Greetings from London

Hello everyone!
I have a very limited time so I'm just here to say that I am alive and very well. This has been the most amazing summer of my life and it itn't even over yet. I can't wait to tell all the stories that I have gathered. God has done amazing things through our ministry in Ireland.

We are debriefing in London right now. Just got her yesterday and it has been a good time of thinking over the last 5 weeks.

See you very soon!

See you soon then!

This is going to be a short post. I’m getting ready to go to bed so that I will have lots of energy for tomorrow. I will be leaving for the air port at 8 and then I have to be at my gate at 9:15. Please continue to pray that my flight will stay open and that there are no complications. Please pray for the rest of my team as well as they come in tomorrow and on Saturday morning. Once we are all in Chicago on Saturday we will leave for training camp together.

Thank you all for your support. I have had so many wonderful conversations with many of you over this past week and I’m reminded of how blessed I am. God has blessed me with an amazing Church/extended/biological family and I couldn’t be more grateful!

I plan to send letters home to be put on here so that you can all stay up-to-date on what you can be praying for. For now please just pray for health, strength, courage and, above all, that God’s will will be done in and through me this summer.

I’m off on my adventure!
See you soon then!

48 hours!

In 48 hours (YES I SAID FORTYEIGHT!) I will be in PDX checking in. This has been such a good week! I have gotten the chance to spend some really good time with some friends before I take off and I have gotten a lot of stuff done. But above all that, I am blown away by God amazingness (I don’t care if it isn’t a real word), provision, and love right now! Yesterday I got a $25 cash donation and I decided that since it wouldn’t get processed and make it into the updated support letter that I get every Wednesday, I would just wait until today to put it into my fund. I get up a little bit ago and hurriedly turn on my computer and get onto my email. For some reason my whole email froze and I had to sit there waiting for it to load for almost 3 minutes. It was torture! But then it finally loaded and I opened the email. I have $3,545 in my account. So I added the $25 that I got yesterday and I have…..*drum role please*…….$3,570! That is EXACTLY what I need to go! How amazing is that? My prayer has been that God would bring in all my money before I leave and He did, to the dollar. I could not have imagined a better way to start my day then go wake up and get the news I have been waiting for. Praise God!

In other news, yesterday I went shopping with my mom and our good fiend on a mission to find a rain coat and some wind pants (for performances in Ireland). I found them both for amazing deals. My coat was originally $100 and I got it for $36 and the pants were only $20. On top of those amazing finds I also got a new sleeping bag. I wasn’t going to ask for it, but my wonderful mother decided that I “needed it” so I did not object *smiles*. It was originally $120 and I got it for $60. It is really nice and fits into a smaller stuff sack then any of the other bag that we have so that will be great for packing.
The chances of me making that 10am flight on Friday are still looking good. Thanks for your prayers about that.
Yesterday was a full day of shopping and packing. This is what my bed looked like at 11 o’clock last night



Almost everything is in it’s zip-lock bag and is not in one of my two cardboard boxes. I can’t remember if I have mentioned that yes…anyway, the way the Royal Servants does things is very practical. Everyone packs all there things for the summer into plastic bags and then puts them into boxes which we bring to Illinois. Once we get there they will give every person the same “blue pack” and that is where all our stuff has to fit. Now everything from my sleeping mat to my dishes to my bag of socks is in boxes. I only have a few last minute things to get together before Friday.

I’m going to spend these last two days with my family. We are going to celebrate Father’s Day together tomorrow night since I will not be here for the actual occasion and then I’m off in the morning.

I hope to make one more short post before I leave, but if I don’t thank you all for your prayers and support through this journey. I will do my best to keep you updated on everything that of experience in these next six weeks. I hope to write some letters home and then have someone post them to my blog for all to read.
If anyone would like to write me while I’m at Training camp you can send them to this address:
Reign Ministries
c/o Living Springs Camp
My Name Here
14253 E Epworth Spring Rd
Lewistown IL 61542-8427

I love getting mail while I’m away and it will help any home-sickness stay way. The only other thing I have to tell you is that I will be having my mentor or someone in my family updating my blog while I’m at training camp. So I will be having someone else sending out the notifications and updates. I will try and give them prayer requests to put up as well.

Thank you all so much for being a part of my life!
See you soon!

5 Day Count Down

5 days! I can’t explain how excited I am right now. I have butterflies of excitement right now because I’m thinking about leaving. Everything has really come together this week. I have almost all my shopping done for the trip. The only things I still need to buy are a rain coat and some other small random things.

On the list of things to get done this week are getting a couple shots, shop for a coat and pack my boxes. I really don’t have too much to do at the moment, but I know that my days are going to fly by quickly.

On the list of exciting news: as of yesterday I only have $125 left to get. God has been so good in providing for my needs as the trip approaches. Thanks again to every one of you who has been praying for me and for my finances. I always knew that God would provide and it is has been so encouraging to know that many of you are keeping me and the trip in your prayers.

Some things that I need prayer for this week:

- I need to make sure that I have everything memorized for the mission. I have some verses and a track to get into my head. Most of it is done, but there are still some things that I am forgetting.

- Please be praying that my flight to Chicago stays open. There are still 20 seats open for the flight from PDX to O’Hare. I would be so grateful if they stayed open and I was able to not have to worry about any layovers.

- I have a list of things that I need to get done. Most of them are not very hard things, but there are a lot of them and I have a limited time to get them done in. Please pray that I would manage my time well and get all of it done without getting stressed. I really want to enjoy this last week with my family and friends.

I will make on last post before I leave. I hope to make a daily prayer calendar and post it here before I leave.

Until then!

Awaiting the Day (17 Days!)

I am so grateful at this moment! God is really showing me that he is providing for this trip. As of a few moments ago I only need $710! I’m so close. Thank you to everyone who has already donated. I know I have said it before, but your gifts are so encouraging to me as I prepare.

In other news I thought I would tell everyone about my domestic flight plans. Some wonderful friends have gifted me with some stand-by passes which save me TONS of money. Flying stand-by means that I have to wait at the gate of the flight that I want to get on and then if there are seats left over after all the other paying customers I get a seat for an extremely low cost. There are two options for flying out on June 18^th. The first option is the one that I really pray that I get onto. It is a straight shot from Portland to Chicago and it leaves at 10:05am. That would be the perfect flight for me because it would actually put me in Chicago a little early to find my team and there are no layovers (which I would really appreciate). However, if I do not make it on that flight there is one leaving to go to Seattle at 10:30 so I would run down to that terminal and catch a small plane to get up there and then catch another flight going out to Chicago. This option would put me in Chicago around 7pm which is totally fine as well.

Thank you for all your prayers and support! As I’m writing this I’m just getting excited to watch God work. I know that he will bring in my finances and it will be amazing to watch. I also know that he is going to change me through everything I have to go through and I am so excited to see that happen. I’m ready to be pushed, stretched, and moved to love and follow him more. Thank you for following along with me in my journey!

24!

So there is not a whole lot of new information to share with all of you. My life is getting steadily busier as the days go by. As you could gather from this post's title I only have 24 days left before I fly out for IL.

Here are some prayer requests:

I still need to raise $1,885. I know that that number isn't exactly correct because I know I have gotten some donations since the date that that update was sent to me. However, there is still a lot of money I need to raise. I know God will provide. Thank you to everyone who has already donated! Every time I get another donation I am so encouraged because it shows how God is providing and that he really does want me on this trip. Please keep the rest of my team in your prayers as well. Some have a lot of money to raise as well and they could use the prayer.

Please also be praying that I would use my time wisely in these last few weeks. Time is going to fly and there is still a lot of stuff that I need to do and get ready before I leave. There is a lot of shopping I need to get done and since I hate shopping it is hard to make myself go do it. If anyone sees some good deals on good lightweight, waterproof, windproof rain coats please let me know. I have been looking for deals online as well as at stores, but I don't want to spend $80 on one. I'm hoping to find a really good deal on one.

Thank you so much for keeping me in your prayers. You have no idea what it means to me to have everyone behind me.

Counting Down!

It is just 35 short days and I will be leaving for Illinois! I do have a brief update on my fundraising status. I have $1,665 in my account as of today which means that I still need to raise $1,835.

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I also have just received an updated schedule of my trip. Here is what it look like:

June 19 I arrive in Illinois for Staff Training Camp

June 26 Students arrive and I get to meet the girls that I will be discipling

July 5 Fly to London- My flight leaves Chicago at 5pm

July 6 Arrive in London at 7:10am

Leave London for Dublin at 8:55am and arrive there around 10:20am

Once we arrive in Dublin we take a bus to Londonberry, Ireland.

July 7-16 Ministry in Londonberry

July 17 Bus to Skerries

July 18-25 Ministry in Skirries

July 26 Fly to London- We leave Ireland at 9:05am and arrive in London at 10:30am

July 26-30 Debrief in London

July 31 Return to USA- Leave London at 12:20pm, arrive in Chicago at 3:21pm, and shortly after that I will say goodbye to my team and get on a flight back to the West Coast. Chances are I will have a short layover in Seattle and then fly into Portland. I will hope to be arriving around 11.

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This schedule should help you all know what is going on with me overseas....

What else is new with the trip? Well on a less exciting note; I did a lot of shopping last night for the trip. God some great deals at the Goodwill last night! Still need to get some good walking shoes and some other odds and ends.

Now, I wanted to share with you all some pictures of where I will be going. I just found these online, but it will help you all see a little bit of where I will be. And I promise to bring back tons of my own!

This is Londonberry...

...and this is Skerries

Passport and International Flight

Yesterday was a day of seeing God's provision for my trip. I knew getting into this that God was going to start testing my faith. He wanted to see how much I was willing to trust Him with right off the bat. Yesterday was the day that I had to have $1350 in my account for my international flights. As of this last Saturday I had $1245. Yesterday when I contacted the mission to check to make sure I had enough money to cover the ticket I had $1565! It was so encouraging to me that God provided more than enough just when it was needed.

My second praise has to do with my passport. I chose not to pay all the extra money to expedite my passport. My parents and I prayed a lot about it and came to the conclusion that God was telling us to do this. This was three weeks ago. They say that it usually takes 5-8 weeks or more for it to come in. But God is good and as of yesterday I have my PASSPORT!

God is blessing me so much through this experience and I am being affirmed every day that this trip is in God's will for me.

Provision

Praise God for His reminders of faithfulness. I have to admit that this week has been a challenging on for me and I have been wondering if I will be able to raise the funds necessary to go this summer, but after tonight I know that it will all turn out. I guess I never really doubted that He would bring it all together, but a little extra reassurance never hurts.

This weekend my church is having missions services and they are bringing me up to share just a little bit about what I am doing this summer. I thought tonight went pretty well and I look forward to tomorrow. The response tonight from the few people who came and talked to me was so encouraging! God really used them to show me that He is going to get me to Ireland. One way or another. I'm so grateful for His provision and love for me. But I really need to never doubt His greatness. He has called me to go out and love others for Himself so He will get me there. No doubt!

Preperation

I chose to call this blog "Testing My Faith" because it seem that that is what God is doing in me this year. One thing after another has brought me to my knees before Him asking what He has planned for me. Sometimes I was in tears, other times I couldn't stop laughing, but whatever the situation I have learned that He really does have a great plan for my life.

I am starting this blog to keep anyone who cares up to date on my prep for my summer. I will be going on a mission trip to Ireland this year for 4 weeks. The trip will be 6 weeks total and I am so excited to see God challenge me. I am tired of being a comfortable Christian. Tired of being in my comfort zone. I want everything I know to be taken away so that all I am left with is my God to lean on for strength and guidance. I know that He will answer this prayer as I give myself more to Him.

Please join me in prayer for all He will do in and through me this summer. I will be keeping this up to date with the changes and challenges that I come across.