Wow, I can't believe it's been 21 days since I've written. Time flies at this time of the year because of finals and meetings. I can't believe that we have 38 days until we leave. It completely blows my mind. It'll be here sooner than we think!
The team is amazing and it's been such a blessing to hear each others life stories. It's interesting what you can't know from simple interactions with each other. There are so many things I'm discovering by hearing what each person finds to be the important part of their lives. I love hearing how God has worked in each of our lives and how He continues to work in them. We are also blessed with a wonderful advisor. The more I get to know her the more I feel blessed to have such a wonderful woman and spiritual leader for this trip!
Preparation for the trip is coming along wonderfully! We're still adjusting the budget, but our plane tickets should be bought by the end of the week! That's crazy! I feel that having those makes it even more real. Fundraising is still going well and I know that God will provide.
More updates to come soon!
Please continue to be in prayer for Swazi as the political unrest continues to grow.
Kristen
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
59 days
Tonight was our first night in our Missions Prep class that the team has to take. Each summer mission trip has to take it and those are Sri Lanka, India, Uganda, and Swaziland. Our professor is an absolutely incredible man. He's traveled all over the world and his passion for God and people is infectious. He said so many amazing things about missions and our worldview, but I couldn't help my mind wander to our individual trip. I couldn't get possible scenarios and situations out of my head. We will be there for 29 days. That is enough time to start a completely new routine in our home away from home. I can imagine us getting up and going through a day as if it was a normal day in our lives and we weren't actually thousands of miles away from our real homes. This of course, got me thinking about what home really is. I love the saying, "Home is where the heart is." I find this to be so true. One thing I notice is that I have more than one home. My home is with the people I love and cherish, so I have many possible homes all over the country.
I went to Mexico spring break of my freshman-junior year in high school through my church. I can honestly say that those trips changed my life and helped to make me the person I am today. I left a piece of my heart there and I know if I were to go back someday (I really hope to soon!) that it will still feel like home. The buildings have roofs and floors and the dining hall is probably larger, but I don't feel at home because of the buildings, I feel at home because of the people and the culture. The trips to Mexico were each a week and I left craving more. The Swaziland trip is so much longer and I can't imagine how much more I'll get attached to it. I love talking to the team from last year and hearing how much they still love it and how much their hearts ache to be back there. Will Bulembu feel like another home to me and the other people on my team? Will I constantly think about it and long to be back there? Only God knows at this point and I am completely at peace about that. This is not my trip. This is not my teams trip. This is God's trip. He has a plan for us that we cannot even begin to fathom.
We're starting to get into the more detailed part of our trip. We're figuring out funds, buying our flights, putting together packing lists, and so much more. So to balance that, we're starting life stories. Two people each week will share their lives with the group in order to bond us together more than we already are. I'm going to go off on a little tangent right now, so please forgive me. Our team is amazing. I cannot say how thankful I am that God has called this group to go on this particular trip. We work well together, we all have completely different strengths and weaknesses, we all have a heart to serve, and so much more. I thank God every day for the opportunity to serve alongside this incredible group of people. We're all going to be pushed outside of our comfort zone and will need each other and I can already see supportive and encouraging relationships growing. We also have just a little bit of fun together. ;)
Until next time, please continue to be praying for our fundraising efforts and the political unrest in Swaziland. Thank you! =)
I went to Mexico spring break of my freshman-junior year in high school through my church. I can honestly say that those trips changed my life and helped to make me the person I am today. I left a piece of my heart there and I know if I were to go back someday (I really hope to soon!) that it will still feel like home. The buildings have roofs and floors and the dining hall is probably larger, but I don't feel at home because of the buildings, I feel at home because of the people and the culture. The trips to Mexico were each a week and I left craving more. The Swaziland trip is so much longer and I can't imagine how much more I'll get attached to it. I love talking to the team from last year and hearing how much they still love it and how much their hearts ache to be back there. Will Bulembu feel like another home to me and the other people on my team? Will I constantly think about it and long to be back there? Only God knows at this point and I am completely at peace about that. This is not my trip. This is not my teams trip. This is God's trip. He has a plan for us that we cannot even begin to fathom.
We're starting to get into the more detailed part of our trip. We're figuring out funds, buying our flights, putting together packing lists, and so much more. So to balance that, we're starting life stories. Two people each week will share their lives with the group in order to bond us together more than we already are. I'm going to go off on a little tangent right now, so please forgive me. Our team is amazing. I cannot say how thankful I am that God has called this group to go on this particular trip. We work well together, we all have completely different strengths and weaknesses, we all have a heart to serve, and so much more. I thank God every day for the opportunity to serve alongside this incredible group of people. We're all going to be pushed outside of our comfort zone and will need each other and I can already see supportive and encouraging relationships growing. We also have just a little bit of fun together. ;)
Until next time, please continue to be praying for our fundraising efforts and the political unrest in Swaziland. Thank you! =)
Monday, March 21, 2011
63 Days
63 days. 63 days is all that is left until we embark on this amazing journey. It's felt so far away for so long and now it feels so soon! For those of you who don't know the story behind this trip or Bulembu, take a few minutes to watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEsOXzWbXr0
Through Gordon, a team of 11 students and one faculty member have this amazing opportunity to go to Swaziland for a month this summer! We'll be doing a variety of tasks from grass slashing to facilitating games for children.
At this point in the year, we are in the middle of fundraising! While it is necessary, it is definitely not my favorite part of doing a missions trip. Each person who is going costs approximately $3,300 for the entire month. This seems like such an overwhelming cost, but from past experience I've seen God provide through those who He calls to give. Thank you to all who have given to support me and members of the team already and thank you to those who are considering supporting in the near future. Money is obviously not the only thing we are looking for to support this trip. Prayer is an absolute necessity. Thank you to those who have kept the preparation of this trip in your prayers as well as the team. We are forever grateful!
If you are interested in learning more about this trip or contributing to me and my team, please let me know!
I'll be updating this weekly (hopefully) with updates about Bulembu and our progress as a team.
God bless!
Kristen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEsOXzWbXr0
Through Gordon, a team of 11 students and one faculty member have this amazing opportunity to go to Swaziland for a month this summer! We'll be doing a variety of tasks from grass slashing to facilitating games for children.
At this point in the year, we are in the middle of fundraising! While it is necessary, it is definitely not my favorite part of doing a missions trip. Each person who is going costs approximately $3,300 for the entire month. This seems like such an overwhelming cost, but from past experience I've seen God provide through those who He calls to give. Thank you to all who have given to support me and members of the team already and thank you to those who are considering supporting in the near future. Money is obviously not the only thing we are looking for to support this trip. Prayer is an absolute necessity. Thank you to those who have kept the preparation of this trip in your prayers as well as the team. We are forever grateful!
If you are interested in learning more about this trip or contributing to me and my team, please let me know!
I'll be updating this weekly (hopefully) with updates about Bulembu and our progress as a team.
God bless!
Kristen
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