becoming a team

Last night I had my team over. All of us interns, except one, in one place not for a meeting but for fun, to talk and get to know each other. 

Many of us know a few of each other really well.
Four of us went through Dschool last year together.
Two are in Dschool this year. But a few of them didn't know each other at all.

So over burgers at the picnic table we laughed and asked questions. We started to become a team. I can honestly say that I am more excited for this summer. I'm ready to spend the summer with these people. I'm ready to laugh all day. I'm ready to speak truth into their lives and have them speak truth into mine. 

We have three weeks till be get on a plane to Europe.

Please be praying for...

 continued unity for our team.

Josh and Rachel Ballard as they prepare for us and the short term teams to come over.

health and safety.

What's happening in Sicily.

Our church planter in Sicily sent us a video update last week. Follow the link below to check it out. It gives a good update on what our time there will be about. 

Link to Josh Ballard's update.

Also Antioch shared this photo and caption on Facebook this morning and wanted to share it with you all.

 

I am less than a month out from leaving. My support is coming in and I have all faith that I will be supported fully when I leave the country. The Lord has  been so good through the whole process. He is so good and I can't wait to see what He is going to do this summer in Sicily and I am so honored and thankful to be a part of it. 

Thank you for supporting me and following me on here. Please pray that our internship team will be unified this summer and that we are able to encourage and pour into Josh and Rachel and their kids. Prayers and all the logistics of a movement this big go smooth. Prayers for health and safe travels too. 

Thank you. Thank you.

a little over a month to go.

There is just over a month to go before stepping on a plane to Sicily.

From the moment I said yes to The Lord about this trip I have been excited and at peace.

I am not yet counting down the days because a little bit of me is sad to leave my friends and family here in Omaha behind for the summer. I will miss out on bonfires and bike rides, walks and concerts in the park, holidays and just spending time outside with friends. I will miss church on Sundays when it feels like I am surrounded by family. I will miss Outreach week with the refugees here at home and watching their soccer games, coached by my sister.

But there is so much I am excited about and looking forward to this summer.

Getting to know some of my teammates better. 

Spending days loving people.

Cooking with Italians in their kitchens. (I really hope this happens)

Leaving America and most things American behind. 

Traveling/flying

Exploring new places.

Watching the Lord work thru our team and the teams that come over. 

Being able to serve our church planters.

The sea.

Watching God change hearts and bring freedom and hope.

So in the next month and a little bit I will be packing and running errands (like the eye doctor and the car shop), possibly working some of my last days at my job. I will be saying see-you-laters. I will be deciding what journal to use and how many different colored pens I should take. I will be getting to know my teammates and how we will work together as a team.  I will continue to Trust God through it all and thank him for the peace he has given me. 

A little video clip.

Follow the link below to watch a clip of Pastor Silas explaining why we are going to Sicily and the heart behind it. 

See Interview here.

Peace

Many have been asking how my support is going.  And till last night I had no idea. But at the same time I was not worried at all.  I know that this is where I am suppose to be. I know that the Lord wants me in Sicily this summer.  

 Maybe you are asking why. 

The simple quick answer is peace. Now as I prepare for this trip, more that any of the other times before trips, I have peace. I don't even know how to explain it really. It is a sense that everything is going to be good. Perhaps this is because I have sound some freedom from fear, especially around mission trips.

But more than that I believe its because I have let go and am fully trusting Him with this.  There are so many questions and unknowns, which usually my planner self would want to know. But I am okay not knowing. I am okay just sitting back and letting others organize and figure out the questions. I am okay with each day giving it over the the Lord knowing that He knows way more that I do. And in His hands its safer. In His hands its a sure thing. In His hands is love and hope and freedom.

The support update I got last night has me at $1452 raised. I still don't know what the final cost of the trip will be. Its has been estimated at over $6000.  Which puts me just over a 6th of the way there.  I do know that in April they will be purchasing our plane tickets. I believe this cost is around $1200. Which means I have made that goal. THANK YOU!

If you are interested and haven't bought one yet my tshirts are only on sale till tomorrow (23 March) evening.  I have sold 26 and am hoping for at least 30 by the end of the sale. That is 4 more in the next day.  Please go HERE to purchase one.

A little check in

Hi everyone!  I am just over 2 months from leaving for Sicily.  As each day passes I get a little more excited and sure that this is where I am suppose to be. 

I went down to IHOP in Kansas City (the prayer house not the pancake place) for prophetic prayer with the Discipleship class. I got two words from people who don't know me at all and don't know my plans for Sicily, that spoke into Adventure and Going Places. How cool.  Thank you Jesus for confirmation.

I did get an update on how to give online through our church's givingfire page. Visit it here. There is now an “Engage the Crisis-Interns" option from the pull down tab. You can select that and still put my name in the additional comments section below at the bottom. As long as my name is attached to your support it will get to my account.   Thank you if you have already given and if you have not, please pray about being part of this with me.

I posted last week but I am still selling my T shirts and will be till the 23rd. I have sold 22 so far and have a goal of 50. So 28 more to go.  If you would like to buy one please go to Bonfirefunds to purchase one.

 

I don't think there is anymore updates to share. I continue to wake up each day and befoe I can start ot worry about things I tell the Lord "I trust you". What a great gift we have in Him that He can be trusted and that He is so good and so loving towards us.

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.