Letter #2

I have sent out most of my second letters.  If you did not get one and would like one. Please let me know. It gives some specific prayer requests and goes into what I will be doing this summer just a bit more. 

 An up close view of the meat of the letter.

Shirt for Sicily.

Hi everyone!

 I posted on Facebook but also wanted to share here. I with a lot of help from a friend designed a shirt and am selling it to help fun my and others trips to Sicily this summer.   Check it out. Please buy a shirt and share with your friends. They even ship internationally. 

Check out my Shirt for Sicily here.

Lots of bagels and orange juice.

We had our first team meeting today. Really it was all information passed along to the team.  We got packets of paperwork.  I will share with you a few things that stood out to me.

1.  We don't have to wear skirts and we can wear tank tops.  A little blessing. I'm excited to be in warm weather and don't have to dress in long pants or skirts. Yay!

2.  Our day doesn't end till 12am. Yes you read that right MIDNIGHT. Now if you have been around me at all in the last 3-4 years you know that I like to go to bed early. Last night I was in bed (not asleep) by 8pm.  I wake before 5am so going to bed early is a must. So I'm not sure how I will stay awake till 12.  My team will have to keep me entertained or keep elbowing me to keep me awake. I usually hit a wall at 9:30.  Good luck to me.

3. Our trip cost, which has not been completely figured out has been estimated at $6300.  Yes that shocked us all on the team.  That is a large number. But I have to remind myself that this is Europe not Africa.  And that the Lord has called me to this, so He already knows that the money will come in.  Several key factors in the cost of the trip are still being figured out so the cost could be below that. Please pray that housing for my team and I (the Interns) are found.  This is just one more place for me to say "Yes, Lord I trust you". 

If you feel led to give and support me financially this summer I thank you. Please go HERE and choose Sicily and in the optional comments section put Rebecca Arnold. As long as my name is attached to the gift it will go towards my trip. 

My support letter.

A little business-- numbers

I sent out many letters and depending on what draft you got. The estimated amount of the trip will be either $3,300 or $4,500.  

Why the change? 

Its because it is all an estimation. I am hoping soon that we will get an actual number. We were told that it could be as high as $5400.  I'm trusting the Lord that it doesn't get that high.  As soon as I get a final number I will post on here and probable put together a PDF that I can email out to people.

If you haven't already please go back to my homepage, unless you are there already, and sign up to follow by email.  This will let you get all my updates on here in your email.

A summer overseas.

I'M GOING TO SICILY!!  

Many of you  have gotten support letters. And if you haven't but want one please comment below and I will get one to you. 

I go to a church that is part of a bigger church network--Antioch. They are based out of Waco Texas and have church plants all over the United States and the world.  They have a passion for the nations and for the Lost to be found. When the Refugee Crisis got more and more serious they just knew they couldn't stand by and do nothing. So they are Engaging the Crisis. Check out the link to see what they are doing.

Our church as a church plant of Antioch's is in this with them. And because we have church planters over there in the middle of it. it was an easy decision to do our part. We will be staffing our "hub". (Hub being a word to say a locations chosen to have many people come and all focus on helping the refugees.) And I will be part of a team on interns that will help our church planters on ground for the summer so that when the short term trips come in they aren't overwhelmed. 

I don't have ton of information on this or what it will really look like. This will be a summer of trusting the Lord. Im excited to see what the Lord will go thru our hub this summer.

I will try to update on here when I know things and when things happen when I'm in Sicily.

Right now I'm working on getting all my support letters out and trusting the Lord for support to come in.

Waiting.

I was driving to work today and the verse of the day was read. Psalm 27:14.

New Living Translation
Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.
 
International Standard Version
Wait on the LORD. Be courageous, and he will strengthen your heart. Wait on the LORD!

When I heard it I thought Yes. Yes everyone should wait for the Lord. Yes it takes patience to do it, on mornings when it seems that He isn't talking to you. Yes it takes bravery and courage to wait for the Lord and not the world. And Yes this is where I have been the last two years. 

I moved to Omaha, thanks Kt, two years ago this weekend. And it has been two year of waiting. Two years of strengthening my heart. Two years of discovering who Jesus is again. And who Becca is. I came here with a heart that was damaged and fortified. I'm not saying that my heart is completely healed and whole. But it is definitely on the mend. I have been told lately that I am a completely different person that even a year ago.  I sure hope so. I feel different. I feel lighter, freer.  

Waiting on the Lord is so good. Its hard to do at times. I don't have it mastered. But I know the good it does. I know what comes of it and I don't want to not want to do it. I want my life to be spent waiting on the Lord. So that when He speaks I know its him. When He moves I know it was him that moved.

A Best Day Ever

The following is a review I wrote for our Excursion in Puerto Vallarta. 

This tour started out with our guide telling us that their goal will be for this to be our Best Day Ever. That it will beat out when your kids was born, when you got married and all other prior best days. After that speech you expect for this excursion to be a very good decision. We were then escorted to our speed boat, after all 30 of us piled in and put on our life vests we made our way around the very large cruise ships at dock and hit water and increased speed.


 After almost 10 minutes we docked and got off the boat in a secluded village in the Forest. That's when we got into our Unibog. Thankful for seat belts we made our way up bumpy roads. Lots of laughs and photos being taken. The get to know you questions of fellow travelers.

Once at base we changed into a rash guard, slightly wet and provided for our protection for future water slides. We then put all of our stuff in a locker and got our harness and helmets on. And are given gloves also still wet. No one wanted to put them on. Wet leather is not welcoming. But a few lines in you don’t even remember how gross they are. We meet our red helmet guides, go over a few basic need to knows and leave bass by way of a rope bridge over a stream. On the other side of this stream is where we met our mules.

After being matched up with a mule each person started up the mountain in a single file line. We were all enjoying the ride when our guides came up behind us and made our mules all want to race. This just made us all laugh. I think mostly nervous laughter. But, it was fun trying to slow down my mule and steer it aroundthe holes and rocks. After about 10-15 minutes we reached the end or should I say top. There we got off our mules and walked a bit more to the very top.

Where all you see it everything. This is the point where you wish you have a camera, but those were all left in the locker below.  Nerves start to stir as you wait in line for the first zip line.  Once hooked in and ready with a smile for the camera you sit down and are off. As you remember all the short training they told you, you look around and feel peace as you calmly fly through the air above the forest below and then all too soon you are breaking and coming in to land. After being stopped and unclipped you continue on the perfectly marked path to the next one. This continues a couple more times till you reach a platform that is almost directly above the waterfall. You are guided down a line and then stand in line on top of a waterfall.  The guides give you pointers and one by one your adventure companions go over the edge backwards. I’m sure all pretending to be Bear Grills. I know I did. Then its your turn. A little drop in my stomach right before I gave up all control and leaned back. Then a “simple” walk down the waterfall.

A few smiles for the camera.  At the bottom your shoes get wet for the first of many times. The water feels good and just spurs you on. This starts the beginning of many more zip lines and repels thru the forest till the end. The front guy keeps going and you do everything in the time you need to do it. There is no waiting for everyone before beginning. Our family was able to do everything together and sometimes were the only ones at something. Many rope bridges were crossed. Once we repelled off a floating platform strait down into water. Another time we zip lined into the water. Which was a bit cool. Towards the end an opportunity to zip line upside down, tests everyone's courage. Even mom was up for it. The afternoon was ended with a rather large waterfall that will give you a wedge if you are lucky enough to not be given a mat to ride. You are even equipped with a hockey helmet and elbow pads for this. At the top you have no idea what to expect.

After you readjust and take your helmet off there is the rest of your group snacking of fresh fruit and juice. You wait for everyone out of you and make your way back to the lockers. You get your dry clothes, that extra set you packed because you read the reviews and that is what people told you to do, PACK A EXTRA SET OF CLOTHES, and go change out of our wet clothes and shoes. Then you go look at your photos and eat some really yummy salsa. After everyone ordered their photos you get back into your Unibog and go back down the bumpy road then back to the speed boat.

Once back on dock next to your ship you decide that was the Best Day Ever, at least of your cruise. Maybe it didn’t be the birth of your children or your wedding day but its something not to miss out on.

Our Neighbood Refugee Outreach

Last week I was past of a team headed by my sister to teach, love, mentor, and spend time with the refugees that live in the neighborhood surrounding our new church building. Since the very beginning, when this was known as the sight of our church building, my sister and a couple of others have spent time almost weekly playing with these kids. So two years or so later we are at home in our new building and thanks to my sister and her heart for the kids have an in with the neighbors. So outreach week was to further these relationships and to show this community that we care about them. 

If you ask anyone on our team, all would say it was a success. From the bounce house on monday to VBS daily under the big tree to the movie and popcorn to close out the week.

It was great to see my sister at work with her passion.
It was great to see Waypoint show up and volunteer and get to know our neighbors like some of us already do.
It was great to see the kids get excited about our church, always wanting to see the inside but having to wait till the movie on Friday.
It was great to see new relationships formed and old ones strengthened. 
It was great to hear the laughs and see the smiles on everyone's faces.
It was a great week.


Thank you Jesus for giving my sister this passion and for putting our team together in a perfect way.

Lord, I ask that you continue to help Waypoint become part of this neighborhood and community. Help us to help and care for our neighbors. Show us how to be you to those who know you and those who don't.