Wenatchee!

      Like I have mentioned previously, I was given an opportunity to speak to Oikos Fellowship (my church) about what I will be doing in Burundi this summer. I remember being in high school and watching missionaries speak to the church about what they will be doing, and imagining myself doing that someday. . . but doubting it would happen. Looking at my name in the bulletin under the missionary category was quite surreal in some sense.
     
     The next step is meeting the high school students who I will be going to Africa with in Wenatchee! I will be driving to Wenatchee Free Methodist Church during the weekend of the 24th of March, and I will be hanging out with the students for a "hang out night" to get to know them. Then, that Sunday, they are going to be doing a fundraiser for the trip that I get to help out as well! I am stoked to be able to meet them and hang out before we go to Africa.

  All funds need to be in by May 1st. The president of Sister Connections has reserved a plane ticket for me. It is going to be about $2,800. . .  a little more than I had anticipated. I will be in awe to see how the Lord provides. I have about $1,200 raised so far. I need about $4,800 totally raised. Any extra money will be donated to Sister Connections to help the widows.
    
Thank you all so much who are praying and also who have helped financially.

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we  rejoice in hope in the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hears through the holy spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:1-5
  

The Process

I received more information after meeting with Abby a couple of days ago. Pray for Sister Connections and the directions that the Lord is leading them. There are an overwhelming amount of orphans who need an education and care; pray for Sister Connection's role in that.

As of teaching health, many of the widows have only a few years of elementary school education, so what I will be teaching will be very very simplified.  I will be teaching about the importance of vegtables. If the women have extra money, they usually buy meat rather than vegtables, so I get emphasize the importance of veggies! Deficiencies in vitamin A are very common which result in eye sight issues.

As of right now, the Lord is reminding me of His character. The God who was raised Jesus from the dead in order that we shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Perish. What a word. We shall not!! There is so much beauty in the process of the detailed plans that the Lord has.Am I able to truly rejoice in waiting is whatever it may be in life? It is easy for me to want ____ (fill in the blank) and develop a heart of discontentment. God’s perfect timing now is to progress in our sanctification in Him and continue to fall on our knees clinging to His feet. “ Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”… "Therefore, my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Shelo, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever-more.” Psalms 16 1-2 and 9-11.

It is funny how Peter continues to repeats himself because we forget! We forget the character of our father. In Him we are His beloved, we are His children, heirs of everything, yet, I hesitate to speak up because of fear of man. Thank the Lord for your grace.

I get to speak to Oikos on Sunday! A very sweet woman is donating purchased Mary Kay products for the widows, and the funds are going towards my flight there!! For more information e-mail me at lundbeb3@students.wwu.edu  

New schedule and process of the trip

I have recently received an update about what my time in Burundi will entail. Officially, I will be an intern with another woman named Jennifer. I will be meeting with a woman who works for SC on Wednesday. Then I will hear more details!

I am in awe of the Lord's provision faithfulness through this process. I have deeply desired to use my health degree to teach overseas and do camp ministry via missions, but the thought was fearing; unbelief in God’s control.

 "Trust in the Lord your God with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all of your ways, He will make your path straight" Proverbs 3:5-6.

Trust with all of my heart . . .  the Lord is continuously reminding me of that. Pleasing the Lord is accepting His grace and trusting our faithful, loving father.

 “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all of your anxieties on Him, because he cares for you. 1 peter 5: 6-7.

The Lord's grace; what a gift in which I struggle to grasp from time to time.

After the Lord convicting me of trying to serve him through works, in the midst of my anxiety, discouragement, and burn-out, He directed me to learn how to sit and rest in Him for about a year. That had been a very difficult task in which I have seen so much fruit; to truly rest and trust in the Lord. What an incredible and intricate father He is. “Oh taste and see that the lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Oh fear the lord you his saints for those who fear him have no lack. The young lion suffers want and hunger but those who seek the lord lack not good thing” Psalms 34:8-10.

Next Sunday I will be speaking at Oikos Fellowship Church about my internship in Burundi along with other missionaries.

Schedule of the time in Burundi:

·         Sometime between Sun, July 1 to Tues July 2--Michelle, Josh (Michelle's new husband), Denise, 3 Patch kids, Susan Rice, Brittney (intern) & Jennifer (intern) fly in.

Wed, July 3--visit HAU campus & a Buja widow home

Thurs, July 4--head up-country, visit Mt. Hope or Kibuye, widow homes

Fri, July 5--visiting homes, hearing testimonies, greeting friends

Sat, July 6--visiting homes, hearing testimonies, greeting friends

Sun, July 8--church and preparing for camps

Mon, July 9—widows and children arrive in afternoon

Tues, July 10—Widows’ Seminar and Children’s Camp

Wed, July 11—Widows’ Seminar and Children’s Camp

Thurs, July 12--rest, travel to Buja

Fri, July 13--Michelle and Josh fly out (or Saturday, depending on flights).

Sat to Tues, July 14-17--Denise & kids, Brittney, and (Jennifer) rest, debrief, and visit homes . . .

Mon, July 16 Barb & Wayne Vibbert fly out of Buja (Barb & Wayne will not be there for youth camps).

Thurs, July 19—Wenatchee Team (13 team members) and possibly Julie Greissinger with her kids Alex, and Katie arrive in the afternoon (Rest in Buja and visit Hope Africa U). They join Denise and her kids, Brittney, and Jennifer to help with youth camps.

Fri, July 20--Could visit Ruzzizi for hippos and crocs; go up country, visit widow homes

Sat, July 21--Prep crafts, games, & special songs, visit widow homes. Dinner: debrief widow home visits

Sun, July 22--Church & rest

Mon, July 23--Youth Camp #1

Tues, July 24--Youth Camp #1

Wed, July 25—Team rests, debrief a bit, prep more crafts, shopping in Gitega

Thurs, July 26—Youth Camp #2

Fri, July 27—Youth Camp #2

Sat, July 28—Team heads back to Buja, additional shopping, Dinner: team debrief youth camps

Sun, July 29—Morning: church, Late evening: team flies out