What an amazing year it has been! As many of you know, I spent half of the year in Africa. I worked there with the sub-Saharan tribes in Zambia as well as learning all kinds of amazing skills including mechanics, GPS navigation, welding, Bible studies, expedition planning and leading, and medical training. Afterwards I went to Zanzibar and worked with the beautiful Christian minority as well as the majority Muslim population. It was beautifully challenging and life changing. I found my heart knitted to the gorgeous people and culture of the eastern African coast.
I stopped by Australia on the way home to visit my brother and his beautiful wife and to meet my newest nephew, Joshua Daniel. It was such a blessing as someone donated the money to send me there and I arrived just in time to help with the delivery. Afterwards I went to Hawaii to visit my brothers who are stationed there. It has been several years since I had seen them so I was very excited when I realized again that someone else had provided the means to go! But one of my brothers had already been redeployed to Iraq. However, I was able to help out with homeless ministries in Hawaii and get involved with local churches. What a blessing!
After arriving home, I was confused as to why I was here. It seemed so much more “logical” to continue to travel. However, God always has tricks up His sleeve;) Shortly after arriving I realized that my father’s ministry needed some help and in the midst of doing that I began to see some of the next steps. I was offered free classes for computer repair and installation. Then came the classes in welding. Next was the network installation training. In addition to learning these amazing skills, I have an opportunity to get more medical training from one the best institutes for wilderness EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) work in the USA called SOLO School in New Hampshire. With the training I have from this summer I am only about 2 weeks away from having my USA certified EMT license that would enable me to work anywhere in the US. Needless to say, it is an exciting thing to be serving the Lord! The adventure never seems to end. All this info says nothing of the jobs and opportunities that the Lord has provided for the immediate future! I will keep you posted as I learn more about this plan unfolding!
As many of you know, when I first began to look to go to Africa I realized that there was about an $8000 price tag on it. I was sure that I was not going to be able to raise that kind of money but I was also sure that God had said to go. After everything was said and done, I had received over $20,000 and was able to send out 5 other missionaries, support several African church and school building projects, help support widow’s and orphan programs, as well as supporting self sustaining gardening projects! It was breathtaking. I felt like a funnel! Every project that is running in Africa now you have a part of! The work will continue and lives will be changed through it:)
When 2008 begins, I will be accepting a medical job as well as an IT job. I am leading a team to Haiti in the first part of February and then I am completing my EMT training in May. After that, I am looking into several jobs overseas that will be using my medical and IT skills. It goes without saying though that every bit of this is in the Lord’s hands and I am always looking to be moved in whatever direction He might have. I can’t thank you all enough for your support and LOVE through this life. Most of you are just flat out determined through the love of God to make a difference in this world and I am so glad to be a part of it! I believe that God is equipping his workers in new and exciting ways and I just work in dropped-jaw amazement as I see His magnificent plan. MAY THE ROAD AHEAD BE FILLED WITH THE JOY OF SERVICE AND LOVE!!!!
Merry Christmas and God Bless!