It has certainly been a while since I have had the time to
give you guys a full update of what is going on in my crazy world!
I returned from New York City late on Sunday night and went
straight to my new home in the North Side and woke up Monday morning and
started my classes at CCAC.
Since I was in 8th grade I’ve always wanted to be
a teacher. Throughout my high school years I started thinking about what I
would like to do for the rest of my life and being a teacher was always in my
top 3 choices and it was always something that I kept going back to. As well as
teaching I’ve always felt a strong calling to the mission field, but I was
never really sure about how these two pieces of my life would fit together. I
have been reading this book lately called Kisses
from Katie by Katie Davis. It is about how she moves to Uganda after she
graduates high school to become a teacher. She says a lot of things in her book
that really hit home for me. She said what I need to hear and helps me realize
how I can piece my dreams together as a missionary and an educator.
Lack of education is one of the greatest burdens and is a
direct cause of the vicious cycle of poverty. Obviously the key to eternal life
is Jesus, but the key to a better life here and now is education. If children
learn how to read and write, to add and subtract and to multiply, if they learn
about science and social studies and everything else a school offers they will
have the opportunity to become productive citizens and move their nation
forward. I yearn to be in the center of God’s will and to do what I was created
to do. I want to be a factor in transformation of a community, I want to love
like Jesus and be able to give the opportunity for a child to build a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ and also become a productive member of their
society.
In the book, Kisses
from Katie, she compares working in a third world country to emptying the
ocean with a rain dropper, and then just when you have about half a cup full it
rains again. I’m not going to go out and try to eliminate poverty, eradicate
diseases and put a stop to people abandoning babies, I’m just going to go out
and follow God’s number one commandment: love God and love people.
Although I am disappointed I do not get to go to Kenya until
January I know that right now this is the spot on the map where God has asked
me to do the things I do. So I am going to pour out my heart for the children
in the community I am in right now by tutoring at the After School Place at
Allegheny Center Alliance Church and with His gracious help I will build
relationships, care for these children and show them the love of Jesus Christ.
KENYA!
I have a HUGE praise! As many of you know, I applied to be a
volunteer through World Gospel Mission (same organization the Bemm family works
through) and I have been anxiously waiting to hear back from them. Well, today
as I was riding up the Duquesne Incline I received an e-mail that congratulated
me on being accepted!!!!!! This is an amazing blessing and I am so thankful God
has made this provision for me.
Along with the e-mail came a budget that World Gospel
Mission has provided for me. The budget is not finalized yet, but we are now
looking at a ball park of $7,000. This is a lot more than I was expecting.
Along with that cost, earlier today I added to more classes to my course
schedule causing my school fees to go up $500. I know in my heart that if I
trust in Him God will provide, but I know that it is going to be very hard for
me to not worry about funds and put my full trust in God. There will be another
support letter going around soon, so look for one in your mailbox!
If you would like to support me, all donations are tax deductible!
Please send me a message with your e-mail address if you
would like to donate and I will e-mail you a form you can fill out and send to
World Gospel Mission.
Thank you all again for all your support! I wouldn’t be able
to do it without you guys.
My number one prayer request right now is for the children who will be in the After School Program, I know that this job will not always be the easiest, but God has me there for a reason. Pray for the children and their education, they relationships they build (most of them come from very broken homes) and pray that God would open their hearts and their minds as the workers begin to teach them not only about the importance of education but also the love of Jesus.
