on a journey.

Back to Kaleo!

2011-05-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

Yes you heard it right! I am returning back to Kaleo the day after graduation to be a Discipleship Group Leader (Dgroup). I will be leading three girls from SNU: Emily Spitler, Timara Starkey, and Kayla Conant. I am so excited to get to share this experience with these girls and get to grow with them. A lot of you are probably thinking..man this girl needs to settle down and get a job. Well to be honest, I understand what you are thinking. This past year I have been praying that if the desires me to return to Kaleo, that he would make it clear to me. He definitely has done that. There are a lot of different feelings I am having in this stage before graduation. Some parts of me think I am so crazy for doing this, and not looking for a job this summer. Other parts of me are stressed out because I have to leave the day after graduation (which means a lot to get done!). But the main part of me is so excited to see what God is going to do this summer. He has opened the doors for me to return to Kaleo, and I know that this experience will continue to shape me.

I heard some one say that being a Kaleo participant helps you grow in your head knowledge about God, and being a leader helps you grow in Godly character. I am very excited/nervous to be able to continue growing into the Godly woman God has called me to be. Seth and I are also very excited to both experience this because we know that it will just help our marriage.

I am writing this to some of you specifically... I would love your prayers right now as I deal with so many emotions. I would also love it if you joined in praying for me this summer.

Right now I am thinking about a job, wedding, kaleo, leading, etc. I know that I am doing God's will and that gives me peace, but still sometimes the devil tries to tell me that what I am doing is not worth while. I need to trust.

Specific prayer requests that you could pray: that I would put my relationship with God over everything. That the Lord would give me peace and take away my stress so I can focus on Him. That I would be a servant leader (and have patience). That the Lord would provide a job for me in His timing (at Kaleo and at home and that I would trust Him for this), and for my group to all have teachable hearts.

Thank you so much for committing to this. I am looking forward to another life-changing summer.

back to campus.

2010-07-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

It is crazy to think that in 2 days, i will be headed home. I am definitely excited, but I am also sad to say goodbye. This week is called "Back to Campus" week. This is a week that basically teaches us how to apply the ministry that we have learned here, back at home. It has a huge emphasis on strategic ministry. It has been so helpful to have direction and ways to actually be able to bring this experience back home with me. Tomorrow is the last full day of Back to campus, and then we have our final worship service. Then on Friday we make the trek home! I cannot wait to see you guys and share. The Lord has definitely changed my life from this summer. I am confident of that. I know this is not a summer high, it is a life change for me. I am so thankful that I have had this opportunity, and I am truly grateful to those who have helped me have this chance! Can't wait to see you guys very soon! Thank you so much. Love you guys.

missions conference and baptism!

2010-07-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend was such a great weekend! We drove down to Destin for the Missions conference. I can't really sum up through this blog all that I learned during this conference. All I can say is that the Lord is really working in my heart, and teaching me a lot about Him, and our calling as Christians. We talked about some of our roles as Christians, and two of them were to be a Prayer person, and a Sender for other missionaries. As I was learning about these roles, my supporters were brought to my mind. Although many of my supporters are not able to go over seas, or come to Kaleo to learn and grow more, they have truly supported me and prayed for me during the past two summers. Whether I was in Mozambique, or in Panama City, my support has been so consistent and so faithful. So I just wanted to say first of all thanks, and second I know that you all are being faithful to the Lord, by your support for me. It means so much to me. I am blessed to be here, and learning all that I am. I know this is not a camp high, but these things that I am learning our changing me, and my relationship with Christ. I am growing with God more than I ever have. I am just so thankful that I am here.
Sunday we had a project baptism. Before the baptism, I just kept going back and forth on if I wanted to get rebaptized or not. I finally came to the decision that as an act of obedience to God, I want to be rebaptized. When I was baptized, I didn't fully grasp what a Christian was so I want to be rebaptized when I get home. I thought about doing it with the project, since I believe this is where I have truly started growing in my faith, but I want to wait until I get home! I want to do it at my home church, in front of the people who have supported me and loved me through the thick and thin of my life. I am really looking forward to using this act of obedience as a testimony for others.

At the baptism I got to see Seth, and some of my closest friends get rebaptized, and some get baptized for the first time! It was such an awesome experience. It was a big celebration in the ocean, and it was really amazing to see how God has moved in so many ways here. Thank you all for your prayers and encouraging words. You are dear to me!
Love, Kaylee

thankful for freedom.

2010-07-06T06:13:00.000-07:00

The picture on the top left is the outdoor crew I work with, the picture below is Deb and Kenzie, the two ladies I am with is Alecia and Diane, the next picture is of my dgroup, and we all know who the last picture is of!!

This week has been a really good week. I got to share the gospel with 2 Jamaican ladies that I work with. Their names are Diane and Alecia. It was really good to be able to share it with friends that I have gotten to know, and not just strangers on the beach. They both had received Christ already, but it was good to open the doors for more conversation. Christianity looks so different in Jamaica than here, so it is good to share about the differences. On Thursday my coworkers and I were able to visit the Bigstuff service. This is the camp that we serve food for. We invited a lady that we work with named Deborah. She was working that night but she said she would try to stop by. We she ended up coming for a little bit, and I could just see her interest in her eyes. The service was fun, and people were freely praising God. The next day, Kenzie and Courtney (girls that I work with) got to share the bridge with her. As they were showing it to her, I was just watching her face, and
praying that the Lord would soften her heart. When they
asked her if she would like to put her trust in Jesus Christ, she looked at them with tears in her eyes, and said, "Yes, this is what I need." We all got to celebrate with her, and it was just awesome. Now Kenzie gets to walk her through steps of what to do next in your walk with Christ, which is so exciting!

Friday night we had a social which was at the park. It started pouring rain, but that didn't stop all of us from playing in it. It was a lot of fun! Saturday a group of us went to Royal American (where I work) and watched the fireworks. It was fun to see my coworkers in action too. Then Sunday we went to church and then we went to evangelism training early because we were going to Seaside that night. So after church we headed to training. At training they taught us some answers to some hard statements we get like, "There are many ways to get to heaven, besides Jesus, and "We can work our way to heaven." We learned some scripture that goes to prove that these statements are not true, if they came up in conversation. After training we got paired up with a partner. This week they did mixed partners. I was a little nervous about this. I got paired up with the guy that leads training. This was a little intimidating at first, but I just prayed that I would be able to articulate myself and that the Lord would speak through me. It turned out being really great, and we had some really good conversations. We got to lead a guy named Walter to Christ, which was really awesome. Later, we talked to this Christian family. They told us that we needed to talk to their daughter who was not there at the moment, but they told us she would try to test us. So sure enough, she comes walking up. I asked her if she wanted to see it, and she said yes. She began making up all these theories that she believes. I was so thankful that my partner was here, because he is a religious studies major, so he definitely knows his stuff, and also he was not going to let her questioning and theories trip him up. He did a great job talking to her, and she definitely understood what he was saying, and stopped trying to test him. Even though it was a tough conversation, I definitely could see that the Lord is going to use it to help the girl better understand who he is. Sunday night we went to Seaside. It was a lot of fun! I got to see my great friend Terry, because the Destin Kaleo was there also. It was a great weekend!!

This week I have off work because a camp canceled. It's kind of a bummer, but I am going to try to milk it, because it is not long before we leave! This weekend is missions conference. I am really excited for all that I am going to learn. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you are doing well!!

what a gift.

2010-06-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

During these past weeks I have loved reading "The Cross Centered Life" and learning more about Christ's sacrifice. I just feel like I keep on learning more, and gaining a new perspective of Christ's sacrifice. Not only through the readings, but also through the material we work on throughout the week. Sharing the bridge with others has also helped me really understand what the gospel should mean in our lives. After reading and discussing the book I now see that the gospel should be the focus of our every day lives. It makes complete sense. Our salvation is not supposed to be celebrated on Easter, or Sundays, but everyday. Because of Christ's sacrifice, we have an opportunity of having eternal life with God. The fact that God would sacrifice His Son for me, is so humbling, and amazing. Another chapter talked about how because God sent His Son to die, he understands all suffering. No suffering is greater than what Christ experienced. We will never experience separation from God, because our perfect and sinless Lord died for us. Despite our suffering, we should be joyful because our suffering will never be as severe as our sins, that Jesus took away. I do not think I will ever be able to fully grasp how powerful that is. I did not mean to spoil the book for you guys, but I really would encourage you all to read it. To think about it. This gift is TOO great not to share! I have been so inspired by others here, and their passion to share with others. I am definitely learning a lot.

I pray that I will stay motivated and dedicated to all the things that I have to get done in these next couple of weeks. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I am so thankful for this opportunity to be here. I am growing so much, and it would not be possible without you guys. I am so grateful.

a little catch up!

2010-06-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Sorry its been a little while since I have written. I hope you all are doing well. I thought I would write and catch you up on my week. Last week was really busy with a full week of work and then also staying on top of my inductive Bible study and verse memorization, but it was a really good week. Then this past weekend we had relationship conference, which was 2 nights of seminars about how to have a biblical relationship. It was really awesome, and very articulate about what this type of relationship should look like. I am very thankful for what I learned, and I really have no doubt that it will help me in many ways. Sunday we had a great church service, and then we went to Evangelism training. We learned how to prepare our 90 second testimony. Then we added our testimony to the bridge diagram. I really liked adding this to the bridge because it makes it really personal. People can argue with the gospel, but they cannot argue with something that has happened to you, so that is pretty awesome. After we practiced we set out for the beach. I was with a girl named Kelby who is one of the team leaders at Kaleo. It was good to evangelize with someone who has practiced evangelism a lot, and really knew how to make the gospel personal. The conversations we had with some people were more of a challenge then last week, but I really still felt like I learned a lot from those as well. I just pray that the Lord can plant seeds through us, even if the people don't choose to accept Christ when we present the gospel. Sunday night we had everyone get together for a World Prayer over Pune, India which is where Student Mobilization just launched a team (short and long term) there. It was really neat to learn about Pune. There is such a need for Christ there. (I will write more about that later) Last night we had our Bible study with our Dgroup, and it was really great. Tonight is Stumo night, which is a Kaleo church service. It is awesome, and definitely one of the highlights of my week! Have a great week guys!

the Lord listens.

2010-06-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a really good weekend. Saturday morning we got to go on a snorkeling trip for free because one of my friend Britton works a snorkeling company and her boss offered for 77 students to go on a tour, and the only thing we have to do is refer others! It was so fun. They took us to the area of shell island and we got see all sorts of sea creatures. I found a sand dollar that was still alive! It was pretty exciting, even though I couldn't keep it. I also got to hold a live star fish. All that to say, it was a lot of fun! Saturday evening we had our first social. The theme for the evening was "Things that come in 4's," but since my leader was gone we only had three. So we dressed up like smores. Our costumes were pretty great, if I can say so myself. After the social, I practiced the bridge with my friend Britton. She was so encouraging to me, and helped give me confidence which I was praying for. I have really enjoyed getting to know her, and I am thankful for her friendship while being here.

Today we went to church, and it was really good. The pastor of the church used to be in the military, so this man does not sugar coat things. It is kinda refreshing to hear the gospel straight up. Sometimes in my journey I forget how real the wrath of God is, and sometimes I think we needed to be reminded of that for accountability, and also to put us in our place. I also think this makes the gospel so much cooler. The reason God's Son died for us was to calm God's wrath. Pretty awesome.

After church we got ready for evangelism training. I was getting a little anxious, and I just kept praying that the Lord would calm my nerves and that the Holy Spirit would speak through me. After training I was paired up with my friend Allison, and we set off to share the gospel on the beach. The first lady that I spoke to was named Rita. She was so confident in her faith, and really encouraging to me and what I was doing.Then she told me that she would love for me to talk to her daughter that had just been baptized, but she was at the pool. I told her that we would try to catch her on our way back so we could show the bridge to her. We went on down the beach and we saw some other Kaleo girls down there, so we decided to turn around. When we walked back I saw Rita with her daughter. I asked her if they had time and she said yes. I met her daughter and her friend Caroline. I got to share the bridge with them and Caroline had never received Christ. I asked her if she wanted to, and she said Yes! It was so exciting to help someone make such an awesome decision. I am so amazed that we (sinners) just have to turn from our self-desired life, and trust that Jesus did die for our sins and conquered death, and we are SAVED! God has made salvation so easy for us! That just amazes me.

Later in the day I got to talk to another lady named Courtney. She was so excited to hear what I was sharing, and she really enjoyed how articulate the bridge was. She was saying how she wishes she could share like I did because her husband is an atheist and she has been praying that he would accept the gospel. She said that he is very scientific, so he really likes to see facts. I told her that I just learned the bridge 3 weeks ago, and that if I can learn it she can. So we exchanged information and I am going to send her some info on the bridge. We prayed for her husband and she was so emotional. It was really neat talking to her, and also encouraging her to share. I just pray that the Lord softens her husband, Jason's heart.

Anyways, I felt much more confident in sharing my beliefs and that was definitely an answer to prayer. Thanks for reading! I appreciate you guys!

the first full week.

2010-06-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

This week was my first week on the job. It was good and I really like the people I work with, and now I am tired! I thought I would write this blog and give you a glimpse of what my week at kaleo looks like. A lot of people have asked me if I just get to hang out at the beach all the time, and that is definitely not the case. I do try to visit some on my days off, but not as much as I would like!

Sunday: I attend the First Baptist Church of Panama City with a group of Kaleo people. They assign us different churches so that we are getting involved with more of the community. Then we grab lunch and head to a church for Evangelism training. This lasts about an hour-two hours. Then we set out with a partner to share the gospel on the beach. We return around 5 and have share time to hear about the different experiences on the beach. That is really neat. After we clean our rooms because we have room checks every Sunday night. Then we have world prayer. We have prayer groups, and we rotate to different countries each week and learn how we can specifically pray for countries such as China, India, African countries, etc. It is a great learning experience and great to know how we can be praying for different places and religions. That is a normal Sunday.

Monday: I go to work at Royal American from 6:00 AM to 3:00pm.
That evening we have our discipleship group meeting time. This lasts at least a couple hours. We recite our scripture memory for the week, we discuss the "Cross Centered Life" book and then go over the inductive Bible study. After all of this, we talk about applications and certain ways we can apply what were learning to our lives.

Tuesday: Work-6:00-3:00 Tuesday evening we have our all Kaleo worship service, Stumo. We meet around 6 30 and have pizza, then we have worship and awesome speakers! I really love Tuesdays. After Stumo, Kelly and I go and have a one-on-one, which is a time for accountability and more growth. We read some and she asks specific questions about the text.

Wednesday: Work 6:00-3:00 Wednesday night we have our Inductive Bible Study Training. We are learning how to observe and interpret the Bible. It is a lot to learn, but it is very helpful! After training, we have campus prayer which is a time when we get to break off with our school groups and pray for SNU specifically, and the people on our campus.

Thursday: Work 10-3 Thursday night there is usually activities at a local park. Many people invite the employees they work to join too.

Friday: Work 6-11:30. Friday is one of our free nights, but I usually spend some of it trying to catch up on the things that are due on Monday.

Saturday: Free. This week we are having one of our social events, and the theme is "Things that come in 4," but since Kelly is gone for the weekend, our group is going to have to do 3. It should be fun!

Work has been really good, and I get to work with some great bosses. They look after us, and are very hard working as well. I am really praying that the Lord will give me the eyes to see people that need to hear the gospel that I work with.

I am sorry if this blog is kinda boring, but I thought it might be nice for some of you to see what I am doing. My prayer this week is that the Lord will give me energy so that I can be productive outside of work. Im so blessed to be here, and I am learning so much. I am so excited that I will be able to bring this home.

Thank you all for reading! Love you guys.

cross centered life.

2010-06-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

One of the books we are reading this summer is "The Cross Centered Life." It talks about how our lives should always be focused on the ultimate sacrifice that God has given us, his Son. It is amazing how as a Christian we can forget how truly amazing God's sacrifice was. I am learning a lot, and also learning how to apply it to my life. On Sunday we went out and did beach evangelism. I got to go with Kelly which was very helpful. At first we were nervous because people were not as willing to give us their opinion on our illustration, but the Lord definitely opened up some great opportunities. We talked to a lady that was Buddhist. She didn't seem to really follow Buddhist beliefs, but she knew that she did not believe what Christians believed. She began telling us how her nephew was killed in the name of Jesus Christ. I am not sure exactly what this meant, but you could see that her heart was very hardened to Christianity. Kelly and I listened and then explained the "Bridge" illustration. Although she was very avid about not being open to our beliefs, she listened the whole entire time, and I hope that maybe the Lord spoke some truth and maybe some hope into her life.

After beach evangelism we always have share time with the group. It really is amazing to see how God works through people that trust Him and share the gospel.One really neat story was from a guy named Heath from UCO. He talked about how he shared the Bridge with a man on the beach who at first seemed really cold-hearted, and not at all open to the idea of Christianity. He said he just kept praying that the Lord would soften the man's heart. At the end of the bridge he asked the man if he had ever made the decision to put his trust in Jesus Christ, and the man said no, and that he wanted to! Heath was really excited about it, and after he left he ran into the man's sister. She was praising him for what he did. She told him that she had been trying to get him to accept Jesus Christ for 6 years, but the man finally understood what it meant after seeing the bridge! I just thought that was an amazing story, and also really neat to see how the Lord blesses us when we share His gospel.

This week we (people that have not started their jobs) have been helping out with service projects at the City Rescue Mission in PCB. This is outside of the world prayer, small group, church service, and bible study that we have been doing throughout the week. It was fun, but a lot of work. Today I officially am employed at the Royal American after all my tests came back clear. I go in on Monday for a run through and then my first official day is Tuesday at 6 AM. I am excited to get a set schedule and officially have a job. I pray that the Lord will help me to be disciplined to get up before work to spend daily quiet time with Him, and also that I say dedicated to the inductive Bible study, my book reading, and scripture memorization. It is a lot of things, but I want to be able to stay focused even when I get tired and busy with work. If you can pray about these things that would be wonderful. Also, the oil spill is heading our way as of now. We will not be leaving PCB if this happens, but it will affect our beach evangelism, and maybe some jobs if it does hit us. Sometimes I pray, "Lord PLEASEEEEE don't let it hit here", and kinda laugh to myself like that really wouldn't happen. BUT i have been convicted because I am limiting God and his miracles. I believe that he hears our prayers and He is WAY bigger than my thoughts can perceive. I mean he parted the RED SEA! If it does hit, I know he will take care of us and things will work out just the way he wants.

Anyways, this is a really random post but I thought I would send out a little weekly update. Thank you for your comments, and prayers. They really are such a blessing to me. Love you all!

Kaleo 2010

2010-05-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

It does not seem like too long ago that I was writing about our adventures at Kruger Park, and wrapping up an amazing summer in Mozambique. Well this summer I am getting to experience God in a new experience and I am really so excited about it. Thank you for all your support for me through both of these experiences. I am really looking forward how God is going to use these two experiences.

Well to sum up the past couple of days they have been crazy, and amazing all at once. We got in on Friday night and we moved in then went down to the beach for capture the flag, and meeting the group. There are about 175 Kaleo participants in Panama City! So it was a little intimidating for the 9 of us SNU kids walking out on the beach with many students that knew each other, but everyone was really friendly. After capture the flag we headed to bed. Saturday morning we woke up and had a little training on job searching. They told us that it is not about where we work, but how we work. At first I was thinking to myself, "I am not going to work at Taco Bell for the summer," but as we began searching for jobs I began just praying that I would get a job. The day was very stressful and many companies told us to come back in a couple weeks, or that they were not hiring. So we hunted till 5 30 and then we ate dinner and hung out with the group. I was pretty overwhelmed by this point.

The next day we were assigned a church in the community to be a part of. My discipleship group will be attending First Baptist Church in Panama City. We will be going to this church with 4 other D groups (Discipleship). The Sunday School class was very friendly, and had a small church feel to it. We asked the pastor if there was anyway we volunteer in their church. He led us to a lady that was going to assign us jobs. One of the positions was to be in the choir.. I thought that sounded fun. Well turns out Kara, Caylee, and I sang with a choir of about 50..not to mention in robes!! It was quite the experience. It kinda reminded me of something I would have done in Mozambique. After church we headed to evangelism training. They taught us the bridge and how to approach others about the gospel. They do it in a very conversational way, which I really like. Well the training was kinda short, and they paired us with another Kaleo participant and sent us on our way. God really calmed my spirit because I was definitely nervous. The first person we went up to share the gospel accepted Christ into her heart!! It was really awesome and just God's way of telling me that he can work in peoples' hearts. We had some good conversations, and I am looking forward to learning more about evangelism, and sharing with others on Sundays.

Yesterday was pretty exhausting. We job hunted for 8 hours and we didn't really know if anything was going to come through even though we sat through a 3 hour interview. The interview is for a catering service for a resort (Royal American) that serves kid campers at a resort. I wanted it so bad, and I didnt know how it was going to turn out. Last night we had our D Group time. It was awesome. We learned about how to spend quiet time with the Lord, and how it is such a necessity for our walk with God. I know you are probably thinking .. well duh Kaylee, but it is really what I needed. Kelly (my D group leader) gave us strategic tips of how to spend quiet time with God. It was a really great time together, and I am just loving what I am learning.

Today we went back to job hunt.. To make the story short WE GOT THE JOBS!! Seth, Kara, and I will all be working for Royal American, the job we wanted. So it turns out the 3 hour interview paid off. It was such great time, and God definitely provided for us. We were praying from every different business we would drive from this morning that we would get a job, and God provided.

Tonight we were reading from Philippians 4: 6-7 which says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I felt that God really gave me this peace this morning. I am so thankful for a God that will hear all my requests. Anyways, God is faithful and I am loving growing closer to Him.

I don't know how often I will update my blog, but I really wanted to share an update for all my faithful supporters. Thank you for your prayers and for you support for me.

Kruger=success!! / Flight Itenarary

2009-07-20T23:12:00.000-07:00

What a day we had! We set off bright and early at a little after 5 in the morning. We did not have electricity so we had to try to dress ourselves in the dark. It was quite the challenge! We arrived in South Africa a little after 7. We went through customs and got another stamp in our passport. Then we set off for Kruger! First of all the Restricks were wonderful tour guides because they have been to this park over a hundred times. I loved that they both were still so excited to go with us still. They did warn us that they last trip they made with the teachers of the seminary, they did not have any luck seeing any animals. We were all saying our prayers that we would have better luck!
We had driven around 15 minutes and had seen some impalas and also some warthogs. Then we saw something jogging in the middle of the road so we sped up to see what it was. It was a lion!!! We followed it while it was jogging to catch 2 other lions! They were on the hunt and we got to follow behind them for at least 5 minutes! Then they went and laid down on the side of the road and we saw at least 8 elephants standing in the field! We were so excited. I am sure Dave and Rhoda thought that the girls in the back seat were pretty funny. We continued on driving and we saw another cat-like figure ahead. So we sped up again... there was the most beautiful leopard walking slowly ahead of us, waving its long tail behind! We were so amazed. Kruger has "The Big 5" this is the 5 hardest animals to hunt and kill and we had already seen 3 of the 5!! We knew God was blessing our trip! This was just the beginning and we continued on and saw sooooo many other awesome animals:
giraffes, hippos, rhinos, buffalo, kudos, beautiful birds, baboons, Bambis, crocodiles, zebras, a vulcher, eagle, bush buck,wildabeasts, and even more but I can't think of them off the top of my head! As you can tell we had a very successful day and we got to see all the Big 5! We had so much fun. Then we ate at this place called "Wimpys" it was really American and hit the spot!

On the trip home Allyson, Kristin and I laid the seat back and looked at the stars through the moon roof. We had such great conversations. I am going to miss them so much, they have helped me greatlly during my time here. We returned at 9 and I began to pack my stuff. It is the weirdest feeling to know that I am going to be telling my kids bye tomorrow night. They have become such a huge part of me, and it will be so hard to say goodbye. I am dreading this. The Lord has blessed me so much here, and he used these kids to help me. I wish I could bring them all back with me, but since I can't I will carry them in my heart. I cannot wait to be home and see you all.

Here is my flight itenarary to El Paso for debriefing.

Depart Maputo Wednesday at 3:55pm (1 hour flight)
Arrive in Johannesburg at 5:05 pm
Depart Joberg at 8:40 pm (11 hour flight)
Arrive in London Thursday at 6:50 AM
Depart London at 8:30 Am(10 hour flight)
Arrive in Houston at 12:30 Pm
Depart Houston at 3:00PM (1 hour flight)
Arrive in El Paso at 3:57 PM FINALLY!!!!!
Hopefully I got this correct.

As you can see we have quite the journey ahead of us, so I would definitely appreciate your prayers that everything runs smoothly and that we arrive safely!

Can't wait to see you all! Thank you for EVERYTHING!
Love,
Kaylee

Swaziland!

2009-07-18T22:28:00.000-07:00

We returned from Swaziland last night! It was so fun to see this country since I have heard so much about it. It was really beautiful and a great break from the city. We got to tour the Manzini Nazarene hospital which Rhoda used to work at. We saw some heartbreaking things as we walked through the halls. We also go to see the Nazerene Bible college there. It was really nice. We also go to see the house the Restricks lived in by the campus and the church they got married in. We went to a place where they made candles and we also got to see some of the amazing artwork and Rhoda and Dave wanted to stop and get a cup of tea. Then on the way out we saw the Houses of Parliament. It was really interesting. We stopped by KFC and got some food on the go. I must say I have had my fair share of Kentucky Fried Chicken for a while. Today we are going to a service to honor the new General Superindent from Cape Verde. This is really exciting because he is the first GS from Africa and we get to meet him in Africa! (This will probably include a huge feast after wards.) Then tomorrow we are traveling to Kruger Park for the day! We are praying that the animals come out to see us while we are there! I cannot believe this is my last couple days here in Mozambique. I am definitely ready to come home but I am sad to say goodbye to my family here. Be praying that we have a good farewell to our friends.
I am excited to see you all!! Thanks so much for your support and comments. They mean a lot to me!
Kaylee

God is present!

2009-07-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for your prayers during this challenging time. We are doing so much better. Although we have many unanswered questions, we know God has not forsaken us. He has definitely provided for us during this time. It is amazing how evident God is when you are challenged and weak. God is definitely my strength during times of limitation. I definitely believe that when I am weak, God is so strong.

We have had a very busy weekend. Saturday we attended the Maputo Youth District Concert. These are always fun because the people have such beautiful voices. I will definitely miss this when I am home. Not that people at home don't have beautiful voices, but these people just sing at the top of their lungs and it is so beautiful. At the end they sang "I want to march" and they started dancing and telling us (the three girls) to come up to the front and dance with them. Everyone loved that we joined in with them. It was a lot of fun. After the 5 hour event, we took the chappa with our friend Antonio to get us home (we were not sardines this time). When we got back the electricity was out (very typical) so we sat in the dark and looked at our wonderful pictures from the past months, and watched the funny videos we have made. We have been so blessed while being here, and I would not change my experience!

Sunday we had some miscommunication between the church districts, so Jerry attended a church in the Maputo district (the church we painted), and the girls attended the Mafuanine Nazarene Church which is in the Matola district. This church was almost to the Swaziland border, and it was a very pretty drive. We definitely got to see more African scernary. The church was the smallest hut we have been in. As we pulled up there were ladies outside working so hard to prepare a meal for us. The people were so welcoming to us. We sang "I love you Lord" and also "God is so Good." It was also fun because they had never heard of the God is good song, so we actually got to teach them it in Shangaan. Osvaldo spoke and he did a wonderful job. God really spoke to us today because we never can understand the service and we actually could understand it through translation. Not only that, the topic was perfect for us. God works in really creative ways. After the service we ate with the leaders of the church. Allyson got really lucky and got the head of the chicken on her plate. It is really hard to control your facial expressions in moments like this.

When we got home it was around 3 and Adimi called to say that his wife was preparing a meal for us, and he would pick us up shortly. He picked us up around 4 and we headed out to his house, which was also near the Swaziland border. As we were driving Adimi was asking us where each of us were from. I told him I was from Bethany, Oklahoma. He then asked me what church I attended. I told him I attended BFC and he interrupted me and said, "BETHANY FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE!!! Oh Kaylee this is just wonderful! I have met your Pastor David while he was in Swaziland and he is a wonderful man!" I was so shocked! What a small world! He then told me that he interpreted for him while Pastor Busic spoke at the church. He said it is a dream to visit the United States, and especially to visit my church! (I am determined to help him achieve this!) He told me he looks at our website once a month, and also was amazed that we have 10 pastors. It was really neat to make this connection with him.

His wife Celeste is really good friends with the Restricks and Rhoda taught her how to make pizza. So she made yummy pizza for us. Not only that, she made chicken that she cooked on coals. It was really neat to see that, and it was really delicious!! She also made coleslaw (with tuna), and potatoes. We were so stuffed but she made 6 pizzas so we had to stuff ourselves more so that we did not offend anyone. She also made cake and cut up huge pieces. We did not leave hungry! It was also wonderful to meet his children. It was the first African family that we have had the opportunity to be with. We enjoyed ourselves!

Monday we began our week of VBS and really was great! We went to two churches (one in the morning and one in the afternoon.) They both were in the Matola district and they were great churches. In the morning we worked with Adimi and helped teach a big group of children. We lead worship, taught a little bit about how they should take care of themselves (ex: brushing your teeth), we also helped with verse memorization, and had a competition at the end. It was a lot of fun! We had a little break and we went to eat at KFC! The only American place here. It was really good. In the afternoon we met with the youth and we had some group discussions. It went really well besides the fact that a man asked me if he could marry me. haha This is very common for us. (Watch out Seth, the men love American women!)

Today was one of my favorite days here, besides the fact that my stomach was not feeling good. We attended the Matola A church and the pastor was actually Adimi's mother in law. The kids were great and we did the same routine as yesterday. Then we met with the youth and they were all very interested in learning about us, and vice versa. After we were done we went again to KFC and the people who worked there acted like they were best friends with us because they recognized the Americans! After lunch we were supposed to go to the Liberdade church but the doors were locked, so we got to go home and set up for the birthday party. Kristin did an amazing job finishing the dresses in such a short amount of time. When we were all set up we brought 3 girls in at a time and changed them into their new dresses. Their faces were priceless. They looked so beautiful. After, we went outside to take pictures. Then the mothers of the girls started running up to us (we thought we might be in trouble) then they started telling us how beautiful they were. They started kissing their children. I seriously wanted to cry because this was the first time in almost 2 months that I had seen the mothers on campus truly interacting with their children. It was like the children had been awarded something, and the moms were congratulating them.

We brought the boys in and also gave them their shirts and they loved them! We sat everyone down and the loved all the decorations we had set up, especially the balloons.. We also made each one a cupcake so they enjoyed that. Then after we played pin the tale on the donkey. It was a lot of fun. We enjoyed our time with them so much! We danced and played until it was time for dinner.

I know you all were praying for my team these past couple days, and it is so evident from the rewarding experiences we have had. Thank you so much for you faithfulness. I love you guys!

Can't wait to see you soon!
Kaylee Ann

2009-07-11T23:05:00.000-07:00

Family and friends,
I am sorry I have not written in a couple of days. The past 3 days have been the most challenging days our team has encountered. We are doing much better and really seeking the Lord's wisdom in the situation. We have had some frustrations and difficulties. We really believe that Satan is really trying to knock us down. We are really clinging to God's foundation during these time. Just please pray for our team as this next week approaches and our schedule is now changing. Please pray for wisdom and grace through it all.

We are all safe and healthy which is a total blessing. I believe your prayers have been so helpful during my time here, and that is why I am asking you to pray for this situation. Thank you so much for believing in me and supporting me through your love and prayers.

"No temptation [trial] has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted [tested] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted[tested], he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
- 1 Corinthians 10:13

I look forward to seeing you soon!
In Christ,
Kaylee

2 trips to town in 3 days!!

2009-07-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

That is right people!! We got out of the seminary 2 days in a row!! I know you are about as shocked as I am. It was such a blessing to be able to take a break a little bit and get out. Monday we went with Tomas to the store to stock up for the last week and a half before the Restricks get home. While Allyson and Jerry did the grocery shopping, Kristin and I went to a neighboring store called Pep. It has all sorts of things, but mainly clothing. We bought little girl panties (hardly any of the girls wear underwear, and if they do they are all torn up) , and boy t-shirts to give on the "Birthday party!" We spent quite a while at the store and took even longer because Allyson was buying a magazine and there was a little small issue in the middle and the lady thought she was trying to steal the little issue! SO they had to get the manager to check it out, but it was frustrating because we could not communicate with them, and Tomas was outside, but it ended up being fine. Shoprite did not have the best meat and the Restricks buy their meat at a different store downtown. We tried to tell Tomas this, but he took us to this store by the beach called Gam-e. It was really nice and had these huge TVs and hardware and some groceries. It was a South African store, so it was a bit more expensive then a regular grocery. We bought a few things, but could not find meat. When we were leaving they had this Mozambican hotdog stand and it smelled really good, so we tried our first hotdog in Mozambique. The bread was great, but the hotdog was nothing like an American hotdog. It wasn't bad while eating it, but I regretted it later!

When we returned home Allyson began a project and we weren't quite ready to start the afterschool program so we decided to just fly kites with the kids and play soccer with them. They loved playing with the kites, but it is kinda sad because the kids here don't really know how to take care of much because they have never had to take good care of anything. So we had 2 broken ones that we need to do some repair on. We had like 8 neighborhood kids join us for flying kites and soccer. I actually played with all the boys and it was a lot of fun. I think it is different for them to see girls playing a "boys" sport. Victoria even joined me and she had so much fun doing a different activity. It was really cute to watch all her excitement! Anyways Monday was a great day.

On Tuesday Adimi's wife Celeste took us to find a belt for that could fit our old sewing machine. It was so fun to be around a lady that could speak really good English, and she could drive! We went to several different places and could not find one that matched! We were crossing one of the streets, and it was kinda scary because cars do not stop for pedestrians what so ever! She was laughing at us and then she said, "When I went to America, they made me push these buttons that gave me permission to walk across the streets!"I thought that was pretty funny. She really wanted to help us find the belt so we could finish our project. She told us she was going to go South Africa on Friday, but she was going to call her boss and see if she could go on Wednesday. He ended up telling her she could! Then she said, "I better ask Adimi if he can come with me! It is ok though, he will understand because he is my friend!" Their relationship is a very unique African relationship because they chose to be together and were not arranged. It was really cute to hear their story about how they started dating. After running around for a while, she told us that she had to go to a funeral, so she said she would drop us off at Mimmo's to get something to eat! This is our favorite place because they can speak some English, and they have yummy food! We also got to buy a couple souvenirs by Mimmo's, so it was a fun day! By the time we got back it was getting dark. So, we just played some soccer and enjoyed the kids.

We were supposed to visit the Catembe Nazarene Church yesterday that is across the river, and I know all my faithful followers are shocked, but it fell through! We expected this so we had started on some projects for the birthday party, and then after we went and passed out "Jesus ama tu!" suckers (Jesus loves you!) It is so amazing how easily you can make someones day here. There were a bunch of ladies down the street, so we gave them one and of course they wanted one from all three of us. So we gave them each one and as we walked away they were all cheering and waving to us. We're praying that these small actions will plant a seed for the Lord. After, Kristin and I went and played soccer with the neighborhood kids and some students. It was fun and such a great way to connect to them!

Today we are back on for our after school program! I will let you know how it goes soon. Thank you for all your prayers. Please continue to pray for my team as we finish up. We are realizing how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to these kids. They are not just kids, they are our friends. I have loved the relationships we have built with them and I do feel like we know each of them, and their personalities. This has been such a blessing for all of us. Also, another blessing is that the sewing machine is now fixed! Praise the Lord! We plan on finishing up the dresses so we can give them to the girls for the birthday party!

I cannot believe that in two weeks from today I will be in the United States! I am sad to say goodbye, but so excited to see everyone.

A verse that has really spoken to me during my time here is Proverbs 16: 3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Thank you for everything!
Kay

Cultural experience...

2009-07-05T10:40:00.001-07:00

This weekend we did not have a 4th of celebration, but more of a day in the life of a Mozambiqan. But before I go into that I will talk about Friday. Friday was our last day of the week for our afterschool program. It went great and we had a lot of fun! We began the after school program with music and then after we were done, we finally broke out the kites!!! The kids loved the "papagaios" and we had to try to make sure everyone was getting their turn with the 7 kites that we brought. After playing with them for about 45 minutes we headed in to start the crafts. We made brown bag puppets and they were so cute! We had cut out clothers for the bags and also had googly eyes that we glued on. It is so fun to watch them as they make them, and when they are finished they always say "Kaylee!! Allyson!! Kristin!!" and show off their creation. They also will say to us "En casa??" To ask us if they can take them to thier house. When we tell them that they can, they always clap and get so happy! It is so fun. So we had a great day, but we were kinda getting antsy to get off the campus since we had been there since Monday.

Well on Saturday it said on the schedule "Prayer and fasting" we had no clue what to expect (as usual.) Well we did end up going, but we of course arrived fashionably late. When we got there they were singing, and then we had about an hour service all squished on a bench. Then our "translator" (who can barely carry a conversation in English) was basically sitting on top of me and it was quite the bonding experience. After the service people started walking to these designated spots and we had no clue what was going on. Our translator Armino started like pushing to these prayer stations. He like pushed Allysons head down and said "Pray!" hahah We got a good laugh out of that. Then he pushes me to this prayer spot and I trip over these random stairs and make quite an entrance while the people our praying. I had no clue what I was praying for because the sign that said what it was, was in Portuguese. It is so interesting the way people pray here... so loud (like yelling) and passionate. It is nice to see their passion, but also so different. Then all the sudden a lady just passes out and they drag her out of the church and start like slapping her to wake her up. Kinda scary. Then no one said amen after all the praying, people just randomly started walking back to the benches.

After the service was over I texted Tomas to come and pick us up. He informed us that the leaders of the church wanted to bring us back. So we were a little bit nervous about this. We walked a couple blocks and then waited till a mode of transportation came our way. Then a bus pulled up and Olivia told me to run with her, so we all started running and got on the bus. Their was barely any seats left so Allyson sat on my lap. We thought it was crammed then, but they started piling about 30 more people on until we were maxing out the bus with probably 75 people on their. This bus was probably supposed to have 40 people on it safely. Allyson's knees were jammed into the seat in front of her, and my legs were going numb. Then a man passed out right next to us. All these people started yelling, and we have no clue why because we had no one near us that we could ask. While they were yelling Allyson and I were just sitting there and I said HAPPY 4th of JULY! We just busted out laughing, and it was good to break the ice. When we finally arrived at the seminary, Narciso tells us that it was our stop. We seriously had to push people out of the way to get to the door. No one was moving for us. Then when we almost were at the door there was like a pole right by and I seriously had to squeeze myself through and push a man to get me out of there!! When we got off we were all just standing there like... Oh my goodness, that just happened!! All that to say, we had our fair share of city time!

Today we went to the Mutatel Church of the Nazarene. Tomas was supposed to pick us up at 8 but showed up at 9:15 (we were supposed to arrive at the church at 9.) It took us about an hour to get to the church because of all the back roads and also there are so many speed bumps!! We arrived in time for the Shangaan service. No one translated for us, so we had lots of time for our imagination to wander. We sang "Trading my Sorrows" and also "God is good" (they love when we do "God is good" because we sing it in both Portuguse and Shangaan so it is always a must) Afterwards Tomas took us back to our house and we got to play with the kids for a little bit. Then our friend Clauvio called us and asked us if we wanted to go to the beach so we of course said yes! Then we waited and asked him if they were still calling and he said they had a "tyre punckture: or tire puncture and we would have to reschedule. This seems to occur a lot around here. We are really hoping to get to do some fun things here in Mozambique before we leave, but we are kind of lacking the resources (as in transportation.)

Anyways, I just ask that you pray that we stay motivated to keep taking initiative especially since nothing is set out for us. Also, the sewing machine belt is broken so even when we have our down time, we can't make the dresses like we were. So that has also been a little frustrating. We just pray that we can get that fixed quickly, especially in time for our birthday party that we are throwing. Another thing added on to all of that is that the TV stopped working and we were enjoying watching a nightly movie. It was a good American break for us. Anyways I don't mean to sound like a debbie downer, but I just ask that you would pray for our team especially these last two weeks of work. I miss you all and I am getting anxious to come home!! I pray that the Lord will help me stay focused these last couple of weeks, and enjoy every bit of my last moments here.

I know I say this a lot but I am so grateful for the wonderful support system I have at home. Being away from home definitely confirms this. I love you all and thank you for your prayers.
Kaylee

dreds, friendship bracelets, and dancing!

2009-07-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

Yes.. I got dreds. Scary... I know, but you are only in Africa once right? Adimi took us to this ghetto African salon and it was quite the 2 hour experience. They have been fun, but they are itching our heads like crazy, so I think they will last about a week. I tried to post a picture but for some reason the blog won't let me. BUT you should check it out on facebook...it's beautiful.

This week has been really good and we have been able to use our creativity for the after-school program.
We started out Monday with going outside and singing some familiar songs that they can sing along with and also do the motions. We are trying to do the same songs everyday so they can get the hang of them. We have been doing Pharaoh Pharaoh, Hip-Hip-Hip-Hippopotamus, Trading My Sorrows, Every Move I Make, and God is good. The kids have loved singing with us and learning the motions. After music we play some games. On Monday we played Red Rover and the kids seemed to really enjoy that. Tuesday we played red rover until some of the big kids were overpowering the little kids and basically close-lining them as they ran through the "gate." It was so funny because one of the smallest ones got taken out and she just got up and started laughing. Then her sister (who is a drama queen) gets taken out and starts crying, so we decided it might be best to swith games. We then started playing duck duck goose. The kids have really loved it.

Then after the games we go into our guest house and we have prepared a craft station for each of them. On Monday we made popsicle stick picture frames, and on Tuesday we colored pictures to put in the frames. After craft time we give snacks. Monday: popcorn, Tuesday:apples, Wednesday: store bought cookies, Today: chocolate chip cookies. (We have loved spoiling them because they never get treats like this.) Yesterday we were supposed to go to a "youth meeting" at some church but as you probably have guessed by now, it fell through. I know you are surprised. We kinda expected it, so we just went ahead and prepared for that. We had a lot of fun yesterday just being around the kids. We did not feel like we had to be entertaining them, but instead we kind of felt like we were one of them. This is so neat because we have been around them daily and we have built great relationships with them. It will be really hard to say goodbye to them.

Today was another good day! We woke up and finished working on the friendship bracelets for the kids and then we made some suckers tags with "Jesus loves you!" in Portuguese to pass out on the streets. We also made the chocolate chip cookies for today as the kids watched us through the kitchen window with very eager eyes. It was also very humorous because while they were watching us, we noticed that half the time they weren't even looking at us they were looking at themselves in the window's reflection and dancing and posing. It was really cute. After we were prepared we began the daily ritual with the usual songs and a few more neighborhood children joined today which was fun! Then we played duck duck goose, and then we took the kids to our house. We brought 3 of them in at a time and gave them their friendship bracelet that we made specifically for them. They loved them and it was fun to see their faces when they realized that they were theirs! For the craft we made noodle necklaces, and they also were a hit as were the chocolate chip cookies. I decided to end the day with some dancing! Of course this is so common for African culture that all the kids joined in and it was a great end to a great day!

The girls and I were talking and kind of reflecting on our time in Maputo. (By the way these girls are wonderful and have become two very close friends! Such a blessing.) We were just talking about how crazy it is that we were sent here and were kind of just on our own with no big plans for our time here or anything. I am so thankful because we have been really taken initiative and have been trying to use our resources in the best way we can to make our time as productive and useful as possible. When I have been doubtful I have received God's assurance that this is where he wants me. Although I may not be able to see any direct effects of our ministry, that is perfectly fine with me because I am not here for my satisfaction. I believe that through our genuine love and interest for these precious kids, the Lord will speak. I praise God for his assurance through this whole experience.

Thank you all for praying for me!

adventurous weekend!

2009-06-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we were supposed to help a church with some cleaning, but we found out late Friday night that the pastor was at General Assembly so we would not be doing that. So we woke up Saturday morning and we all had cabin fever because we had not left the seminary since Thursday morning to paint the church. So we all decided to walk to the Indian Ocean. We started out at 12 and arrived at the beach a little after 1. We walked around, did a little bit of shopping at the market, but mainly just enjoyed the fresh air! We decided that we needed to head back around 3 because we wanted to make it back before dark (the sun starts setting here around 5.) So we ended up at least walking around 12 miles but it was much needed and much enjoyed. The Lord definitely protected us and helped us find our way back safely.

Yesterday we went to Tomas' church. It was my favorite church. The people were all very welcoming, and some could even speak English which was refreshing. We went to Sunday school and it was nice because we did not feel like we were the center of attention but we just got to be apart of it. The we went to the Shangaan service and sang 2 songs and enjoyed the service (from the front of course.) I loved this church because I could definitely tell the Holy Spirit was alive and present with the people. The other churches have been great, and I definitely love how they worship, but this church seemed so genuine in the way they praised. After the service Tomas and his friend Clauvio took us to walk around town and then we treated them to lunch. It was nice to see more of the city. They took us to more of the "ritsy" side of town. Then after lunch they took us on a little boat and we rode on the Indian Ocean to a little beach called Catembe and it had a good view of the city. We walked around, took some pictures, and collected some pretty sea shells. After we were done Clauvio and his friend took us home, and that was interesting. The Lord is definitely looking after us. But it was a great day, and nice to get out a little more!

Today Adimi took us into town, and then when we returned we began preparing for the after-school program for the kids on campus. We began with songs, and then we played red rover, and then we helped them decorate popsicle sticks to make a picture frames, and then for the last part we gave them popcorn! They loved it! It was fun and also nice to be implementing some of our own creativy here.

Thank you all for being so faithful to read this and comment. That has been one of the biggest blessings from this experience is realizing how loved and blessed I am. I love you all!!

Kay

Preparing for an exciting week!!

2009-06-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

On the schedule for this week it says "Touring the City" we were all pretty excited about this because we thought it would be a good transition after the Restricks had left.Well all this to say we have only left the campus once.. to paint a church. Elvido met us yesterday morning to take us to the church. Well he told us that it would be a short walk, but it ended up being a two mile walk in really deep sand and on really busy streets. Not my definition of touring the city, but we will take what we can get. When we arrived we sanded the cement building with a group of other men, and then we began painting. When we were finished they of course had a meal prepared for us. This is one of the biggest worries of our ministry is what we are going to have to eat. They served us salad, bread, and tea. I am sure you thinking, "That's not too bad!" You're right, it wouldn't be bad if the lettuce wasn't contaminated from their water. We always get a little worried when they serve us anything that is raw, and of course they stare at you as you eat. The Restricks really encouraged us to try to avoid eating too much of their vegetables so we try to make it look like we are eating a lot, but it does get a bit tiring always being watched.

Besides that, this week we have really been preparing for the next two weeks. We are preparing a "after-school program" for the kids here on the seminary. Since we really cannot talk to them we are going to be doing music, games, crafts, and we will have a snack for them at the end of the day!! We are really looking forward to putting ourselves to work. We plan to do this for two weeks except on Wednesdays of both weeks. On these days we have different assignments on our schedules. On the very last day we plan to have a birthday party for all the kids! They do not get to celebrate their birthdays, and usually don't even know when theirs is, so it will be so great to experience this with them! These past couple of days we have also been sewing dresses and we hope to sew shorts for the boys to give to them on their "birthdays." The sewing machine is giving us problems so we are really hoping that it will be able to last for all of the outfits!

Today we sewed some clothes, and then we baked some cookies and invited the kids over to watch a movie in our living room! They absolutely loved this even though Chicken Run (the movie) was in English. We also pulled out some mattresses that were not being used for them to lay on. They loved it, and it was really a fun thing to do for them.

This week has seemed a little slow, but we are really looking forward to the next couple of weeks. I pray that God will use us to minister to these sweet children through our love for them. I cannot believe I have less than 4 weeks here. I definitely miss home, but I pray that I will enjoy every day while I am here.

Thank you all for your prayers!
Kaylee

Eventful weekend

2009-06-23T01:54:00.001-07:00

I had a really good weekend and I can tell you were praying for me. Thank you so much for that. It is such a humbling thing to know that people back in the States still think and pray for me daily.

We began the weekend by attending a youth district choir “competition.” It was quite a drive to get out there, but thankfully Tomas volunteered to take us out there. It was nice to get outside of the city and see a little more greenery. It is really not a competition but just different Nazarene youth groups coming together and performing. It is a lot of fun to hear their beautiful voices. The pastor’s wife introduced us and then the pastor who was sitting in front of us saw Jerry’s guitar and said, “Aren’t you going to sing?” I told him that we would sing but we did not have to by any means. Before I finished my sentence he was up and walking to the front to tell his wife that we needed to perform. So we sang a couple songs for them and they always cheer and dance along with us as we do it. I love this because I know if we did these things in front of a church back in the States we would get the strangest looks, but instead these people have no shame and are doing it right along with us. It is refreshing to be with such carefree people.
While sitting listening to the choir the field director of the Seminary turns to me and says you need to go up to the front for offering.Then the pastor says that if his church beats the visitors then he will get to keep Jerry’s guitar. It is funny how offering is an open competition here. I was so confused but I did not argue and I just awkwardly walked up to the front. They handed me the “visitantes” (visitors) offering plate. They started playing music and people will come to the designated offering plate and put theirs in while dancing and worshiping. It was fun and definitely an adventure. Then we sat down as they were counting the money. Then the pastor’s wife announced the totals of offering and the visitors won so then they tell me to go back up to the front. They bring me out this huge cake and everyone is cheering and clapping. After this they put on music and everyone got in a big circle and were dancing and praising. It was so fun to see the elders of the church get in the middle of the circle and dance around.

Afterward we had the typical Mozambican feast that includes rice, goat meat, white corn mill, beans, coleslaw, and some ridiculously greasy potatoes (which are there version of French fries.) Then we headed back to the house after the meal. It was an eventful evening to say the least.
Sunday we attended a church that is not to far from the campus. It was also in a hut. Jerry spoke in the Portuguese while Dave interpreted and our group lead worship in matching capulanas (wraps.) They love to match here and Rhoda thought it would be wonderful if we all matched together. They loved it! Afterward we went to Sunday school. It is funny because they would always ask us to read the scripture just so they could here our accents. Then the lady named Isabel walked up to me and stuck her phone right in my face to take a picture. HAHA it was so awkward. Then she did the same thing to Kristin and Allyson. Then we went to the Shangaan service, which they celebrated Father’s day. After the service, Isabel grabbed my hand and took me outside and handed me a picture of herself with her number. I am not really sure what she is wanting but Rhoda tried to call her and she did not pick up. I guess she just wants an American friend, but it was kind of funny. Afterward they insisted that we had some “juice” which in Africa means a feast. So Dave just told us to have a small amount before we left.

After church we treated the Restricks to dinner and we went out to a yummy South African restaurant. It was very good and had some American food so that was nice to have especially on Father’s day! We took a man that is from Northern Mozambique to the airport before he left to General Assembly. He also joined us for dinner and he was a really nice man. We went home to use the restroom and then we got the blankets to take to the boys’ homeless shelter. It was such a great experience and the boys loved their new blankets that we worked on. We also brought them some rice for their dinner. We sang together, had a small sermon led by Dave, and took lots of pictures. The Lord really spoke to me this night. Here I had been so homesick, but here are these boys that don’t even have a place to call home. This broke my heart. I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to miss home, and that I have a place to go home to where I am so loved. I am so thankful for this reminder. The Lord definitely works in creative ways. Yesterday we helped the Restricks get ready for their trip up North. It was sad to say our goodbyes, but we know the Lord will take care of us. They set off early this morning and will return on July 17th! We look forward to seeing and hearing from them again.

Thank you all for your encouragement especially when times get tough. The Lord has definitely used you. Thank you.
Have a great day!!
Love you all,
Kaylee

Painting a church?

2009-06-20T02:15:00.000-07:00

Ola amigos!!
Sorry that it has been a couple days since I have last written. We have had a good week and have a busy weekend ahead. Thursday we were supposed to paint for a church so we woke up early to get ready to leave. We had just got dressed and then we were informed that the church was not ready for us, and that we would go on Friday instead. This was a little bit frustrating, but almost expected! So instead we played with the kids on the campus, read some, sewed some more blankets for the homeless shelter, and started working on friendship bracelets with thread that I brought. We are planning on giving them all a bracelet in a few weeks. It will be so fun because they love pretty things but don't have anything. They always like to play with my bracelet, watch, or earrings so it will be fun to give them something of their own. On Friday we woke up and I got to talk to Seth on skype which was great. It also made me realize how much I miss friends and family. My homesickness really set in yesterday. We got prepared to go paint (meaning we did not shower and put on our work clothes) then we walked down to meet Tomas. Well we got to the chapel and Tomas was not there but there was a group of youth and the NYI director of the Maputo district waiting. We were really confused by this. Then Rhoda told us that they were taking us to show the Jesus film. This was a little different then painting a church. Haha So we went to change and headed out to the land to show the film. The drive was really bumpy and some of the girls started feeling nauseous. We pulled up to a house that someone from their church lived in. We walked around the area inviting people to come to the film. As we were walking there was a little handicap girl sitting in the middle of the road. It was so sad because even people from the church would not stop to talk or look at her. Kristin started talking to her so we all got around her and just let gave her some attention. I just happened to have a sucker in my purse so I unwrapped it and gave it to her as we were leaving. She was so excited about this! We had to continue on but when we returned she was sitting there waiting for us. She started yelling and it was so sweet. We let her touch our hands and she just sat there smiling. She used us for support and she stood up and was just yelling and trying to talk to us. It made me so sad because I know this child is so neglected. We eventually had to leave and we said our goodbyes and when we left she was crying and yelling. It was so sad. The Lord is definitely breaking my heart, while His heart breaks.

We returned back to the spot and they began setting up for the film. It is amazing how little the resources they have, but how resourceful they are and how they put everything together. They of course provided some salad, bread, and tea. Dave told us that they love to have an excuse to eat. It was also really interesting because the people they had invited were there and we were all eating in front of them. They kept telling us to eat more, but we weren't even that hungry. Finally after all the church people had been served they gave a little to the visitors. It is so interesting the differences in Christianity here.

After dinner they turned on some music and had a dance. Some of the visitors and children joined in. I had a little dance partner named Zito and he was so sweet. I had a lot of fun with this as most of you can imagine. Finally at about 7:3o we began the video (they told Dave this would be the time we would be done.) There were about 40 people that attended and most were children. At the end 5 ladies asked Christ in their heart!! This was really neat to see even though we couldn't understand much. When we were on our way back Dave told us that one of us received a letter in the mail, and that he was really shocked because the mail system here is never very reliable. We all thought that it was for Allyson, but when we got there he handed me a letter! It was from Seth and it was such a God thing that I would even receive the letter, and especially at the time when I was feeling most homesick. We got back and Rhoda had dinner waiting for us even though it was 10:00 at night. When we were at the dinner table the phone rang and it was my mom!! What another blessing! God is taking care of me, and I definitely see that first hand. My family is going on their vacation so this week will probably be a little more challenging for me, but I know God is present. I would definitely appreciate your prayers about this. Also I pray that God will use us in ways we may or may not see. Thank you so much for your consistent support. It definitely means so much to me.

Today we are off to a district choir competition (hopefully we are not going to be competing, but you never know.) This will most likely be an all day deal. Tomorrow we are visiting a different church and will most likely lead worship there. Then we are treating the Restricks to dinner before they set off on their 3 week escapade! After, we hope to take the blankets and cakes to the boys' homeless shelter. This should be a very neat experience.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend!!
In Christ,
Kaylee

to catch you up on my days!

2009-06-16T05:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not written in a couple days! I will try to catch you up on what I have been doing though.
A small overview:
Saturday we were asked to do leadership training. We were also asked to split up the group and travel to two different churchs. So Kristin and I went to a church in the Maputo district and we were pretty nervous because we had no clue what to expect and how we were supposed to train youth leaders. We rode with president of the Seminary, Margarita. On the way there she relieved our nervousness because she told us that she was leading it. It was definitely an adventure getting to the church because the rodes were very small and her truck was not the easiest to maneuver. We were 30 minutes late to the church (which is common in African time) but we were only late because we could not get down the streets easily because they were so small. It was definitely a memory. When we got there Kristin and I introduced ourselves to the group while Margarita interpreted and then we were done. Haha We sat and listened to leadership training for 3 hours. After we left we were relieved that we didn't have to take charge of that, but also at the same time we were wondering what the purpose of us being there was. I started praying about it and I read a devotional and it was talking about God's plans. It definitely hit the spot. It was talking about how His plans are infinitely bigger than our own and if we allow him to have control then he will work in us and through us. Even though I may not make a huge impact here, but I know that God is working in me if anything.

Sunday: We went to church in a hut! Before church began we went to Sunday school outside under a tree (the flies loved us.) The Sunday school was really interesting because they would read scriptures about people being persecuted and then they would ask, "How would the Christians in America react to this?" We would sit there as Dave translated and then would answer the question the best way possible. They would look at eachother as if it was not the correct answer and then question us more. It is hard for them to understand our answers because our cultures are so very different. It was a bit challenging because people sometimes think that Americans have all the answers, and that is definitely not the case. They really want to know about our culture and how we do things. After SS we went to the hut for church. It was this small hut that ended up holding about ninety people for three hours. It was definitely an experience. The whole service was in Shangaan (a native language here) so we didn't understand one word of the service, but it's so good to see people that are so different than us on the outside, worshiping the same God. Sunday was also "Mother's Day" at this church. Mother's day is just on whichever day each church feels like having it here... so it was yesterday! The Mom's all marched in with a dance they all do here... and did a drama as well. It was so fun and I was trying to imagine Moms in thes States doing the same thing. We were so hot and ready to leave by the 3rd hour, but it was good! We're still adjusting to the length of the services here in Mozambique! After church we went back to the Restrick's and ate a great meal of roast, gravy, mashed potatoes, cauliflower and cheese, mixed veggies, and popovers. It was so good, and reminded me a little of home! After this great meal, Dave took the four of us to the beach!! Which turned out to be only about 15 minutes away! It's amazing that it's only fifteen minutes from here, because it's more rich and touristy. The Indian Ocean was beautiful. It was a very strange feeling to think we had our feet off the tip of Mozambique, into the Indian Ocean.fter walking the beach, we went to this park-like area to get an icecream cone! It was such a nice treat. Also, we were not the minoritites there. It was nice to not be stared at for once.

Yesterday We are making blankets for an orphanage that a man recently started here (we visited it earlier). It's a place that 'street children' are allowed to come and live. They have many needs, but one need is simply bedding... so Rhoda has gotten out all her spare fabric and batting and we're going to sew away! We're hoping to take these blankets on Saturday and show the Jesus film for children that night as well! This project should keep us busy until Thursday.... then we begin to paint a church!

Today: We made cookies for some of the students here and it was really fun to see their faces when we gave them some. We are also still working on the blankets and books Rhoda left.

Anyways that is all for now. I am missing home but I am also enjoying my time here and the people.
Hope you all are having a great week!
Kaylee

There are many different things that we have experienced. One of these is the driving. There is no rules here in Maputo about driving and it is a bit scary. They also are the most bumpy roads, and there are no lines so it makes things interesting. Along the roads there are countless children with bare feet playing, almost every woman has a baby on her back and a huge container of some sort balancing on her head. Dirt covers everything and makes up the "roads" here. There are always goats along the roads and many dogs too. There are numerous pick up trucks, which have probably around 25 people loaded in the backs of them.. I am thankful we haven't had to take part in that yet! I pray so much when we are riding along but thankfully Dave is a very safe driver. There is a continuous smell of burning trash because the city sets there trash on fire at a huge dump. The smell is especially bad in the mornings. I do miss nature because we don't see it much at all. We have seen some green fields when we have travelled to the different churches but that is about it. We will see more of the bush when we go to Kruger and Swaziland next month (which I am super excited about.) People are all so free here and not ashamed of anything. For instance. when we went to see the Indian Ocean we saw a lady bathing. It was interesting to say the least. Nobody is ashamed of what they have, or what they don't, but they only want to share with you. That is really refreshing.

God's Assurance

2009-06-12T03:59:00.000-07:00

I am so amazed by God's timing and how He uses things and people to reassure. I have definitely been reassured so many times as the summer goes on. I am very thankful for this and it has definitely helped me while being here.

Today we had a really neat day. On the schedule for our team it said "Church cleaning at Manchauve Church." We had no clue what was in store and what exactly we would be doing. The drive was really pretty because it was on the outskirts of the city. This was the first time I have experienced this while being in the city. We we arrived at the "church" we pulled up to a bunch of trees and ladies welcoming us. This was there church. They had the service under a big tree and about 150-200 people attended every Sunday. This just really amazed me. These people are so dedicated and truly work to attend church. Our tasks was to rake a bunch of the leaves and dirt around the different trees so that it could be a fertilizer. It was a good thing that Dave thought to bring rakes! It amazed me how hard working they were. There was a lady that was probably in her 70's raking and a old man that was at least 80 "mowing" the weeds in suit pants and a sweater. I was burning up and he was working harder than me!! One lady had a baby on her back and was raking away without stopping. The ladies would sing while they worked and it was so great just to hear how joyful they were. After we were finished they treated us to crackers and soda. (They always drink soda because the water is too bad to drink from in most areas.) We sat a table that they brought for us with a table cloth and these nice chairs while they sat on these benches. This is something we have encountered a lot in this short period of time. They always set spoil us and set us above them, even though we didn't really do all that much. After we were done we sang some songs with them and these ladies would make these crazy African noises with their mouths. We would laugh and then mimic what they were doing and they loved it!! It is crazy how you can connect even with language barriers. Before we left, the pastor of the church expressed her gratitude and they also asked that we pray for them as they try to raise enough money to build their own church. (We hope to have extra site funds at the end to donate to their church.) We really enjoyed our time with them, and I really learned a lot.

Then last night at dinner Rhoda asked one of us to share our testimonies each night. So I shared mine with the group and we talked about our families. It was great to get to know each other on a different level. We have began to build really good relationships with both Dave and Rhoda and I am so glad.

Also on another note, our on-site coordinator that we have barely seen has now changed because his wife just had their baby. They actually had to do a c-section and they sent her home the day after which is really scary because the baby is only 4 pounds. Tomas is still going to be helping us but now we are mainly with a man named Adimi. He is really great! We are so thankful!! He kinda knows a little bit more about how to relate to us and to make sure we are feeling okay about everything. We met with him this morning and he told us that we are his responsibility and we do not need to worry about transportation while the Restricks are gone or anything because Tomas and him are going to take turns. He said that if we ever need anything he wants us to not hesitate to come tell him. This was such a comfort and such a huge reassurance that God's hand is in it all. Thank you Lord!!

If you would like to see some pictures of the trip here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2010660&id=1438620082&l=b2aed80716
if you copy and paste it, it should take you to my facebook album. Hopefully it works!

Anyways thank you for praying about that! I miss you all and I appreciate you.

2009-06-10T04:15:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday we woke up and went to Rhoda's English class while she was in South Africa for the day. We read some of the Zacheus passages in English and then in Portuguese. The
students would help us with our pronunciation and we would do the same for them. Then
we learned some basic words in Portuguese and we taught them in English. They are all
so nice and very helpful. Then when we were finished we went back to the Restrick's house
and did some tasks for Rhoda. We put some Tylenol stuff in individual packets and then we labeled them. She is going to take these with her when she goes up north.
Then we made some packets with these worm pills that smelled awful. I cannot believe that Rhoda does all this on her own. She also helps with the sponsorship program in Maputo, so we helped address letters and envelopes for the children. It was neat to actually help her with something since she has done so much for us. Then afterward we rested for a bit and then ate some stew that Rhoda left in the crock pot for us. We worked on some songs for church and then watched Santa Claus 2. haha. Today we were supposed to go with one of the pastors to see a new church plantation (we don't know exactly all that was supposed to be involved) but it rained last night and the pastor told Dave that he did not want Americans to see the church when it could be muddy. So that is kinda frustrating, but it is ok. This morning we went to a chapel service on campus. They had a farewell for one of the secretarys and also a baby dedication. They also introduced us and welcomed us to the campus.

We are going to run errands with Dave this afternoon. Tomorrow we're supposed to be cleaning a church, who knows what all this means. We never know. haha Thank you for your prayers. I definitely have appreciated all the encouragement and comments that I have been given. They have definitely been so helpful. Even though we might not know what our plans are, I am so thankful that I have the assurance that God knows exactly what He has in store for us. Thank you all for generous support for me. I am sooo thankful for you!! Have a great day, I will write soon!

One week in Maputo!

2009-06-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

Well to catch you up on some things lately... A lot has been going on. Well Saturday was definitely a challenging day for our team. I am not sure why exactly
but I feel like the unknown of the summer really hit us. We went to a district choir
contest. It was great to hear the kids sing and dance (especially our kids from the seminary.) I feel like they are my own children.
But after the first 2 hours (we were there a total of 5 hours) we were getting pretty tired and EXHAUSTED. and hot. on top of all that. Ha
Then after they served a BIG meal and we sat with the leaders of the church that could not speak English and they were
talking about our plans and what they wanted from us, and we could not communicate. Not to mention these people always want to make sure we eat and eat and eat. But anyways we don't know who is going to be transporting us to our destinations this summer since the Restricks are leaving in a week and a half, for 3 weeks. But when the Restricks finally
came to pick us up Rhoda spoke to them and they got some things figured out. Our team first of all feels like celebrities here. When we walk around the churches people tell us to stop to take our picture. It is weird. haha Today some kids pet my hair. Haha After we left the church we took a man home that owns a homeless shelter,It was Rhoda's idea. She really has such a heart. He gave us a tour of the house, and it seriously broke my heart. There were two rooms, and the house held 12 boys, and a couple of them had disabilities. In front of the house was a tent, where some of them slept. Dave gave them some money, but we're planning on sewing blankets for them and baking cakes and showing the Jesus video with the Restricks, which should be neat. When we came back, Rhoda insisted on relieving some of our stress when we, so we had tacos and watched The Gods Must Be Crazy, but I fell asleep.

Yesterday we visited Matola City Church of the Nazarene. This is outside of Maputo. The Restricks were kind enough to take us there. When we got there the NYI director of Matola met us and lead us into the church, and sat us at the front!!! We were sitting in like the thrones that the pastors sit in. Then they told Jerry that he was preaching. Jerry made up the sermon on the spot it was.... interesting. We also lead worship we taught them some songs that had motions, and they were a hit! We also learned one that was in Portuguese and Shangaan ( a local language) and they were all so impressed. After, I sang a duet with Jerry. In front of at least 200 people. I cannot believe I am saying that. We sang the song "House of God," and it went really well. Then we went to the kids sunday school and sang songs and they were jumping and singing, it was a lot of fun. Kristin is going to be a teacher and she is awesome with kids, so that is such a blessing. Then after the kids performed a skit and dance for the Youth (this is a very broad term in Africa) service. The kids all love to touch us and say hi to us, it is so funny. Then they led us back to the small sunday school room which held should hold 50 and held 120 kids. We sat there and they told us the Sunday school teacher had left to prepare something and we could not leave until she got back. After about 20 minutes in she walks with egg sandwhiches and cola. They were not bad, but we were all stuffed because Rhoda served us a huge breakfast to prepare us for the day. haha Then afterward Dave picked us up and took us back to their church because their service was still going. After it was over we danced (they love this) with the kids and left. Dave took us to see the city after the service, Maputo is probably one of the poorest cities I have ever seen. Then we came back to our safe little home and we moved into the nice guest homes. We are spoiled to live in these houses.

Today we woke up and met with Rhoda's English class who we are going to be helping tomorrow. They are going to be helping us with Portuguese and we're going to be helping with their English. After lunch we went to run errands with Dave. We got to exchange some currency and I also bought a capalana, which is a skirt/wrap! I am excited to wear them. Then we went to the store and bought some food for our team. After we ate dinner and helped Rhoda bake some cakes. Tomorrow we are going to the English class and then we are helping Rhoda with many of her to dos. We are helping her with her child sponsorship program, then we are putting medicines together for her clinic, and whatever else appears on her list. It is great to help her because she does so much yet she still has been so great with us.

Anyways that is all for now, I will try to update soon. Please pray that we will be able to figure some of the schedule complications out, and that our site-coordinator will be more present and available to us, since we have only seen him for about 30 minutes since we have been here. We really don't know what the expectations are for our time here. It is a quite interesting situation and a little stressful. But I know God has a plan, and that is very reassuring. Love you guys and thanks for your support.

2009-06-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up had breakfast and then we watched the dentists (the work and witness team from Colorado) work on some patients here on the campus. Some of the people had never been to a dentist before so this was a totally new experience for most of them. Some of them who have the money visit the dentist in town, but they do now help fix the problems of their teeth, but instead just pull them out. So it was interesting to watch them get their teeth fixed. After we met with Tomas (our on-site coordinator) and he introduced us to the people we will be working with. It seems like we will be doing things with the local churches about 3 times a week. One of the churches is a huge Nazarene church and it has over 2000 people attend and at least 300 children. We are going to be helping the children, but there will be a facilitator in charge which is nice. I am not sure what all this entails but it is good to know that we have a plan. There were 3 men and a woman that were representing their church and they are excited to be around us because they want to learn English and we want to learn Portuguese. At about three today which is 8 your time the kids get out of the the "Escuelina" (the little school on campus) and we plan on playing with them till supper. They are the sweetest kids. They do not speak English but they love to sing with us and dance and show us the songs they have learned at church. We will most likely eat supper with the Restricks and the Work and Witness team and then head to bed soon after. It gets dark here around 5:30 or 6 and the mosquitos are out so we don't get to do too much at night. But tomorrow I think Tomas plans on showing us around the city with the other presidents from the churches. Their names are Osvaldo, Elvido, Narciso (he speaks the most English) and Olivia. They are so interested in America and how our church and schools work. I wish there wasn't such a language barrier because it is kinda hard to communicate sometimes.But it is neat to communicate even without words sometimes. Anyways that is all for now! Thanks for your love and support! I am blessed. Have a great Thursday.

I am here after 43 hours of Traveling!!

2009-06-03T04:29:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and family! I have made it here safely!! Thank you so much for your prayers. Well let me see if I can briefly catch you up on my life. We arrived into London and we got to see Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Bridge, Big Ben, and some other places that I cannot remember off the top of my head. We rode the subway into the central part of London and walked from there. It was a pretty day in London but we were all pretty exhausted. We got back to the airport around 3 and waited to board the plane at 8. We rode Virgin Atlantic to Johannesburg. The plane was very nice, but after 2 red eye flights back to back I think I had enough. We got into Joburg and we waited to get our flight to Maputo which left at 1. So we all laid around until then. Then we boarded the plane to head to Maputo! It was supposed to take an hour, but evidentally the South Africa Airways does not waste time because we arrived in 40 minutes! Haha Customs went smoothly and we got our luggage and then waited for our coordinator to pick us up. We were getting a little nervous sitting in an unknown city by ourselves but after 30 minutes Tomas had shown up. We were all pretty relieved to see him. He is very friendly but I do not know if he has much planned for us. But we will see. we smushed into his car with our huge bags and said our prayers as we went through crazy African streets. As we were driving I thought I was in a movie with some of the poorest people looking at us, and then little children running around barefoot playing games. It was definitely a culture shock. We finally arrived at the school and were greeted by Rhoda Restrick. It was very nice to see her and they are definitely taking care of us. After we moved our stuff into our temporary apartment we walked out and a group of children were out playing. We met them and they sang a bunch of songs to us in Portuguese. It was so great and definitely welcoming. For dinner we ate with the Work and witness team from Colorado. It was a good time. Then the Restricks let us take a warm shower at their house which felt great after 3 days of traveling. The we had tea and headed to our beds. We got great sleep which was definitely needed! Now we are just waiting to hear from Tomas and what he has planned for us. Thanks for your continual prayers. They are appreciated so much! Miss ya!

The trip begins

2009-05-31T07:18:00.000-07:00

Today is the day. We begin our LONG journey.
We leave here for the airport at 10:45am.
At 1:20, we leave for Houston, TX. Then from Houston overnight to London.
We have a 12 hour layover in London, so we may do a little exploring.
Then from London Monday night around 8 to Johannasburg in Africa overnight.
Then from Johannasburg to MAPUTO MOZAMBIQUE- scheduled for 10:45am Tuesday morning.
It should be a really long trip so pray that the Lord will provide endurance and stability for my team through it all. Thank you guys again for your prayers. I am feeling a little bit nervous right now about the unknown but i know that God will give me peace through it all. Thank you so much for your support.

First couple days of training camp.

2009-05-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

The first couple days in Bonita Park have been very helpful but also very draining. I have enjoyed meeting new people and learning new things. God has definitely been speaking to me these past couple days and I know he is working. I am nervous so if you can pray that God will ease my mind and heart so I can be fully attentive to the things that He is teaching me. I pray that our team will really be able to learn from each other and enjoy each other as we go into this country. A verse that has spoken to me lately is John 15:27 " I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. and the peace I give you isn't like the the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid. What a promise. So as I feel these unfamiliar feelings I pray that I will cling to his word and his peace that He promises.
I love you all and thank you so much for your prayers. Miss you already!

feeling blessed.

2009-05-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

As I have met and talked with many friends and family about my experience this summer, it has amazed me how God has shown me his love through their support, encouragement, and love. I feel so humbled by this undeserving support, and at times I do not know how to truly thank some one to express my gratitude. So for those reading this, thank you so much... you will never know how much it means to me.

A family friend of ours has visited Mozambique and was kind enough to post pictures on facebook for me to see. These pictures definitely help ease the nervousness and they get me excited for my experience.

The second is a picture of the church/chapel on the Maputo Nazarene campus, which is where we will be staying most of the summer. The second picture is of where we are possibly living for part of the summer.
How can you not fall in love with this? These are some children that go to the daycare at the school. I am most excited about working with the children in Mozambique.

reality check...

2009-05-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

As the days get closer I am slowly starting to realize that in 10 days I will be leaving for 2 months. Seth left today for Golden Bell, and that was hard but I know he is going to be awesome there! There are many things that I am so excited about but I am also very nervous. I know God is going to work in great ways, but I just need his strength and courage these next couple days. I have been in contact with the missionaries the Restricks. They have been very helpful in letting us know what to expect, and helping provide some details. Our coordinator is named Tomas Macie (Ma Cee Ya) and he has been really busy with some organizations that he has going, and his wife is also pregnant so we have not had much communication with him. So I am very thankful for the Restricks help to give me a little peace of mind. I also am realizing that I need to start packing... this will be a journey! Anyways I am off for now. Thank you for your support and love.

Mozambique!

2009-05-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

I created my blog to hopefully update my supporters about my summer ministry in Mozambique. I have received an email from our on-site coordinator about where we will be living, but that is about all I know right know. I am a little worried about the unknown, but I know that God is going to work in some amazing ways because he already has. First of all, I have raised all my money! Now all I have to pay for is the flight to El Paso and my immunizations (and maybe some money for over there.) That is such a blessing. Through this experience, I think that is one of the ways I have seen God's presence the most is through peoples' genorosity and love. As the time is drawing closer, I am beginning to realize that this is a reality and I cannot believe that. It is interesting to think about what my life will be like in a couple of weeks! Hopefully I will be able to post frequently throughout my summer to share how God is working, and how you can pray for me, but we will just have to wait and see if I will have internet at all. Thank you for your prayers and support for me. I am humbled by your love.