May 28, 2012
I would like to start this blog today by giving a shout out
to my young life girls: Catherine Wright, Alyssa Harrington, Jillian Walsh, and
April Peyton who are all graduating from High School on Saturday. Good work girls, I’m very happy for you and
excited for the next adventure of college!!!!
While I’m giving shout outs….
Happy Birthday Tina Tootell!
Really couldn’t be happier to have a sister like you and am so excited
for you and Ryan to be new parents soon!!!
I’m anticipating some incredible stories. J
Congrats to my sister and brother-in-law who found out they
are having another daughter in October!!!
Lastly, a shout out to Austin, who doesn’t have to do
anything or produce children and you are still AMAZING!!!
Well my friends, I will be back in the states July
12!!!! YEA!!!!! Tentatively, I will be state-side for roughly
2 months and then back to South Africa until December (ish). I think you all know me well enough to know
the plans tend to change, but this is what it’s looking like so far. It blows my mind to think I have been here
over 8 months already, but I am excited to get home and throw my arms around
all you beautiful people. J
The next 6 weeks before I leave is HECTIC to say the
least. Let’s see if I can paint you a
good picture…
This weekend I, with the help of the ladies I work with, am
in charge of organizing an all day “market” selling clothes, shoes, bags,
jewelry and accessories which were donated by a distribution company. All the proceeds are going to the
charities/projects LCF is partnered with.
It doesn’t seem like a big deal until you realize there are 3 rooms FULL
of stuff that must be sorted, organized and sold. Immediately after that is over I’ll jump in
my car and drive to Klerksdorp to go to my sister’s baby shower on Sunday.
The next event is two weeks later on June 16, we are
organizing a banquet called Business with a Purpose (www.bwap.co.za). LCF has some really great relationships with
a couple businessmen and women. One
particular business decided that instead of giving donations to charities and
not knowing if the charities are being good stewards of their resources, they
would donate to LCF and let us channel that money out to different charities
while building relationships with them.
One thing this business asked is that we would use some of their
donation to organize this even –business with a purpose – in order to inspire
other business people to get involved in the community. This is the project that takes up most of my
time as it is a high-end event for about 250 guests. It should be a really great night. We’ve had a great response and lots of
enthusiasm.
A week later I’ll be headed to Pretoria, South Africa for a
3-day event called Moving Into Action - MIA (www.mia2012.co.za). I think I’ve already mentioned this so I won’t
explain too much about it. It’s a
mission/outreached focused training and launching. People from all over will come together for
this 3-day event, then be sent out all over southern Africa to serve in
different capacities. I’m really looking
forward to this, especially because I’m taking 4 of the kids from Polokong with
and my friend Jared from Missoula is coming to attend the event.
Three days after MIA is over, our kids’ camp called
Kids’Games start. Kids’Games is an
international program/curriculum focused on evangelism through sports and games
for kids ages 6-14. I am in charge of organizing
the Bible Program for the week. It’s
going to be really fun; I’m actually really looking forward to it, assuming I
get a little bit of time in the next couple weeks to plan some of it. J Thankfully Jared will still be here and I
volunteered him to be one of our program characters (you know you’re excited
Jared, don’t lie ;) ).
Five days after Kids’Games end I get on the plane to come
home! To be totally honest, I’m a bit
torn. I’m very, very excited to come
home; to see everyone, be in Montana, be in warm weather (it’s COLD here),
etc. But I am sad to leave my sister and
family here and I’ve developed some great friendships. Along with that, the time I have had here to
be alone with the Lord has been so incredibly rich. While I know it’s not a once in a lifetime
deal, I am so grateful for the time the Lord has given me with Him and in a
weird way it feels like I’m moving on from here. I realize this is a good thing…getting time
with the Lord, growing and moving forward and everything; but, if I can say it,
this has been some of the most precious time I’ve had in my life and in a way
I’m not quite ready to move on. I am
blessed to say I have great things to look forward to, but mostly I am thankful
for right now… I hope you are too.
I can’t say enough how blessed I am to have you in my
life. Thank you.
Some of my best friends here in South Africa!
