50 Days and Counting

As dawn breaks this morning, it is 50 days and counting until my service trip to Southeast Asia. There is still so much to do and yes, I am still running out of time!

What I’m Doing

I applied for my passport and it is being processed. This was such an easy process and as of this morning, all is going well and it is on target to be returned in plenty of time for my trip.

I am studying up on the location, religious tendencies, and culture of the area. This is an interesting aspect of the trip. Learning about the cultures of Southeast Asia has been so exhilarating and fun. I can’t wait to see if what I’m learning is really the way it is.

I have sent letters, emails, and have had one-on-one conversations to raise awareness and support for my trip. I’ve learned from past experiences that this piece is so important. Communication with others is the key. If no one knows I’m going, how can I expect them to be of assistance? It has been so wonderful to connect with others and know they will be supporting me along the way. Thank you to those who have made commitments.

I have prayed, prayed, and prayed some more. God is taking me on a prayer journey for certain. My prayer time has blossomed into precious time with my heavenly Father. I am not willing to compromise in this area. Conversation with God keeps me motivated!

What is God Doing?

He is preparing me by reminding me of specific and relevant Scripture. I love God’s “living and active” Word (Hebrews 4:12 - NIV). I have adopted a section from the book of Colossians as my mission statement. It says, “Devote yourselves to prayer being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” (Colossians 4:2-4 - NIV)

He is preparing me by sending encouragement. I love 1 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NIV). “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” God is encouraging me, but He is also sending encouragers my way. I am so thankful for the people who have excelled in this area.

He is preparing me by allowing my faith to grow. The financial support for this trip has not been completely raised. But I am still holding on to the fact that God has called me to do this. “The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” This phrase is found in two sections of Scripture. In 2 Kings 19:31 and Isaiah 9:7 (NIV). I believe God will come through.

He is preparing me by covering me with His peace. Jesus shared this thought with His disciples in John 14:27 (NIV). “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let our hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” I have God’s peace that “transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7 – NIV). How could I possibly do this otherwise?

What You Can Do

You can pray for me, the team, and the people of Southeast Asia. If you would like to receive prayer updates, please let me know. I’m working on setting up a system to share requests with others. I’d love to have you on my team of prayer warriors.

You can support my trip financially. I do need more funds in order to go on this trip, so if you have any desire to do so, please don’t hesitate and send your gift today. I would like to see this part of the journey complete so that I can concentrate on other areas that I feel are so important. I thank you in advance for your contribution.

You can trust that God is in control of this service trip. The same peace that covers me is available to you as well. You can be assured that God will accomplish great things through these 13 days in Southeast Asia. You can trust that He will finish what He started!

I wrote this blog post differently than I typically write. I made an outline and then went back to fill in with more detail. Maybe that’s the way God wants me to look at this service trip. Create the outline, but wait for Him to show up and fill in the details. I’m just a willing vessel. He is the Master.

Thank you for reading yet another blog post about this important vision for my life. I’m thankful you’re on the journey with me. Together, with God, we really can do remarkable things.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna