Until the whole world hears

This weekend David and I are leading worship for the orientation and commissioning services for Go Now Missions in Dallas. This is the same organization that sent me on 3 summer mission trips around the world and David on one. Our journeys with Go Now are a huge part of our story as a couple so we love being able to be a part of the organization after our college years.

It was when I was flying home from my first overseas mission experience in northern Germany in 2005 that I felt a strong calling towards leading worship and being involved in ministry beyond regular church attendance. Two years later I spent an entire summer in the mountains of Montana as a worship leader for a small church. Now, eight years after that first calling I have the awesome opportunity to lead worship with my husband for the agency that was such a pivotal part of my ministry journey.

Also, many of the students I work with will be there and are getting ready to be sent all over the world. Such a cool thing to witness!

Pray that we are able to get out of the way and let God use us this weekend and for the hearts of all the students preparing to go. The nations are ready and waiting!

day 18: GoNow missions

I am thankful for Go Now Missions today.  This is the organization I went on 3 mission trips through; Norden, Germany - Kila, Montana - and Prince Rupert, BC, Canada.  Each one was a very unique experience and i loved them all, though there were some very hard and emotional times in some of them.

I was totally going to write a little blurb about each trip I did through go now, but right now I'm honestly too tired to delve into those emotional pits.  I loved each place I went and I truly hope to visit them again with David in the future. 

Every place I went was cold and beautiful and nothing like my Austin home.  I have a special connection in my heart to the Pacific Northwest because of my two summers spent up there.  Watching any of the Twilight movies (I know, I know) makes me nostalgic for those places.  This is partly why we chose Vancouver as our honeymoon destination, I just had to be able to share the beauty of that area with David.  Lucky for me he loves cold rainy places.

I love how Go Now encourages college students to be faithful to God's calling and to go, now!  Go to their site and see all the amazing places students are taking the gospel to, it's so great.  I love that the BSM helps raise money to support go now and I get to be a part of an organization I loved to much in my college years even now. 

Hawaii

I'm not sure how much I've talked about it on here but I'm going to Hawaii this summer with some high school seniors and college students at my church. I'm pretty stoked about it to tell you the truth. While there we will be working with the pacific islander people who immigrate there to work in the tourist industry, and often live up to 20 to an apartment. We will also be helping out with the Baptist World Alliance Congress. We will get to experience worshiping with Christians from over 150 different countries all over the world...awesome!

I have to raise a good amount of money to go, most of which I have not raised yet. I'm not worried though, I have faith God will provide...He always has :) The total cost fro travel, airfare, room and board and meals is $1500. So far I have $190 in my account at church.

I just sent out letters to most of my family and family friends asking for prayers and any monetary contribution they feel led to give. I also decided to make some cute canvas tote bags to sell as a way of raising money for the trip. 100% of the money I get for these bags will go straight to my account for the trip this summer.

They are made from beige canvas lined in a fun bright Hawaiian floral cotton. The top-stitching on the outside matches the floral fabric. I also hand painted flowers on the outside in coordinating teal, green and gold.


You can see by the magazine pics how big they are. I bought enough materials to make 24 bags, but as of right now I've made three. If any of you would like to order one let me know and I'll start cranking them out.

I decided to set a price of $25 for each bag, or a donation amount you feel led to give for one of them. With each bag I will also include a prayer card with specific requests for our trip this summer and the people groups I will be working with.

If you'd like to order a bag you can comment here or email me at randamocity@gmail.com. Mostly I would love your prayers! Going on any length of mission trip is hard but rewarding work and only possible with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ lifting me up from around the world :)

back in Texas!

As I stated before, I thought my bout with strep was over...hmm. My dr suggested that I could've had a cold/virus at the same time as the strep which is why it seemed the antibiotics weren't working. I never felt 100% and near the end of my New Orleans trip I came down with what I'm pretty sure is bronchitis. Luckily it wasn't till the last day, and I had my good friend nyquil to knock me out on the 9 hour drive home :) Now I'm finally over the awful cough but I can't hear out my right ear. It's either majorly congested or I have an ear infection. Ah well. Just want to be better by the time classes start on the 20th.
Other than being sick it was a wonderful trip. I love how God reveals to me how personally He knows who I am and the gifts I have to offer. Example: I spent a few hours one day repairing a mattress that had ripped. I got to sit upstairs alone, listening to thrice, and sewing 1/4 of a mattress seam back together. I felt God's deep personal love for me in those hours.

I think we're going back in May to help the mission get ready for summer VBS groups. I can't wait to go back and visit with fellow brothers and sisters!
What would a trip be without a knitting project? I finally started my MeMaw's Christmas beret. I was worried about it at first but once I finished it last night it came out quite lovely. I gave it to her this morning so she could wear to church and she loved it :)