100%!!!

Last weekend I realized I am still in need about about $600ish dollars for Africa. Although I have until June to raise the support, ideally Sister Connections would like the support in by May 1st. So again, I asked the Lord to provide soon.

I baby-sat for a family last weekend. This family really shows Christ's love through their family, and I get to go over there weekly and help with house cleaning. After I baby-sat, they started writing me a check towards going to Burundi and I saw a 6 and a 0... I thought, "oh no, I think they over paid me." So I get into my car, and look at the check and no, it was $600!!! The Lord is so good; incredible. I ran back into the house and asked them if they accidentally added an extra 0... and they smiled at me.

I just heard from Oikos, and I have all the funds that I need stored at the church!!! I will know more details more later, but I get to purchase my plane ticket this week; incredible.

In two weeks I get to meet the high school students from Wenatchee Free Methodist Church who will be in Burundi with me for two weeks.
1 Peter 1: 3-9

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Crazy Story

Last weekend I asked the Lord to provide abundantly for Africa. I began to question the Lord's provision and tried to figure out how I could make enough money to go to Africa. The very next day, I went to church  a little cranky, tired, and discouraged. While I was teaching Sunday School, a missionary from my church told Oikos (my church) about my financial need to go to Africa. After I finished teaching, I walked into the church area, and people began handing me money for Africa! I couldn't believe it; even people who I don't know well gave!

I went into the back of the church to deposit my money, and the Lord provided $1,200!!! The Lord is so so faithful. In the midst of my discouragement and doubt, the Lord blew me out of the water.

 "Trust in the Lord your God with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight." Proverbs 3:5-6. This has been a favorite verse of mine and I am understanding it better.

Ahhh! I am actually going! I will be getting my shots next week and ordering my visa. In addition to all of this, I have seen my family's heart change about this as well which is another answer to prayers. I only have about $700 more to go!

Spring Break

" Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with nothing, taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men." Phil. 2:3-7.

I am continually amazed at the Lord's humility throughout scripture and His grace that engulfs our lives continuously. 

During my spring break I was praying about summer plans while I am not in Africa. I have wanted to do recreation facilitation at Warm Beach, but I assumed being gone in Africa would not allow it. Last week, I happened to run across the recreation director at Warm Beach, and everything randomly worked out and I got the recreation job for the summer! The Lord is good and full of surprises.

When I am not in Africa, I will be facilitating team building activities with various groups, facilitating high rope courses, high and low element activities, leading rock climbing, teaching swimming lessons, leading canoe trips, and lifeguarding. Recreation facilitation provides an incredible opportunity to teach people lessons about their self-awareness, trust, communication, relationships, and faith through experiential learning. Because I will be leading recreation activities in Burundi, these skills will be so helpful.

These last four days I have been training to get my level 1 recreation facilitation certification. What I am learning has been very applicable to what I have been learning in school as well. I am so thankful for the people who I will get to work alongside with this summer, and I am excited to see how the Lord is going to grow us all.

In regards to Sister Connections, I have some family members who are becoming supportive of this trip and more funds have come in which is so exciting.

I still need approximately $1800 by May 1st. It is almost there!

I will be making plans to go to Wenatchee soon!

Thank you all who have been praying and also who have supported me financially.

"The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." Psalms 145:8.

Change of plans and support update

Because of the snow on the pass, I am going to postpone visiting the students at Wenatchee Free Methodist Church on March 25th. I hope to visit in April or May to connect with them before hanging out with them in Burundi.


Support raising has been going well, and I am very thankful for my close community in Bellingham and friends and family who have been supportive in many ways. As of right now, I have $1,400 deposited, and my I am expecting about $400 soon, so that puts me at $1,800. I need to have about $4,500 total (so about $2,800 more) by May 1st... in 6 weeks! It will be cool to watch how the Lord will provides. I am going to be sending out more letters tomorrow as well.


" Praise the Lord, O my soul; in my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He make known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Isreal: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse nor will he harbor his anger forever. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth so great is his love for those who fear him." Psalm 103: 1-13

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