doing the Law that they missed  their Messiah. Like the Galatians got so wrapped up in do's and don'ts that Paul had to write them a rather pointed letter to remind them- it's not about what we do- it's about what Jesus has already done. God wants my heart- your heart.
And absolutely I still have to do laundry and dishes and cooking and emails, and phone calls  and go to work.etc. But all those things are not the point. Even serving God is not the point. The point is God Himself.

Partnership Development Progress

I haven't posted a progress report in a while, honestly because there hasn't been that much progress to report. Orange is partners that began in or before May. Yellow is partners that began during June and July. Red is a partner that have come on board in September.
 So - hurray! Progress!!!! I am so excited- this makes it officially 20%.

A lot  more has been coming in the way of one time gifts. God's actually provided MORE than I needed to pay for the car, so these one time gifts have been a huge blessing meeting current expenses. Also, now that the car is purchased, I can start saving towards furnishing where ever I'm going to live when I get back to Missouri. You see, up till now, I've been living in student housing and the school provides the furniture for those- beds, couch, table chairs desk etc. When I go back, I'll be staff, and the school does NOT provide furniture for staff. So that means (as far as furniture goes) when I get back I will have only the furniture that personally belongs to me which is- bookshelves. The end. So when I get back I'll need to buy a bed, mattress, table chairs, couch  and (depending on which housing I get) potentially appliances like a washer, dryer,maybe even a  fridge and/or stove. Obviously the number won't be precise until I know where I'm living, but after crunching some numbers this week, and it looks like if I do end up having to buy all those appliances, it will probably be upwards of $3,000. So, for those of you wondering what the next project is, it is Project Equip-Anna's-House/Apartment-for-Ministry.
Again, thank you so much to those of you who are partnering with me to see Jesus' being introduced to people with no other chance to meet Him. And thank you to everyone who is praying! Please keep praying- and please pray specifically for more monthly financial partners so I can go back ASAP.  I really couldn't do this without your prayer and support! Thank you guys!

Answered Prayer!

Many of you have been praying for a long while now that God would provide me with a new car. Well- here it is:

 Now, those of you more familiar with my old car may be a tad confused. "That looks like your old car," you say. Ah. Yes, it does. Same color, same year, same make. It even has the same scratch on the driver's side. (No really- an identical scratch runs down the driver's side.). But it's not the same car (Praise the Lord!) And the two major differences can be seen at the top and the bottom of the picture below.

Difference 1: it's a camry- different model, different engine (again- praise the Lord!) AND it's bigger, which is terribly handy for frequently hauling most of my earthly possessions back and forth across the country. Especially since I lack Dad and Jessi's amazing packing skills.
Difference number 2: This one's my favorite. Can you see the difference?  This corner of my old car was perpetually black from all the oil it was burning. Look look- this one is the the same color as the rest of the car. Woah!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to so many of you prayed faithfully and gave generously to make this possible. Prasie God!

Anywhere with Jesus

1. Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go,
   Anywhere He leads me in this world below;
   Anywhere without Him dearest joys would fade;
   Anywhere with Jesus I am not afraid.
   • Refrain:
     Anywhere, anywhere! Fear I cannot know;
     Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go.
2. Anywhere with Jesus I am not alone;
   Other friends may fail me, He is still my own;
   Though His hand may lead me over dreary ways,
   Anywhere with Jesus is a house of praise.
3. Anywhere with Jesus, over land and sea,
   Telling souls in darkness of salvation free;
   Ready as He summons me to go or stay,
   Anywhere with Jesus when He points the way.
4. Anywhere with Jesus I can go to sleep,
   When the dark’ning shadows round about me creep,
   Knowing I shall waken nevermore to roam;
   Anywhere with Jesus will be home, sweet home.
5. -by Jessie Pounds and Helen Alexander

I heard this song when I was visiting First Baptist Church of Milford (Ohio) and it's been a big encouragement to me over the last few weeks. Maybe you it will encourage you too. 

What's HTR?

 HTR- is a 15 minute class at the Missionary Training Center where  all the students get together and pray for some of the things God's doing around the world.













How do they know what's going on? Well, somebody tells them. Each week, a different person is sent a couple of letters and they make a quick presentation at the beginning of the prayer time so everybody knows how to pray.

And how does that person get the letters? Well, the gals in the Hold the Ropes Office send out the letters to them. We schedule whose turn it is to speak, and read all the letters that come in from missionaries around the world. It's so amazing to read letters everyday about what God is doing around the world. He is up to some awesome awesome things!

Of course we get a LOT of letters, and we can't possibly pray for all of them in class, though we pray for them in office. So we print all the letters and put them in the classroom, and each student takes a letter and prays for that letter. We encourage the students to write to the missionary whose letter they prayed for. And every week we write all the people who got prayed for in class and let them know. Sometimes God's timing with those prayers is incredible!

Hold the Ropes

Hold the Ropes is the name of the New Tribes' prayer ministry. HTR for short. The term comes from a quote by William Carrey ( a missionary to India around the turn of the 18th century). The story goes that once, while he was asking a church to pray for him, he made a comparison between missions and the then-famous pearl trade of the eastern oceans. You see, pre-scuba geer- divers had long tube things that went all the way up to the surface. to keep the tubes from falling in the water, and forcing the air down the tubes to the divers, there had to be people on a ship above holding the ropes/tubes things. William Carrey said the people who prayed for him were like the guys on the beach that made sure the diver has air.Here maybe this picture borrowed from Google will help:

This is a poem, based on the story I just told, that is shared with the missionary students at the start of each semester to remind them how important it is that they will be praying for other missionaries. Maybe it will help encourage you too. 

Hold The Ropes

Down beneath the mighty ocean

Divers plunge for treasures rare.

But men hold the ropes above them

So they breathe the upper air.

Seeking pearls of richest value

Braver hearts have dared to go.

But our hands must every moment

Hold the ropes that reach below.

So amid the heathen darkness

There are heroes, true and brave,

Shrinking not from death or danger,

Bearing all to help and save.

But they cry, “Oh, do not leave us,

“Mid these dreadful depths to drown,

“Let us feel your prayers around us,

“Hold the ropes as we go down!”

Good Things

As much as I want to be back at the Training Center, I will say that there are a couple of perks to being in Pennsylvania longer- one of my very most favorite perks is: FALL!

These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.  Ps. 104: 27-28

Thank You, God

Dear God, 

Thank you so much for last week. It was a huge blessing to be back in such a beautiful place: 

And to see so many good friends:

Thank you for the chance to help again with the Hold the Ropes Ministry- helping your servants further Your Kingdom through prayer- Thank you for letting us be a part from wherever we are!

 Thank  you SO much for kind people to help me pack up my little house so that I'll be ready for a new start as staff when I get back:

Thank you especially God for the good memories that happened in the Longhouse. Thank you for the things you taught me. Thank you for the dear, dear friends you gave me there. Thank you that though chapters close- You make us the better for them. 

New Prayer Team

Here are the lovely ladies who are now the Hold the Ropes Prayer Team (HTR). Please pray for them guys! There's a lot to do, and a lot to remember- we blitzed through a LOT of information last week, but there's just no way to cover everything thoroughly. So pray for them while they are getting settled in this awesome ministry!

Leah and  Crystal

And of course, it was wonderful to see Rosemarie, who's been my boss the last two years in HTR, and in the process also became a dear friend. It was so good to see her again and pray together about some of the incredible things going on around the world. God is surely up to some amazing things, and it was such, such SUCH a blessing to be able to be part of this amazing ministry God has put on my heart- even though it was only for a couple of days. 

Rosemarie and I

Not going to lie guys- it was really hard to leave. Super, super hard to leave seeing how desperately short-handed both ministries are. But God knows. And (whether I see it off-hand or  not) His timing is still perfect.

But please keep praying guys- I really, really, really want to be back both HTR and getting my kiddos ready to go as soon as possible! So keep praying for more monthly partners! and for me- that I would focus on Jesus and honor Him while I wait and serve in Philly.

Road Trip

And to make up for you  guys not getting any pictures the last few weeks- now you can have a whole pile!

Oh look- corn. There's a lot of it when you go across the midwest.

And construction....

and more corn: 

and traffic. There was also a lot of that on this trip

Woohoo! Made it to Missouri! (sorry about the bad picture. Silly traffic stopped in an inconvenient place.

And look now: NOT corn. Those hills put me officially back in the Ozarks:

And then.... at last.... 

It is so SO good to be back!

Road Trip

Heading out tomorrow for a week in Missouri to train the new Hold the Ropes (prayer team) staff. Also looking forward to be back in my own little house for a bit, and reconnect with people.
The new car I've been praying about will not be making this trip- so extra prayers for my poor little Bilbo-car to miraculously make not one, but two more 1,000ish mile highway trips. As you may know if you've been reading for a while, my current car is not supposed to be on the highway.... so extra prayers for the trip are greatly appreciated!

Please Pray:
-that I would be a blessing while on this trip and point people to Jesus
-that my car would be able to arrive (and return) safe and whole and functioning
-for training to go well, and be able to accomplish lots
- please keep praying for more monthly financial partners so that I can go back for real ASAP

Why Support a Missionary?

Why does somebody support a missionary, or how do they decide who to support? Well I could answer in prose- but that's no fun. So instead I'll quote my dad. You see, when I was about fourteen, I discovered that my parents were supporting other missionaries. Since we also lived off support, I thought this was weird, and  said so to Dad.  Dad told me something that day, sitting in the hot car in the Walmart parking lot, that I haven't forgotten. He said that support wasn't really about the money. He said that supporting a missionary was about saying that you believe in them, in what's God's doing through them, and want to be part of what God's doing through them.

Why Raise Support?

Lately, I've been getting some questions from people about why do I have to raise support. So I thought I would answer it here on the blog, in case some others of you are wondering and haven't had a chance to ask.

Well, I'll just start with the most obvious reason: because NTM doesn't pay me. I'm still sure this is the ministry God has for me. I'm also sure that I still have to do things like pay rent and buy food etc- so therefore: support raising. Wouldn't it be easier to get a job? Yes it would- believe me I thought long and hard about it. I even prayed long and hard about it- asking God if there was some way I could work a job and still do the ministries He's given me. But there isn't. There just aren't enough hours in the day. Actually that wasn't exactly God's answer. Well, that was part of it, but the end of the discussion was more along the lines of  "What? You don't like the way I'm providing?"*turns red* Right. Sorry, God.

Another reason I think God uses this time of support raising to raise awareness in the church. I remember after speaking to a group of college students, I had several people come up to me and say things like "Wow I had no idea there still were people who don't have a Bible." Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. But one of the opportunities God gives through support raising is the chance to bring least-reached people groups into focus. To highlight the need to get the gospel places it's never been before.

God's giving His people a chance to participate in something that's very dear to His heart- even though the work He's got for them is somewhere else. Isn't that cool? For instance, I know that God wants me in Missouri (eventually. Apparently right now He wants me in Philadelphia) But through prayer, and through giving, God lets me be part of translating the Bible in Burkina Faso, and planting a church in the Philippines. And there are so many, many places where I can't go, but I can still be a part of the awesome stuff God's doing.

Honestly I think probably the biggest reason is that it teaches me to depend on God and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Being of the stubborn independent persuasion.... I don't like depending on people. Nope. Don't like it. BUT- that doesn't mean I don't need to do it. In fact, God's designed things so that I have to do it. Because actually, learning to depend on people (in a good way) is based on trusting God's sovereignty over people. Trusting that His way is  best. And after all - that's the point of....everything.

"No ill befalls the righteous"

WHAT?!?!?!?! Yeah that's what I thought the first time I read that too. But that's what it said. Right there in my Bible. Yours too- Proverbs 12:21. Look it up- that's really what it says.
When I first read it I was tempted to gloss right over it. You know those verses that you read that don't make any sense, and your first (or at least my first) thought is just to keep right on reading and ignore it because its hard. But God had just been reminding me via a sermon not to be lazy about reading His word. So clearly I needed to stop and think about it. And the thinking about it went something like this:

Bother. "No ill befalls the righteous." ???? That can't be right.   What about all those passages about "all who would live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted", and loads of others.  Hasn't this guy ever read the New Testament? Oh wait- God wrote them both. But they look so opposite! But God never changes. So the standard for righteous never changes, so that's not the difference- either way we need God to make us righteous. But bad things DO happen to God's people so...... what is going on with this verse?
And then God brought to mind a different passage, from Romans 8 "God works all things together for the good of those that love Him" and  then to "for I consider that our present sufferings are not worth being compared to the glory that is prepared for us" and then to " for our light and momentary afflictions are working in us an eternal weight of glory...."
So hard things, hurtful things, things we hate, DO happen to us. But here's the difference: they're not bad. You see, the last half of Proverbs 12:21is about how bad things happen to the wicked.  And for the wicked- that's all they are. Bad. But for the righteous- they're not just bad. They're difficulties that are worth getting through because the good that comes from it is so, so great that the hard thing will seem more than worth it. It's not just bad- it's hard, but it's worth it.

And you know what? I really needed to remember that this week. You see.... today is the day I had hoped to be finished Partnership Development and return to the  Missionary Training Center. And God said no. And that is very, very hard. But after several weeks of moping and more days than I care to admit spent moping on the couch trying to think about something, anything else- God has finally got my attention. And He is reminding me that though it is hard- it's not worth comparing to the good He's got planned to come through this.

A Chance to Help

As you know from my last couple of entries- I do not have enough monthly support to return to the Missionary Training Center this fall. As you also know, there are two ministries that are going to be short handed as a result. I can't really do anything to help childcare, but as it became evident that I was  not going to be able to return for the fall semester, I was particularly burdened about the Hold the Ropes prayer ministry. You see, Rosemarie, the lady in charge, also helps teach classes at the beginning of each semester- such a heavy load that it is vital to have one previously trained staff member be there to train the new staff member. So me not being able to return leaves Rosemarie with the unfortunate dilemma of trying to train the new staff when she already is working 10 hour days.  SO - a few weeks ago I was praying about what I could do to help- and this crazy, insane little idea started to hatch....what if I could get back out to Missouri- just for a few days, to train the new staff? Obviously I can't stay (can't exactly live long term on 14% of your monthly expenses) so it wouldn't be as good as having someone full time in the office- but at least I could help them get going. Also, since it appears that I will not be back in Missouri for quite a while, it would be super handy if I could pack up my house more thoroughly, get a few things for the winter, and at least say 'hi' to my kiddos and their parents. Well I started to pray about it- thinking , of course that it would not work because- where was I going to come up with an extra $700? But I really, really wanted to help! It took some time, but with some encouragement, I decided to run the idea past Rosemarie. And it's a go. So- yay! I do get to go back in August (oh the irony)- but only for a week. Dates are, of course, still rather fluid, but the plan is to be on the road/at the Training Center for the first week of classes (Augst 17th ish to August 27th ish). Yay! It's not as good as being able to be back long term... but I am SO glad to be able to meet this critical part of the need at least. 

So please pray:

-that I would focus and use my time well up until this trip

- I'm in the process of replacing my poor little car. Please pray that would all go through before the road trip- this would save me loads of money on oil, and my parents a lot of worry about my car leaving me stranded on the side of the road. 

-For the rest of the money to come in for the trip. God's already provided about half of it- hurray! 

-for more monthly partners so that I can go back for real ASAP. 

-Praise that I get to do something to help! Pray that I would be a blessing while I'm there  (and here) and point people to Jesus. 

Turn in the Road

I hate detours- don't you? There's a particularly annoying one around the corner from my sister's place where I'm living right now. And I would have used a picture of that instead except my camera is broken- So you get a pretty relaxing picture instead.

So... this is the official turn. The corner: There is not enough regular monthly support promised  to go back to the training center, and the prayer ministry and my kiddos in August. While it's not a shock... it still really sucks. Pray for me if you would. It's harder than I thought to have tell people that over and over. I nearly cried on more than one person at church yesterday. Bah humbug. 

BUT:

God is giving me hope, and peace, and letting me see bits and pieces of what He's got planned for the fall. He's given me a part time job for the fall that's perfect hours to continue doing Partnership Development, and some neat ministry opportunities for while I'm here. 

New Date: January 4th ish? 

Of course- if God brings in the rest of the monthly support I need before that, I will oh so happily go back sooner :)

If you're interested in becoming a financial partner to help me get back sooner- click on the GIVE tab above- it will take you to the NTM website where you can find all the information you need. Or if you can click on the CONTACT tab- and send me a message, and I will be oh so happy to answer any questions I can. 

Thanks for praying guys! It means so, so much!

What you could please pray for me right now:

So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

Psalm 90:12-17

I need at least another 63% of my financial support to go back to the training center. Needless to say this is not likely to happen in the next two weeks. But pray....

• that I would get a heart of wisdom, and know how to spend each day
• that I would be satisfied with God's steadfast love- that I would remember that God is doing something better than I can imagine through (what looks like it's going to be) a very long delay. And for encouragement. I'm not going to lie, this is really hard guys. I really, really wanted to be back in August. 
• that many people would see God's power through this journey of partnership development, and learn to love him more through it (let your work be shown to your servants)
• that God would set up the people He's got to partner with me financially to make this ministry a reality. (establish the work of my hands)

"My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;

They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him."

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

- Lamentations 3: 20-27

Waiting, and being reminded that God will save me. 

Status Report:

As those of you have been reading for a while know- my car is not safe to go on the highway anymore. I'm still driving it on roadtrips because- well, I still have to get there, and I figure if it dies, it dies and and God will give me a new one. Actually, I am praying that God would provide a new, reliable car that would last a long time BEFORE Bilbo actually leaves me stranded on the side of the road somewhere. And preferably before the end of the month when I have to pay inspection. And then inspection on the new one. And then inspection again once I move to Missouri. So far, almost everyone who's been interested in helping has been interested in one time gifts: so this is what God's provided towards a new car. A friend of the family found a good car I could buy for $6000. I don't know if that's the exact car God's got in mind but  I checked around on some of those "help a missionary find a car" websites and they're about the  same price. So for now, I feel like that's probably a good ball park number to shoot for. Sorry I didn't have time to design a fun little graphic for this one :)

Promised Monthly Support: 12%

Trip to Pittsburg

Thank you all for praying for my trip to Pittsburgh- it was super encouraging! I got to stay with some friends of the family- that was a major blessing get to chat with and catch up with them! Yay! Sharing went well. I didn't puke or pass out and nobody threw tomatoes, so that qualifies as a success. :)
But I think the most encouraging  thing about the trip was that so man people seemed to catch the vision of why childcare and hold the ropes are important ministries! I can't tell you what a huge encouragement that was to me after a month of polite variations on "We're not interested" and "That's cute, when are you going to be a real missionary?". So to have so many people ask about my blog and take prayer cards and say they'll be praying for me was a an incredible incredible blessing that I am very thankful for!

Why Childcare?

From the number of confused/disappointed faces I’ve run into after saying I’m planning to stay in my current ministry until further notice- I’m guessing there’s a lot of you wondering- “Why Childcare?” Well- I am so glad you asked J But be warned- this is going to be a VERY long post.

First off, let me tell you something. Did you know that you have brothers and sisters that live over in the Pacific Islands? Yes you do! (well- the believers do anyway). There are lots of them- learning and loving Jesus and spreading the good word of Him around them. But what if no women got saved, or no women got disciple because the lady missionaries hadn’t been able to get the training they need to learn a language and culture? What would happen to that church? Women do the majority of teaching the children. If the women (the ones who teach the children) still worship spirits, what do you think those kids will worship? And what will become of the church? There must be godly ladies to disciple the new lady believers. Without godly wives and mothers there will be no next generation of believers, and the church among those people fizzles out.

Learning a language and culture- especially super isolated ones like NTM works with- is a demanding task! NTM has training that is specifically geared toward working with these least people reached groups- how to learn how they think about the supernatural and the afterlife and how those things intersect with life now, and of course, how to learn their language so that when the Gospel is presented it will actually be understandable. They cram all this (and a whole lot more) into three semesters of training. Can you imagine trying to learn the difference between two sounds you’ve never heard before with a baby screaming next to you? Or being presented with a complex moral issue from one of the tribal churches to work through and instead of being able to discuss it with your group, you have to spend the time allotted corralling an active one year old? Well I can- because during my first semester They didn’t have enough personnel to keep all the childcare rooms open. So the infants-1year olds came to class with their parents. It made it harder for me to concentrate – and I was used to kid noises at this point from working in a preschool in Philly. For the others who weren’t used to kid noises everywhere- they really struggled to pay attention. Can you imagine how hard it must have been for the moms? Trying to learn, and take notes and at the same time having to keep a child unnaturally quiet? It’s really hard. I can't tell you what a relief it was to everybody when the next semester they had enough staff to re-open the baby room! (Incidentally- that closing the baby room thing? They're going to have to do it again if they don't get enough staff for childcare-PLEASE SEND ME BACK!!!) Childcare helps parents get the training they need to BOTH be active members of a church planting team. 

There are other people God wants to use to plant His church in these dark, dark places: the kids. Yes the kids. After all, God gave the parents a choice- but He had made absolutely sure those kids would be there, so He must really really want them there! These kids are in for some crazy, terrible, amazing and wonderful adventures. Trust me, I was a missionary kid- I remember. But God is just amazing! And these kids will get to see that like few others ever get to if only they are not so overwhelmed by everything coming at them that they miss it. So in childcare, instead of just babysitting, I want to train these littlest missionaries, and do what I can to help get them ready for what's ahead. "They're four" you say, "what can you possibly teach them?" Ah. So glad you asked.

First and foremost, they need to know God. So we tell the story of God, we memorize Bible verses, and songs full of truth, and spend time in prayer. We talk about how God is good and God is big. God's sovereignty and love- the foundation to hold any life!

They need to know that things and people are different around the world. So each month we study a different continent. We see pictures of people and houses and animals and rainforests or deserts or mountains or the ocean from that continent. We learn greetings in at least one of the trade languages from the region. We study the map and learn about where we are, and where the different continents are. 

They need to know that God loves everyone no matter where they are: He loves us all the same. And we love people because God loves them.

They need to know how to interact well with other children without a grown up standing over them pointing their finger. So we created opportunities through free play times, and through small group activities for them to interact with a wide variety of kids, and in a lot of different settings. Sometimes there's an adult a few feet away. We encourage the kids to "talk to your friend about it first". 

They need to learn to sit. Trust me. I was an MK. They will sit a lot. In the car, at churches, at people's houses.... lots of sitting. 

They need to learn to entertain themselves with minimal supplies. So as an activity, we regularly give them a small pile of random objects and have them entertain themselves for twenty minutes, gradually working down to fewer and fewer items necessary to entertain themselves.

They need to know prayer makes a difference, that it is God's work to go and tell people about Jesus. We pray regularly for the people who have not gotten to hear about Jesus, and for the missionaries God is sending them. (And about two thirds of the class have now volunteered to go be missionaries)

See? I warned you this would be a long one! Those are just a few of the reasons that I am SO excited to be involved in the childcare ministry. I could keep going- but I think I better stop writing now.  I really couldn't be happier about this ministry God has set before me!  Some day I will take the time to type out the incredible way He laid things out to get me there. But you just read an episitle, so I won't do it today :)

I love stories!

"When once a man is launched on an adventure such as this, he must bid farewell to hopes and fears. Otherwise death or deliverance will both come to late to save his honor and reason." Prince Rillian, The Silver Chair,  C.S. Lewis

or, as Jesus put it:

"Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

Prayer Requests:

1. That I would keep my eyes on Jesus
2. That I would be a blessing to the people around me, and point them to Jesus.
3. Patience while I wait for Him to provide
4. Wise time management: there's a lot to do and honestly.... I just don't know what to do first a lot of times.
5. Opportunities to talk to the people God's got in mind to be part of the financial team to make this happen

Thank you guys so, so SO much for praying- this is very much God's work-there is no way this will happen without prayer!

How it doesn't go...

I know loads of you are praying- so here is the latest update: nothing has happened.

Well, not exactly nothing. I went to Mexico for a week and saw my parents- that was fun. Also, as some of you know, my grandmother (who I'm currently staying with) and my sister (who I'm about to be staying with ) are both moving. My sister's pretty well moved. Grandmom on the other hand has to go through a house that has been lived in since my dad was in jr high. So there's a lot of sorting and packing and piles from the attic:  

to the basement:

And in that sense there has been lots and lots of progress made. We've packed lots of boxes- gotten loads of things ready for this weekends yard sale. So that's been what I've been up to. 

I've contacted a few more people and places for meetings...but they're not interested. So God will have to provide a different way. But He already has it ALL planned out- and come August-it will be exciting to see what He's got planned for the summer from the other side. 

Poor Bilbo....

Well, after visits to multiple car-fixing wizards, poor  Bilbo is pronounced not fit for long adventures. In other words, the car is fine to drive around town, but not on the highway. The man at the shop said that basically it's a matter of time before it leaves me stranded on the side of the road.
Now, besides the 1,000+ mile trek required to get back and forth from Philly to Roach, this presents another problem. Roach, as you might have guessed from its most unfortunate name, is in the middle of nowhere. There is no way to get anywhere from Roach that does not involve highway.
So now, in addition to all the other miracles to be prayed for this summer,  a new car needs to be added. I knew Bilbo was in less than amazing shape and had been saving for repairs- but it's not anywhere near enough to buy a whole new car. God has already provided a huge gift through my church which will be a big help towards a new car!
Please Pray

• that God would help me find the right car
• that the new car would run REALLY well- I am super tired of car problems, 
• that the right amount of money to buy said car,
• that Bilbo would not die until after  new car is found.

"How's support raising going?"

Well- we are officially one week in. I've talked with a bunch of people - that's the fun part. And written emails and called people I don't know on the phone ( that's the less fun part).
Honestly.... I was kind of hoping after a week there'd be more progress then there has been. I know that's ridiculous...but when there's only about ten week to finish....well, I was hoping week one would be more exciting. Oh I haven't been bored for a minute. Anywho- here's the total progress so far:

Each little rectangle represents $50/month. There are 54 little rectangles. When they are all full, I will have the amount NTM recommends for living and working in the ministry. ( I added a "Give" tab to this blog, which will take you to the NTM webstite if you'd like to be part of making this happen!) Again- please keep praying. I would like to head back to the Missouri August 7th (yes as in 2012)-so..... yeah. Lots and lots of praying is required!

• Praise God for the people who have volunteered to be part of my/the/God's financial team to help get the Gospel out!
• Pray: that God would move others to get involved and the other 48 little rectangles to get filled in. 

And so it begins....

well... made it. I'm really here. Back in Philadelphia. To start support raising. Good gravy. Makes my head spin, and, when I think about how much money needs to be raised by the end of the summer... well, I'm not going to lie, it makes me feel a tiny bit dizzy and more than a tiny bit nauseous.

God keep reminding me though, of the beginning of John 16, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God believe also in me." Worrying is NOT honoring to God. And that, after all, is the point of all this- to know God, and for others to know Him better- including those who live where they have no chance to hear of Him. But God is honored too in the little things- in the every day. And He takes care of the big picture.

And that's good to know. Because that is what saves from hiding under the covers until August. Looking at the little things- the little minute by minute decisions to love and honor Him. He takes care of the big picture.

The Plunge (and prayer requests)

Well... they're gone . The classroom is all empty and dark and closed. Normally when I turn off the lights and lock the door, I look back at the room and it looks full of possibilities for tomorrow. But today it just looked depressing. My heart is  a more than a little achey today, to be honest. I will miss my kiddos so so much over the summer.

But I am excited to head back to towards the home front tomorrow- and spend the summer there and get to share with lots of people all the awesome stuff God has been and is up to. And I am excited to see what God does.

You see, I am praying to be back here beginning of August. And in order to do that, I have to enough financial support to come back. That happens when people and churches get excited about what God's doing and give financially. Full financial support woudl be roughly the equivalent of 54 people giving $50 a month. But there is a huge need to be back here by August. Yes this August- like 2012. Which is a very God sized job (ie- the fastest support raising known to man). There are so many impossibles for that to happen- I'm kind of excited to see what God does. so here we go- diving in to see what He does.

So: here's some things to please be lifting up to God, so we can all be blown away together at His awesomeness:

-Financial Support to be in by August 6th (staff training starts the 10th I need a day to pack and two days to drive back)
- Pray for my car. Poor Bilbo has... struggles. And he's got a LOT of driving to do this summer. Pray that he continues to live up to his name and get me there and back again, while avoiding as much adventure as possible :)
-my focus to stay on Jesus, for me to remember that HE is the point of all this

His eye is on the sparrow...

I have been thinking about birds nests. Did you ever think about how crazy it is that birds (birds- think about how big their brains aren't) can pile random bits of a twig and fiber together- not only into an actual shape, but into a thing that their babies are safe in, AND something that can still hold its shape after falling out of a tree. And they do all of it with their feet and their mouths. Yeah- I don't know anybody who could do that.

Isn't that incredible that God did that for them? He thought so intently about what birds would need that He packed that much building skill into their little pea sized brains. And every year, no matter how many birds are building their nests- there's enough twigs, stringy/fibery stuff, and worms to go around.

"Fear not, you are worth more than many sparrows" (Luke 12:7) If He takes that good care of the birds, think how much care He takes of  you and me?

The Road Ahead

This summer begins what is quite possibly the scariest thing I've ever done: support raising. DundundunDUN. Oh my word- SO overwhelming. I SO want to be back in the fall for classes here. But to go from 8% to fully supported in one summer? Unheard of. Insane. Impossible. And all kinds of other big words that are basically the adult version of "Ah!!! Scary!!" Not that any of this is news. But its getting closer now, and therefore, scarier. 

I have found, over the last few weeks, that I am relating more and more to Peter walking on the water. I alternate between being totally relaxed and confident that God's going to bring in exactly the right amount at exactly the right time like He always has, and freaking out because this absolutely ridiculous and I must have totally lost my mind to even be attempting this! When my eyes are on Jesus- I can walk through/on/over/ these crazy waves of support raising. But the minute my eyes are off Jesus- plunk!- I drop like a stone. Jesus makes the difference like nothing else possibly could. 

He's been reminding me of that lately through this song called "Wait and See" by Brandon Heath. Maybe these words will be an encouragement to you in where God has you. They sure have been to me as I think about this summer:

Still wondering why I'm here, 

Still wrestling with my fear,

But oh! He's up to something

And the farther along I go,

I've seen enough to know that I'm

Not here for nothing

He's up to something. 

Perspective

What's Next?

It’s funny, when I say this is what I’d like to do long term, people who have kids in or have ever worked in childcare look all excited and say “really?!” and people who don’t have kids or haven’t worked in childcare look at me like I’m crazy and say “really?”

But yes- I believe this is where God has me- and I love it! I am SO excited to be here, being part of the Gospel getting out to places its never been! So- the next step is… raising support/connecting with other people who are also excited about what God is up to and would like to be a part! That will, Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, be starting this summer.

Currently I’m in kind of an in-between place, I’m not a student or a member of the mission. The plan is to join the mission at the beginning of June (doing the paperwork now) and then finish support raising by August . No you didn’t read that wrong. Yes I know that’s insane. See, once I become a member, I can’t come back and serve till I’ve finished support raising. So I want to get done FAST.  It’s kind of complicated, but the biggest two reasons are personnel needs here, and lack of housing there.

Guys, I really, really, REALLY need you all to be praying about this- because from a strictly human standpoint- this is 100% impossible- by all statistics I’ve already got like 6 strikes against me as far as support raising goes (single, support ministry, US ministry etc , etc) But with God all things are possible! And if He wants me here (and I believe He does), then He’ll make a way. So PRAY guys- only God can get me from 8% to the minimum 60% by August!

Preparing the Preschoolers

That’s how I think about this amazing ministry God’s given me here at the training center: He’s given me the chance to train the little ones. God has got good plans for them, and good plans for them to be part of people who’ve never had the chance to hear about Jesus, finally getting the chance to know Him. So as the three of us pre-school leaders have started off the semester, we’ve been carefully and prayerfully considering- what do these little ones need to learn above and beyond basic
123, write your name, this color is red stuff before kindergarten. And here’s a few things:
 Sitting. Missionary Kids have to do A LOT of sitting. Trust me. I was one.
 Playing well with a wide variety of kids in a wide variety of settings.
 Solving conflicts with other children without direct adult involvement (ie-realizing they need to share, take turns, say sorry, etc without a teacher or parent telling them so)
 Map Time (pictured below): Most of these little ones are headed overseas, so they need to know a bit about the world. We have learned the names of all the continents (yes! They had a mental block about Africa for the longest time- but they’ve got it now), and each month, we learn about a different continent. We see pictures from the country, learn to say hello and count to 10 in a language from that region, learn a little about the people there, and pray that God would help the people who don’t know Jesus there to know Him. It is the sweetest thing ever hearing these little ones pray for God to send people His Word!

Pigeon Song

During March, we spent some time  in the classroom learning about the South Pacific, and the countries there where some of these kids will grow up. One of the countries we learned about was Papua New Guinea (right above Australia). One of the other pre-school teachers, Kayla, actually grew up there as a missionary kid, and she taught us this children's song.
The words basically mean: Little kids, little kids, come to Jesus/ little kids, big kids, Jesus loves you.  /Sisters, brothers, daddys and mommys/ all of you come to Jesus, Jesus loves you."
The kids have learned it so well, (much better than the video-that was our first week learning it!) But I love to hear them sing this song because, in essance, this is what God is calling them, well all of us really, to do. Go and call people to come and meet our wonderful Jesus!

The Class:

Here is our un-offcial class photo of the year!

And by un-official, I mean "Hey- all 13 kids are here today, let's take a picture." "Okay lets take a picture. Hmmm.... I think I have my camera...."

But they're cute anyway. :)

I had a little turtle

Last week a turtle came to visit our classroom. He "volunteered" by poking his out of some bushes as I walked to the classroom that morning.  That was one brave little turtle! . He was picked up, carried, tapped, inspected, screamed at, chased (both inside and outside) and turned every which way you can imagine and he only retreated into his shell  for about ten minutes total.
I loved watching the kids warm up to the turtle too. The boys, of course, took all of 5 seconds, to think it was the coolest thing ever. Even most of the girls were excited, and eventually got brave enough to tentatively touch the turtle. It's exciting to see them opening up and being willing to try something they're a little nervous about- a good skill they'll need as they head overseas!

You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child. -Dr. Seuss