Leaving for Africa on Tuesday!!

Just about 3 more days until LeAnne and I leave for Togo, Africa! I'm ecstatic! It is so amazing that God has provided for me to go back to Africa after a little over a year since being home from South Africa. Above is a team work schedule for our trip! 12 days in Togo total. The other 2 days are traveling there and back.
I have been so blessed by the support and prayer from everyone. Continue to keep us in your prayers! For travel safety, health, and the people that will hear the Word...may they be encouraged!

Visa Approved

10 days!!

I can't believe in a little over a week I will be in Togo, Africa with some pretty amazing people! :D God has been incredibly faithful in providing the funds for this trip! Thank you everyone who donated, I'm so very blessed. It is greatly appreciated if you will continue praying for me and our team as the time draws near and while we are on mission and traveling from July 3 to 16.
Our team of 9 has had 2 conference calls together over the last month praying together, going over the trip details, etc. It has been awesome and I'm looking forward to working together with this team for the furthering of His Kingdom! We are all excited to be a part of MASTER Provisions first team to Togo with their new partner -- SEC-Togo or Lifewind International. You can find out more about it here! It is very exciting :)
 Our Leader in Togo: Daniel Kpowbie, father of 2 girls, and his wife, will be our hosts and we will work under Daniel’s authority.  Daniel is a dynamic and Spirit-filled pastor in West Africa and in great demand for training and implementing CHE (pronounced CHAY) – Community Health Evangelism.  Kristina worked with him for a week in Niger last summer and recommended that we forge a partnership with Daniel and Lifewind.  Our first container of clothing and shoes arrived in Togo in March and 25 ladies now have good full-time jobs to distribute clothing.  The second MP shipment to Togo on June 16th will be the 500th shipment in MP history.  Each shipment contains about 34,000 pounds of clothing, shoes and other needed supplies.


So it's June 22 now and the 500th shipment was sent! Check it out ---> click here

I will be posting more next week with our itinerary, specific prayer requests, etc. Stay tuned!
Love in Christ,
Rachel

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45 days and counting!

45 more days until I leave for Togo, Africa!!!

At the end of April I received an e-mail from Roger at MASTER Provisions with the info on our itinerary for Togo! I was so excited to see the flight schedule, it was just another step completed towards Africa! And last week I sent in my passport and visa application so please pray that that will be approved without a glitch.

Also, Roger sent a short description of each of the 9 people on our team going to Togo :) I can't wait to meet everyone. On Monday we are having a conference call with everyone so then I will be officially "meet" the 4 other ladies I'm not acquainted with yet :) We will be discussing the trip in more detail and brainstorming for the evangelistic outreach. Everyone on this trip lives in Kentucky besides myself and my friend who is going, and we're from WA :) We will be meeting up with part of the team on our connecting flight in Paris, France.

On the funds front I have just $1,000 more left to raise! Praise the Lord! I'm so blessed and thankful for the people who have become part of this mission through their donations! Thank you! I'm also extremely blessed by the prayer support as well!

Prayer requests:

• God will provide the remaining funds for this mission trip.
• Our visa applications will be approved.
• God would blessed our time on the conference call on Monday. Discussing the trip and work on lessons for our evangelistic outreach to the women and children in Togo.
• That everyone will be given ample amount of peace and calm as the travel dates get closer.
• All other arrangements, packing, etc. will fall into place smoothly for everyone.
• May all hearts become teachable for what God will be doing in Togo.
• Pray for the director in Togo, Daniel Kpowbie, who will be our team leader.
• Pray for Roger Babik leading MP's first trip to Togo.
• Continue praying for the people in Togo who we will be engaged with that God will begin working on their hearts.
• May we focus on actively being on mission with the gospel.

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Love in Christ,
Rachel
Isaiah 26:3

Mission trip July 2012 Update

Unrest and civil war in Mali has the potential to spread to Niger. So MASTER Provisions has moved the mission trip to Togo, Africa!

MP has a mission partner in Togo and they would love for our team to work there! They do church planting and Community Health Evangelism work in Togo. We would focus on evangelical outreach to children and families in and around the capital city of Lome. The director there was thrilled to have this oppertunity to host MASTER Provisions group for the FIRST team from MP in Togo!

A few changes though. The dates of this trip will be July 2-17 and the funds I will have to raise is now $3050. I'm so thankfully for the generous donations so far and am blessed to say that I just have to raise $1,839 (this is already deducting the first deposit I made myself :) I am also extrememly blessed to have the commitment of your prayers! I know God is at work in this! If you are lead to support me finianically the infomation is here.

Roger from MASTER Provisions informed me that this was the first time in leading 34 international trips that this has happened in having to make a change! But that this change is firmly in God's control and out of his. Praise the Lord!
In my own devotions God has encouraged me that I can't control events! When changes happen I can lean on my own understanding all I want, but that will just bring stress and confusion. Leaning on God's providential control brings me peace and is the only way to escape the devil's temptation to have me doubt.

God's will controls all that happens. Instead of being unhappy that the plan I had was changed I am thankful that this is where God wants me to go...Togo!

I dare you to move

Support

Greetings!
After returning from 5 months in South Africa volunteering at Lambano Sanctuary a home for HIV+/AIDS children in 2011, I had been praying about what the next step God wanted me to take regarding Africa. I've had a passion for missions overseas since I was young and particularly for the country of Africa and the people for 3 years. I'm excited to go to Niger for a 2 week medical evangelism trip with MASTER Provisions July 3-16, 2012! I know I can count on your prayer support and if God leads you to support me financially you can send a donation for the furthering of His Kingdom to me at:

Rachel Young
5844 Mountain Lane Rd.
Peshastin, WA 98847

Or through PayPal. My e-mail is quietdignity87@hotmail.com

The cost of this trip is $2,800. I have been working hard to save, but of course a trip like this requires financial help from a number of people! I have already covered the first deposit on my own. My next payment is due before May 1 and then the last one before June 15.

Become a fan of MP on facebook here.

May God bless you for your time, prayers, and support :)

Love in Christ,
Rachel

You will keep in perfect peace
   those whose minds are steadfast,
   because they trust in you.
Isaiah 26:3

Off to Africa 2012

It is hard to think that at this very time last year I was just arriving in South Africa to stay 5 months. It sometimes doesn't seem like it happened! But it did. The things that I experienced and learned there will always be near my heart, good and bad. The journey God led me through when I came home, the stretch and molding to put my tryst in Him daily!

Something I read in my bible study this week from 1 Thess. 1:3 where Paul was thanking the Thessalonians for their faithfulness and it has challenged me to live out as them and...to remember to work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, and have endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Keeping this in mind I have made the decision to go to Niger in July! I feel the Spirit leading once again just like before with South Africa. Another amazing thing is a friend in a bible study I go to has decide to come as well! It is such a blessing to go with people I know this time! I'm excited once again. 

I laugh because God is always faithful...and how silly I am to worry or think less like I was for the last half of 2011. God is probably laughing too ;)

Niger July 2012

I have been praying about what God wants me to do next... after coming back from South Africa it's never been the same and have felt like a short-term mission is what He may be calling for. I still have Lambano very much on my heart and would like to return there for an even longer time period in the future if that is God's leading.

I recently came to realize that a family we went to church with when we lived in Kentucky has grown their organization called Master Provisions to reach countries in Africa! When they first started over 15 years ago they were just in Ukraine and I remember helping them pack clothes in containers to ship over there.

One of their short term mission trips is a medical evangelism trip to Niger in July with Master Provisions. It will be for the first 2 weeks in July and I will be doing a variety of tasks like charting vitals, working in the pharmacy, cleaning and cooking, holding babies so people can obtain their weights, crowd control, prayer, evangelism, laundry, etc.

"We started this partnership with Niger Christian Mission back in 2006. We entered into a 7-year strategic project that we call a Sustainable Community Project, where we help them to become self-supporting. One area in our partnership is medical care. Until the permanent medical clinic is built, we have been taking medical evangelism teams over every 6 months to work in different areas where Niger Christian Mission has a presence. In an Islamic nation, community care or development projects relating to medical, food and clean water are bridges of friendship used as a platform to share Jesus."

I would appreciate your prayer support as I consider going on this trip as the next step God wants me to take. I will have to decide by April. I feel it is, just thinking about it gives me a spark I haven't really had since South Africa :)

In Christ,
Rachel

Weakness= Strength

We have been studying the book of Acts in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) this year. Learning about Paul and his struggles are challenging and encouraging! I will let the Bible speak for itself. When he lists everything he has been through and then talks about his thorn and how he pleads with God 3 times to take it away God replies, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Wow! This was so encouraging for me...especially now with day to day life. Compared to other peoples difficulties mine seem so small, but I won't guilt trip myself that way, it really doesn't make me feel any better. But God's Word does! The Holy Spirit has been revealing so much truths to me.

From 2 Corinthian 12:

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

God's Word is true. His Promises are true. This I will cling to.

Never once did I ever walk alone. Never once did You leave me on my own. You are faithful, God, You are faithful!

I've been so blessed! It has been 4 months since I've been home. And it feels like it has been longer. I think of my South African friends and Lambano almost every single day! It has been a hard journey...unfortunately one of me failing to cling to God, and turn to Him first. I knew He would take me back there if it is His plan, and ideally I would want to within a year or 2, for a longer time period.
It has been so hard, and I knew it was my heart and my attitude. The way I felt and all my emotion towards God was wrong. I felt like I couldn't pray or read His Word; to walk a daily Christian life. I think that I was angry and hurt for leaving South Africa when it felt so right living there. But I made it worse on myself for not turning to God, like if I did I would have to accept I was home when I really didn't want to. I knew I needed to, but it was the one thing I didn't want to do.
Recently the Holy Spirit has been work on me. I've repented for my attitude and asked for forgiveness from my Savior. I praise Him for His overwhelming love and patience with me while I am still on this journey, it is a working progress. I pray that it will ring in my heart that God is all I need. I don't know what the specific work is that He has for me, but I know I have to stay in it, for God is all I need! I pray that Jesus washes me over and over again for the one thing I desire is Him, God is all I need. I pray that I will no longer grieve the Holy Spirit and that His work in my life will be evident in glorifying God!
God never left me and I never walked alone or was on my own even thought it felt like it alot of the time I was ignoring Him. God is faithful and sovereign! He is in control!

Home...just take me back to Africa

Well my farewell at the Joburg airport went ok. I felt so special having people come and see me off. The flight back was hard, it hurt so much leaving. Saying goodbye to all the kids, especially the hospice kids near about tore me up...what made it harder was knowing that some can't understand exactly that I'm leaving.
I haven't been home a week yet, but I think each day is getting better. I can't exactly explain how I feel about being home and I know that no one really understand how I feel  either unless they have done something like I've done. It really sucks, I don't feel like going out and doing anything, all I can think about are all my friends and the kids in South Africa and miss them so much. It's been my life for almost half a year and it went by so fast........ but I have to keep clinging to the knowledge I have that God is in control and then I can't help but feel excited about what God will do in the future!
I will continue to post a few posts every once and awhile...especially to keep all updated about the Lambano quilt and how God is working through me since I've been home ! ! !

Blessed

Well, I think this will be my last post in South Africa! Next time you hear from me God-willing I will be home in Washington State! Sure...the last few days have flown by as usual and tonight is my last night sleeping in my room here.

Sunday I was asked to share my testimony, I shared about how I've had a heart to go overseas since I was young and then how God lead me to South Africa, and my thoughts about leaving. Then the young adult biblestudy I've been a part of since I've been hear came up and prayed for me. I thought it was cool how my church back home sent me off with prayer and now this church here sent me back with prayer. God is so awesome! I was very blessed how many people came up to me after and were very encouraged, some I hadn't even gotten to know :) After I went and had lunch with my house 82 kids and spent the afternoon with them. It was a good last Sunday!

Today one of the kids in house 36 had a school concert which I went to with Jenna and the rest of the house 36 kids. I was a wonderful performance and I thoroughly enjoyed it...kind was perfect timing for me leaving to see it :) After I stayed for dinner and the young adult biblestudy met at the house this evening which I just got back from. I will say goodbye to all of them at the airport tomorrow, they are all coming to see me off! I feel so blessed!

Hospice Update: Phillipos was discharged from the hospital today! I'm so blessed to see him before I leave. They also got a new girl last week who is a burn victim and 5 years old. Her name is Zenele...I really like it. She doesn't speak/understand much English, but she sure seems a cheerful little thing despite her healing wounds :)

In the morning I will pack, haha yup saved it for the last day, and then the office staff are taking me out for lunch...the afternoon will be saying goodbye to the houses and staff, then Jenna is taking me to the airport around 5ish to check in and then meet up with everyone from biblestudy and have cofffee before I board the plane.

My plane leaves at 8:35pm (11:35am PST Wednesday June 1) and it's a 16 hour flight to New York...4 hour layover then short flight to DC were I'll connect to my final 5+ hour flight to Seattle airport landing at 3:18pm Thursday June 2. Please pray for me, I've been battling a bad cold and that won't be too fun with the pressure from the flying.

In concluding this final post from the other side of the world I will share a verse we discussed in cell group tonight...

You shall surely give to Him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to Him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. Deut. 15:10

Saturday afternoon

Took House 36 kids and some hospice kids to the park for my last saturday afternoon...  :)

Thoughts on going home

Tonight was my last night for helping at One Way which is part of AWANA but for the 6^th thru 8^th graders. I've been going with Martha the last couple months and helping with the small group talk after the games and speaking time where the girls and boys split up and go with the small group leaders. So Martha and I had the girls of course. Tonight was the most girls attending so far...16! Martha put me on the spot, literaly (thanks Martha lol) to share about what I've learned while here since it was my last One Way with the girls and I was going home.

The thing that came to mind was God's sovereignty and how He is in control, He has a plan. I shared a little on the struggle of seeing little children suffer in the hospital and though Lambano didn't have any child pass away while I was here...God assured me of His sovereignty and control. How Jesus is strong than death. It was a bit emotional and I tried to compose myself since having the rapt attention of 16 young girls. After I was done Martha shared her favorite passage from the Bible.

Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fall, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls- Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills. Habakkuk 3:17-19

Then she shared how when Wednesday comes how hard it will be to say good bye to a friend, but knowing that even if we don't see eachother again on this Earth, we have the hope of heaven.

I got hugs from each one of the girls and I'm a little sad that I won't be here anymore to invest in their lives and get to know them better. I will for sure keep praying for them.

Now I'm sitting here in my room just thinking and reflecting back on what I shared with the girls and I feel so much peacefully. I've been sick the last couple days and I'm sure its stress from thinking about leaving. It's going to be SO hard to say goodbye, not knowing if God will lead me back here again. But than I remember God is in control and His plans are SO much better than mine. It's still hard though thinking about the last few days I have here in South Africa and Wednesday is approaching quickly, it sure doesn't make it any easier when I'm feeling sick.

Please pray for me to get well, for my heart to prepare to say good bye to the church, friends, and the kids who have been my home the last year and a half. Pray for the people I leave and for the kids as well. I told the hospice kids this week that I was to be going home and Cina asked if I was going to forget them and who would do school with them...eish.

But God is sovereign and I will see you all next week back in the States. Thanks for your continuing support and prayers...I couldn't do with out :)

Dear Father,

I praise Your sovereign name...how faithful and loving You are. Just by sharing with the girls tonight has reminded me of of what I held onto when I was coming here on the plane. You are in control. You have a plan that is so much better than mine. Please take the heartache and monumental stress I have about leaving away...I come to You for Your yoke is easy and burden is light. I cannot bear this alone Jesus. Be gracious to me Father and bless me with peace and calm. I love You Lord. You are in control. Amen.

Yesterday a cold front came in and this morning was freezing when I took Unathi to school. The new volunteer come with me to see where it was so that she could start doing the school runs when I go home next week.

The massage students came Wednesday and I think the girl that gave me mine was the best so far! I might get another on Friday but last night my stomach start hurting really but like double over in pain. It was a restless nights sleep and all day today I've been feeling a cold coming on and headache. Please, please pray for me. The last thing I want is to be sick the last few days I'm here and the traveling home.

I've been having the hospice kids paint some squares for the quilt the last couple days. I was able to get through school with the hospice kids and go to Fruit-n-Veg with Martha...then I asked for the rest of the afternoon off. So I'll be inside trying to keep warm and rest the remainder of the day.

I read this morning in Psalms..was very encouraging...

Our soul waits fro the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You. Ps. 33:20-22

Basically concluded to hope in the Lord and not self, it is a good reminder, just in little things through out the day! I cannot hope in myself...look how easily my own body functions go haywire when sick. The hope to get you through is in Him in every situation :)

Lambano Quilt

Friday the kids started painting on white fabric squares for me to take back to the States and with the help of friends make a quilt to use in a fundraiser for Lambano Sanctuary! Some pretty talented artists here! 

So Sunday after church I went to 36 and had lunch there and then helped the kids paint some more squares for the quilt. I'll be helping hospice kids paint some squares during this week as well.

Yesterday has just been routine. Take Unathi to school and pick up. School work with hospice kids. Homework with 4^th and 5^th grade in the afternoons. Hanging out and spending time with the kids. This is my last full week in South Africa. A volunteer from the States just arrived tonight. Her name is Elyse and she is from Colorado. A nurse in training, so I will have a roommate for a week and will be showing her what I do so she can be doing it when I leave.

Boitumelo had a check up today. His numbers have improved and they have actually been the best they've ever been! Praise God! It truly is Him...just seeing the spark and life in Boitumelo come back is amazing. He is a smart boy, most of the things we had been working on in school he remembered coming back and feeling better.

I don't like thinking about leaving, I've really enjoyed my time here. Being apart of the kids lives, being part of the church body here etc. I know it was just for a season, but it went by so fast! It's been something I've had a desire to do most of my life and it has been my life the last 5 months...I don't wanna think this is it. What next after I get home? God has been faithful in the past and He is in control of the future. I've grown so much closer to Christ during my time here! Sometimes it was all I had to cling to...God is Sovereign. Being broken down over and over. Coming here with some idea and expectation and having God totally surprise me in many ways! I can't explain it. I was reading past posts on my personal blog and seeing how totally awesome and faithful God has been leading me on the journey especially in the last 2 years...it is incredible! It is going to be hard to leave, yes, but this is just for a season in the journey God is leading me on regarding were my heart's desire lies...

Return Date changed

I will be leaving South Africa June 1 and landing in Seattle June 2 in the afternoon. 2 weeks left now! Thanks for those who prayed for my ticket to be changed. The reason for a sooner return mainly was my brothers leave from the Navy was only 2 weeks and he would be gone by the time I got back originally June 14. Other reasons were swim team starting and MATS school for Reliv. Eish...my summer is going to start in less than 2 weeks. This place has been my "home" for 5 months.
Prayer requests for the next couple weeks: for me to remain healthy (lots of flus going around lately due to weather change), to make the most of the time I have left on mission with the gospel, for the kids in hospice with my leaving and for the rest of the Lambano children.

african bush

This past weekend I went up North past Pretoria with my friend from Montana who came to South Africa for a hunt. We left Friday and got back Sunday. We went with the hunting guide and his wife and 2 kids to their farm of 200 acres out in the bush. It was the first time I had ventured out of the city of Joburg. I had a great time too. I'd forgotten how quiet the country is cause I had gotten so used to the noises of the city. It was beautiful country :) I loved the trees tehe!

Today was a public holiday cause it was voting day in South Africa. Martha and I went on the Guatrain to Sandton City which is a very rich part of Joburg. Went to Mandla Square and just walk around the mall and the hotel and had coffee it was a warm day out too!

I have 25 days left in South Africa and time is disappearing so quickly. Next week a volunteer from the States is coming to Lambano for 3 months. So I am to take her around and show her everything I do so she can do it when I leave. I'm happy that someone will be here to do the things I'm doing so Lambano won't be shorthanded.

In the time I have left here I will be getting the kids to paint on squares of fabric to make 2 quilts when I get back to the states to do a quilt raffle for Lambano Sanctuary to help raise funds for them. The kids had done it before for a company a few months ago and it was a beautiful quilt! So I”m looking forward to doing that.

I think about going home and I really don't want to lol...God has been teaching me so much! But as this season in my life is coming to an end I look forward to the next chapter of my journey to see where God will take me...back to Africa or another place in this world...I don't know...but I am prepared f to go wherever he leads me!

Mothers Day

The end of last week was welcoming...first full week back since school hoildays and I was getting tired lol. Drive to Katlehong Thursday and Friday. The oldest boy at Lambano(15 years) has been wanting to see his family, hasn't since he came here 2 years ago, We found his brother at a school and went Thursday to find out where the rest of his family lives, but the boy had already gone home. Friday just me and Martha went and we drove the boy home and he directed us like 30 minutes away turning and twisting through the township on dirt roads (if you would even call it a road lol) I was thinking how are we going to come back this way. Anyways Martha got the numbers of the family and they came to see him on Saturday. Oh and we did get a little turned around driving back but didnt get lost :)
Oh Thursday the oldest girl at hospice went with the social worker to another home. I took her to the shops to buy sweets before she left. She sang a song for me called "Mama" which I recorded. I'm sure that I will be keeping her in my prayers for quite a long time from now.
My camera is broken, don't know what happened to it but it completely just stopped working one night. I'm borrowing the Lambano camera for the rest of the time I'm here 5 weeks. It not as good as mine was..like th video I take are worthless but at least you can still here the song Tsitsi sang :)
So on Sunday it was Mothers Day of course and I got my first Mothers Day card from sweet Noma :) made me very happy because I wasn't even expecting it. Martha and I went to a Mothers Day concert at the Zoo and the weather was perfect! The Johannesburg Festival Orchestra was playing with Tamara Dey (love her voice) and the Bala Brothers sang! It was really fun and ended in doing the can-can around the gazebo haha.
Mothers Day is a day for honoring mothers, celebrating and thanking them for the love and sacrifices of raising us. They prayed in church about it...I was thinking about all the Lambano kids when they prayed this prayer, sitting in the front of the stage on kiddy chairs...their mothers aren't/weren't like that. Sure, some of them died and maybe some thought it would be giving them a better life, but not all the kids stories are like that. Children are a gift from God and what I don't understand is how can a mother abuse their own child and neglect them...I cannot comprehend it. With as much love as I have for these kids, I'd think, wouldn't it be increased if the child is your own flesh and blood?