Chepyhare porâ, ha nde?

Today has been great! I am in such a wonderful mood!

This morning I had another meeting with my Paraguay team. We skyped our site leader, Mike, and got a lot of information about what we will be doing while we are in Paraguay, where we will sleep, what to wear, etc. It was great! Mike seems really cool and I can't wait to meet with him in person!

After the meeting I talked with Erinn about my trip account and gave him another payment. He told me that I had received a donation from Dr. Bowling. :)
So now I believe I only have $110 left to raise! Praise the Lord!

I have been praying a lot recently about finances, from trip accounts to car payments and even spending money for the trips... I was confident that God would provide everything I needed, but I still had some human fear left in me. Then today I received lempiras in the mail! It was like God whispered "I love you and I'm going to work everything out, just you wait and see!" I almost started crying tears of JOY! God loves me SO MUCH that He sent me Honduran money in the mail to tell me everything would be alright. How cool is that?!

Needless to say I've been so encouraged today and I can't wait to see how God is going to work in my life this summer. It's going to be quite a ride!

Chepyhare porâ, ha nde?

:]

(In case you were wondering, that means "I'm having a good night, and you?" in Guaraní, another language spoken in Paraguay)

I could make a list...

If I had the time I could make a list of every financial need I am worried about over the next 6 months, the planning of work schedules, my needs for daily life, etc. etc.

But what would that do?

Will it make them better? Will is make them go away?

In fact, I think it would make things worse. Seeing a long list of the car payments I need to make, the assignments I'm behind on, the things I don't know how to pay for.... I think it would just drive me nuts.

I think seeing it written out would overwhelm me more than the abstract thought of "I have a lot to accomplish these next few months."

So I won't. 

Why worry about it?

I know my God is bigger.

He is paying for Paraguay.

He is paying for Honduras.

He is paying for my car. My tuition. My life necessities.

I may not know how, where, and when, but I know HE WILL.

And that is enough.

Matthew 6

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

   ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Almost there!

We had another MIA training this morning. It went really well and they gave us a lot of great ministry ideas that I'm sure we'll put to good use. I had the privilege of leading the whole room in singing O Mango Tree, which made me so happy to be going to Honduras again to sing with my kids. :]

After training I checked my mail and I got my Paraguay visa!! Which means when I get on the plane I'll actually be able to enter the country, woo hoo!

I sent a letter to our university president, Dr. Bowling, yesterday asking him to pray for me and my teams as we prepare to leave. I basically just poured out my heart for these countries and explained how God had called me to serve this summer. It was so cool to say how much money I've raised so far (over $3,200) and share with him how God has been providing for me! I'm excited to see what He does next. 

Speaking of which, I still need $455 to go to Paraguay, so please keep that in your prayers.

Today during training we received a list of ministry items needed in Paraguay. It's a very obscure list of things, but it's what they have asked us for, so who knows what they need it for. We are unsure if each of us have to bring everything or if this list if for the whole team. It seems like there could have been some miscommunication when the list was given... Nonetheless, let me know if you are interested in donating these items (new or used) or money specifically for these items:

3 Athletic tape rolls
1 ball pump
2 balloon pumps
3 packages of balloons
2 packages of balloons to make balloon animals
4 baseball gloves & baseballs
14 Spanish Bibles
3 packages of small candies
1 box 24 colored pencils
4 combs
1 pkg of kids face paint
1 football
3 frisbees
2 box granola bars, 50ct
2 rolls medium width masking tape
nail polish
50 kids party favors
5 jars of peanut butter
4 rolls of prewrap
20 red and pink scrapbook paper
50 red and pink solid color paper
2 pairs hair cutting scissors
10 sports water bottles
5 sticker books
5 wash clothes
8 balls of yarn
20 sheets gift tissue

¡Un Año Fantástico!

The next 13 months or so are going to be the best time of my life.

MAY - Going to Paraguay for two weeks with a really great team!

JUNE - My little sister graduates high school and I work my butt off at Disney World to pay for my car. I also embark on my exciting adventure in Honduras!

JULY - Honduras. Literally ALL of July. (Except the 31st. I'll be home then :] )

AUGUST - Home. 2-3 weeks of family time and more working at Disney before I head back to school. Once at school I will be on the leadership retreat, starting yearbook again, and moving in with Jessica, Kenzi, and Heather! (Hopefully in Old Oak) And starting my SENIOR year of college.... WHAT?! :D

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER - Senior year! Practicum in Bilingual Kindergarten and filling in my free time with as much fun stuff as possible.

DECEMBER - HOME. :)

JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL - Student teaching in Bilingual Kindergarten :D 

MAY - I GRADUATE. I can't believe it!!! :) :) :)

This next year is going to one I will never forget. So many fun and exciting things lie ahead and I couldn't be happier!

I'm starting to think about life after graduation more and more lately. I'm SO excited about what God has in store for me next. I keep looking for new opportunities and waiting to see what clicks into the mold God has laid out. I'm looking forward to how the next few years play out! :)

Just thought I'd share my excitement with you.

Thanks for reading. :)