Meeting Again

Greetings in Jesus' Name!

I just wanted to post a short note to let you all know that I and my younger sister are safely back from Cambodia. God worked mightily in and through us, and though we are still processing everything we learned it is good to be back with our family. In a few days I hope to have gotten my thoughts in order and will begin posting anecdotes, lessons learned, and some pictures here. Thank you for your abundant prayers, they were certainly felt over the past eight weeks. Please continue to pray for us both as we readjust to American culture and food, and seek to apply in this setting all that the Lord has taught us.

Prayer Update #8

Greetings Prayer Partners!

Well, the time has finally come - the time when last minute items are gathered and packed, boarding passes are printed, and goodbyes are said. Leah and I (Elsie Anne) leave for Teen Missions training in Florida in just two days (June 7th)! God has so graciously heard and answered all of our prayers these past months and weeks, and our final finance update is that all of our expenses have been paid in full! Our God is so good, and we praise the One who clothes the lilies of the field that we had faith to believe and trust that He would clothe us too. 

We are planning to enlist Mom to continue sending out periodic prayer updates while we are gone and she will probably use information from our letters and the Teen Missions website to put those together. So, just be aware that the next prayer update you receive will come from a different email address. Until then, here are some things you can keep in your faithful prayers.

• The physical health of our team during the rigors of boot camp (especially that no one would get blisters).
• The unity of our team as a picture of the body of Christ on earth.
• For our leaders: strength, patience, and sanity; that each team member would be a means of daily blessing in the little things.
• For Leah and I (Elsie Anne): the opportunity to display Christ-honouring affection and care for each other in our unique role as siblings on the team.
• For me (Elsie Anne): an extra measure of grace, patience, peace-keeping, and Jesus' love as the oldest team member.
• That we would all experience growth in Christlike maturity over the course of the summer.

Now, before we depart, I end with this for us all to meditate on. May we have the mind and attitude of Christ, so that many who are now walking in darkness might see His light in us and bow down to worship Him.

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing fromselfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesusevery knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." -Philippians 2:1-11

Prayer Update #7

Greetings, Dear Prayer Partners!

Thank you so much for your prayers over the last several weeks. Leah and I (Elsie Anne) spoke in church this past Sunday and were blessed by the generosity of the congregation. We now have roughly $1,000 left to raise before leaving next Thursday (June 7th). God is so good! Reading in Romans 8 today has been a much-needed reminder of the sure promises of God through Christ. As we near our departure date we become more and more excited, but at the same time more nervous to finally be going. These words a comfort to us all in times like these, where it becomes even more necessary to lean upon God.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spiritintercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he alsojustified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? -Romans 8:26-35a

Here are our prayer requests for the following week, but please pray as the Spirit leads, because we do not even really know what to ask you all to pray for. 

• Peace that passes all understanding in these last days of packing, praying, and praising before we leave.
• The love of Christ for each other, as well as the rest of our team.
• The unity that Christ prayed for us in John 17, without which our team cannot be effective for the Kingdom.
• Good health until we leave and throughout the trip.
• Teachable spirits, joyful attitudes, and patient servant's hearts. 

Thank you all once again for your faithful prayers; they are appreciated more than you know. 

Prayer Update #6

Dear Prayer Partners,

           

            Thank you for praying for Elsie’s safe travel home, she indeed arrived safely and even a little ahead of schedule. Now that Elsie is here, we will begin to gather together what we need to take for our trip. We will continue to raise support up until the time we leave for Boot Camp. On May 27^th we will be speaking at our church about what we are going to be doing over in Cambodia. God willing, we will receive the last donations we need to be fully funded before we leave.

Over the next week you can pray that:

·      Our presentation at church would go smoothly and be characterized by joy in Christ and humility before the King of kings.

·      As we gather together practical things to take with us that we would not forget anything important.

·      Our team leaders and fellow team members would be strengthened as they too are preparing for Boot Camp.

·      We would be diligent in praying for our team members daily for the next three weeks.

           

Thank you so much for continuing to pray for the specific needs we send out each week!

In Christ Alone,

Elsie Anne & Leah

“My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.” –Psalm 45:1

Prayer Update #3

This is the third of the prayer updates I have been emailing to our group of prayer partners, but I just now thought to copy them here.

Fried tarantulas are a delicacy in parts of Cambodia; they became popular during the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s when there was a severe food shortage. Though I do not know if we will be traveling in those specific areas of Cambodia, I (Elsie Anne) have decided that if the opportunity presents itself I will eat a fried tarantula. My decision was confirmed this afternoon as I read A Chance to Die, a biography of Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot. When speaking of specific hardships that Amy endured involving slugs and critters, she said, "It was good missionary training. If one is preparing to storm the bastions of heathendom, it won't do to blench at creepie-crawlies." That made me smile, but then, it would. :)

We are getting closer to the time to leave for Boot Camp on June 9th, but a great deal must be accomplished before then. I (Elsie Anne) have roughly three weeks of the semester left, and Leah is taking her finals this coming Wednesday. $4,000 has been provided by our Lord to cover the remainder of our project expense, but we don't have it in tangible form yet. Nevertheless, we trust that it is waiting in the heavenly places, along with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), until He decides to shower it upon us. Leah received the first installment of her immunizations several days ago, and her arms are still recovering. I have officially recovered from my fall over spring break and am no longer a gimp (praise the Lord)! So, things to pray for this week are as follows:

• For Leah and I to complete our semesters diligently and successfully, as unto the Lord.
• For patience and trust as we wait on the Lord to reveal where the remainder of our support is coming from.
• A spirit of gratitude and prayerfulness as we continue to prepare for the ministry at Boot Camp and in Cambodia.
• Good health: Leah has a slight cold, and my allergies have been ornery lately.

Blessings In the Saviour,
Elsie Anne & Leah
Psalm 117

Debrief and Back Home

After witnessing Victoria Falls we headed to the airport in Lusaka, Zambia for our journey back to Merritt Island, Florida. It was like deja vu to be back in the place where we had begun our journey of training and ministry so many weeks before. We participated in three days of debrief where we got plenty of hot showers, took a series of classes that discussed integrating back into life in America, and quizzed other teams on the forty Bible verses we had memorized throughout the summer. It was a good time to relax, reflect on what we had learned on the field, and prepare to say good bye to the friends we had made. It was difficult to say good bye, but we were all more than ready to be going back home to our families and friends.

This summer has changed my life, giving me a new perspective on many aspects of my everyday life. The Lord began to work on certain areas of my heart and life, and I pray that as I get back into my routine here at home that I will allow Him to continue the work He has begun. Some things He is teaching me are not at all easy, and other things are confusing at times, but by His grace I will do all that He has called me to, giving Him all the glory.

Thank you all for your prayers while I was away this summer, they meant, and do mean more than you can ever know. God bless you all!

Solwezi

We arrived at Solwezi, an additional half hour closer to the base, and set up our tents for the third time. Like Lunsala this unit was a bit further from the villages and so though we arrived on Thursday afternoon we expected our largest crowd on Saturday. We slept peacefully that night and after a glorious sunrise the next morning we were ready to teach. The children slowly trickled in and by the time we had presented the Gospel and invited them to accept Christ as their Saviour there were about 65 in attendance. The afternoon crowd was even larger and we felt that we had accomplished a lot for just one day.

The Children

The children at Solwezi learned so fast that we taught them almost everything we knew on the very first day. That night we were brainstorming to come up with more we could teach them for the next three days.

The Children stretching during a drill session.

Singing during one of our presentations.

The Facilitators

During our group devotions in the evening it had been our custom to sing a few songs and then listen to one of the facilitators share their testimony and how they had come to be serving the Lord at that unit. On Friday night we enjoyed hearing Makuka share. She had come to serve the Lord in Solwezi after marrying her husband Richard in 2006; together they worked as the facilitators.

That night we went to bed as usual; two team members in each tent, and the leaders in their own tents. My tent mate and I were chatting as we prepared for bed, waiting for the "lights out" command at 9:30. At the time we did not know that the facilitators and the other national staff staying with them that night had been beaten and robbed. We heard the two thieves come out to our tents and demand money from our head leader. The Lord be praised, a miracle took place that night and the thieves got frightened and ran off. Within an hour we had dismantled our tents, packed all our personal and kitchen supplies, and were headed to the base in Ndola four hours away. Because of truck problems and the dark it took us over twice as long to reach the base, and when we got there we ate breakfast and went to rest in one of the Bible school dorm rooms.

Lessons Learned

Through what happened our team realized how wonderful is the gift of God's protection. Instead of being fearful we rejoiced in the testimony that the Lord was allowing us to take back home, a testimony of His faithfulness and His love for His children.

"Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart." -Psalm 119:111

Farewell

As I write this I leave in less than forty-eight hours. I have everything packed, and it weighs exactly forty pounds (Praise the Lord!). While I am gone I will not be able to blog at all, but I look forward to posting many pictures and stories when I return. As I get ready to leave I want to say thank you to everyone yet again, and also give you some specific things that you can pray for.

-- For safety; that I and my team will be safe in all the traveling we do, whether that be by plane, bus, or on foot.

-- For health; that we would all stay healthy, especially as we may be eating new foods, and exposed to a new environment.

-- For unity; that we would work together as a team, giving each other grace as the body of Christ, and working to bless each other instead of pleasing ourselves.

-- For our families who will be missing us; that they would surrender us to God's will, receiving a peace that is beyond their understanding.

-- And finally that we might be completely dependent on Christ, allowing His Spirit to work mightily in our lives, and that we would lean on Him when things get difficult.

Thank you again, and check back around August 15th for stories, pictures, and evidences of God's faithfulness in each of our lives.

Marvelous Light

"I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn in out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light." -John Keith Falconer

As I prepare for my trip to Africa it is difficult to forget why I am going. I am going to share the love and gospel of Jesus Christ with AIDS orphans, but is that all I am doing? Am I prepared to leave everything behind me except for the Word and comfort of my Saviour? Am I prepared for my candle of life to be burned out in a land filled with darkness? I need not ask myself if I am more comfortable in a land filled with light, comfort, and all things familiar to me, or in a land of darkness where everything is new and frightening. I know the answer; I think we all do.

Nevertheless, the Lord has not called us to comfort, nor to ease. He has called us to be burning candles in the darkest corners of the earth he has created, to do hard things for His glory.

As I journey toward darkness I need not fear, for with me I carry the most marvelous light of all, the Light of the World. And in taking that light into a place darker than the one I came from I am fulfilling the call to which I have been called, depending only on His grace for my sustenance.

1 Peter 2:9 says that we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation so that we may proclaim the excellence of Jesus Christ who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. We have been brought from darkness to light, ought it not be our greatest dream to lead others into that same marvelous Light

Leaning

It happened. A few nights ago I was praying before drifting off to sleep, and suddenly I realized that I will be unable to directly talk to my Mom for almost two months. I talk to my Mom every single day, sometimes for hours, and for two months I will have to be content with writing her letters that might never reach her. I can only trust that the Lord will be my strength, and my closest companion during this time. All that I need can be found in Him, may I not waste the great and precious resource of his unending love and presence.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms?

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;

leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Thank You!

Hello once again everyone,

I have a very exciting announcement to make... *drum roll* ... I have raised all of my project expense money! This means that the cost of boot camp, my time at the base in Zambia, food, and the air fare in between Florida and Zambia is paid for. While I am so thankful to the Lord Jesus for providing so graciously for me, I am not done yet. There is still the cost of a plane ticket from here to Florida, and back at the end of the summer. Countless other items also need to be purchased for this journey of a lifetime. Therefore, I covet your continued prayers as I keep preparing for my trip.

My deepest gratitude is extended to those who contributed financially and helped me to get to this point. Thank you also to those who are keeping me in your prayers, I appreciate it more than you may ever know. God bless you until my next update!

My First Miracle

Travel to a foreign country requires many immunizations. I was dreading the thought of having to get 10-12 shots, but when my Mom and I learned that each shot would cost between $75 and $100 the fear of shots became nothing in comparison to the great shock of paying over $1,000 out of pocket that we didn't have. My Mom called my doctor asking if there was any way that insurance would cover it, or if there was anywhere we could go and pay less. The doctor explained that insurance rarely covers travel vaccinations, but she did recommend that we visit the public health clinic in order to pay less. We headed to the clinic, expecting mile long lines, but prepared to wait for shots that could cost up to $75 less.

When we arrived we filled out some paper work, and turned it in to the receptionist. My Mom asked how much exactly the immunizations would cost; when the woman said, "Ten dollars." my Mom looked very happy, it was even less than we had expected. But the woman continued, "Yes, just $10, no matter how many shots." she said. We literally had to keep ourselves from jumping up and down!

Thank you to all those that I asked to pray before my Mom and I left that morning. I asked you to pray for a miracle, and honestly, I was skeptical that I would actually receive one. But the Lord is faithful to all who call upon him, and I saw the first miracle of my trip. At the end of the day my arms were sore (and still are) from eight shots, but we didn't pay even close to $1,000.

What to Pray For

Most of you know that I am preparing to leave for Africa in about two months. I sent this as an email to my "official" prayer partners, and am now sharing it with you so that you can pray for me as well. Thank you so much!

Dear Prayer Partners,

Thank you so much for praying for me as I prepare for this trip to Africa. The Lord has blessed me by providing some of my funds already, but I leave in less than 7 weeks and am still $3,000 short (not counting extra personal expenses like supplies and immunizations). Please pray for several things.

1. That the Lord would give me his all-surpassing peace as I prepare for this trip, and the confidence that he is sovereign and will provide for me.

2. That the Lord will provide the sufficient finances for my trip. Our God is a big God, and I want to ask you to pray that he will not only cover the $3,000 that I am lacking, but that he will also provide funds for all my personal expenses.

3. That the Lord will keep both me and my team safe and healthy as we travel to Zambia.

4. That we will efficiently work together as a team, and that we will grow in love for each other.

5. And finally that God would receive all the glory for all that is accomplished on this trip, and that we will give thanks in all things.

Again, thank you for your partnership in prayer. James 5:16 says that, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

In Christ Alone,

Miss Elsie Anne

Peace

Just yesterday I received some more specific information about my team in the mail. So far my team consists of five girls and one boy. I have their names, and I will be praying for them as I prepare for my trip. I leave exactly eight weeks from today; the thought is exciting, yet slightly frightening. I place all my confidence in the One who holds this world in His hands.

I also found out that the young ladies on the team will be required to wear skirts or dresses while in Zambia, in order to be culturally acceptable. This was a personal answer to prayer, as I am used to wearing skirts, and wasn't particularly looking forward to spending two months in jeans. :)

And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him. But if not, it will return to you." -Luke 10:2-6

Please pray that His peace would rest on me as I get busier preparing for this trip.

Off to Africa!

Hey Y'all,

On this blog I will be chronicling my preparation for, and journey to Zambia, Africa this summer. I will be leaving on June 24th for Merritt Island, Florida where I will train for two weeks. I will then fly to Zambia, where I will spend six weeks ministering to AIDS orphans by teaching them drill team, and sharing the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. I will be providing more details in the future, and I hope you will join me on my journey, as I prepare my body, mind, and soul for the work of the Lord.

Your prayers will be appreciated throughout this journey. Thank you!

In Christ Alone,

Elsie Anne