Please accept my apology for not writing a blog sooner; but let me catch you up to speed with where I am at spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I am currently at the end of month four and headed on to month five which means a new continent, new people, new language, and a new culture. AH! In twelve short days I will be boarding a plane from Central America that is headed for Asia. It’s a difficult thing to process because time on the race has a way of going by so slow and fast all at the same time. When I look back at the last four months a part of me is happy because my team and I have accomplished so much with the Lord. ALL of my teammates have done an OUTSTANDING job growing in their spiritual walk! A lot of times I feel like a proud mom watching my teammates connect with people, share the gospel so fearlessly, and talk about the most difficult things that puts them in a vulnerable place. Authentic Daughters you have grown me and stretched me in ways I never thought possible! You’ve given me hard feedback for my benefit, helped me press into the hard moments, and loved me so well. Although I want to hurt you when you stay up late at night laughing about nothing; deep down I will miss each of you and I will miss the happiness and laughter you bring me on a daily basis.
While a part of me is happy that my teammates and I have grown and changed drastically over the past four months, the other part of me is a little sad. Central America has treated me so well. I will miss the relationships I’ve built with people at every ministry site and let’s not forget the flour tortillas.
Ministry
I know I am behind writing blogs about every month’s ministry, but here is a small re-cap of what I’ve been doing the past four months! (if you are looking for something a little more detailed about ministry then I suggest visiting my teammates blogs. See side bar!)
Month 1: Los Guido, Costa Rica
Ministry: teaching English at the public school
Dates: October 5th – November 3rd
Month 2: Chichigalpa, Nicaragua
Ministry: door to door, beach ministry, kids ministry, evangelism, translating Spanish, and painting.
Dates: November 4th– December 2nd
Month 3: Valle de Angeles, Honduras
Ministry: working in an orphanage for adults with mental and physical disabilities.
Dates: December 3rd– December 28th
Month 4: Chichicastenango, Guatemala
Ministry: teaching English at the public school, holding a Bible study for kids and teens, painting, cooking, and impromptu homeless ministry. This month has been my favorite and I still have a week!
Dates: January 1st-January 30th
Finances
I am happy to share with you that as of today I am no longer preoccupied or stressed about finances because the Lord has provided and continues to on a daily basis! I am absolutely where God wants me be and I no longer doubt that. Since the start of the race I have met every deadline. Although I didn’t hit the deadline when I wanted to, the Lord has consistently shown up on HIS time. Right now I have about two more weeks left to reach fundraising goal number four! The best part? It’s only $1,500!
Let’s take a look at the deadlines I’ve met:
- Fundraising goal one: 7/22/16 – $5,000
- Fundraising goal two: 10/16/16 – $10,000
- Fundraising goal three: 11/30/16 – $13,000
- Fundraising goal four: 1/31/17 – $16,561
I would love for YOU to be apart of making my last fundraising goal happen. If you are unable to donate then please keep me in your prayers. Ministry is hard and I pray for daily motivation to continue the Lord’s kingdom work. I hope this update brought you a small glimpse into what is going on in my life and how the Lord is working. If you want more details please feel free to reach me via e-mail or Facebook!
SHOUT-OUTS!
This might seem a little silly but I just wanted to take some time to acknowledge some very special people in my life from back home. These people have made my race better in so many ways!
- Mom and Dad: You give me constant encouragement and updates about things back home; oh and I love getting selfies of the cats! You’ve video chatted me on some of my worst days and left the conversation making me feel like a brand new person. I love you both so much and I can’t wait to see you at PVT!
- My dear friend Emma: We haven’t kept much contact and that’s mostly my fault but you did SO much for me before the race even started. You helped packed my bags, bought my tent, and you were my first monthly donor. I love that you’ve supported me in those ways and continue to do so. You’ve always been and will continue to be the most loyal friend I have. I miss our date nights with Chinese food and movies! Only 7 more months.
- Teresa Hilliard and Jody McKnight: Wow, where do I start? You two are my biggest cheerleaders besides my parents. I love how much you pour into me and appreciate it so much! You have given so much of your time and finances to help me be successful on this trip and I couldn’t be more thankful. I definitely see the Lord so much in you two! I can’t wait to see the both of you when I get home because I know I’ll get the best hugs 🙂
- Hiebert Family: (uncles, aunties, grandparents, and cousins) You guys are amazing. You all have been at every fundraiser and have offered so many helping hands and I literally couldn’t have raised that money without you! I love that you give me sound Biblical advice and I admire every one of your walk’s with the Lord. I can’t wait to come visit because that means two things: puzzles and food!
