“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” ~Philippians 1:21~
Nearly 10 years ago I surrendered my life to Jesus and asked Him to reign in my heart. From that moment on God has been and is still doing a mighty work in my life! I’m so thankful that God drew me into a relationship with Him. He is changing me and molding me into a new woman everyday. Shortly after being saved, I embarked on my first mission trip the summer of my eighth grade year to the inner city of San Diego, California. It was here, that I worked a Vacation Bible School at a women’s rescue mission for homeless children. After the week was over, I knew God was calling me to be a teacher. Since then, God has been doing amazing things! He provided a path for me to pursue my degree in teaching through the STEP UP program, has me working with students of various ages as a Part-time Instructor at Nevada State College and as a sub at Lake Mead Christian Academy, and leading a small group of junior high girls at Hope Baptist Church’s youth group, Vegas Refuge. I’m continuously amazed at how awesome God is and how wonderfully He works! God is so good! Lately, God has really shown me that He desires that people from every tribe, nation, language, and people to worship Him. My desire is that God would use my gifts and abilities and would allow me to lead people into His presence. Recently, God has given me the opportunity to go to Kabwe, Zambia to share Christ’s love at a teacher’s conference and children’s reading camp. Between the dates of July 29 and August 10, I will be working with fellow teachers to train and equip Zambian men and women to become teachers as well as teaching Zambian children how to read.
The project will consist of twelve days in Kabwe, Zambia where a small group of us will be conducting mini conferences for children and youth during the Missions Conference that is held in Kabwe every year. We will also be housing a teacher’s conference where we will be training and equipping teachers who have a desire to raise up the nation of Zambia and spread the Gospel by educating children. We will also be conducting a reading camp for the children of a community school sponsored by our partnership with Operation Mobilization and the Bible Gospel Church in Africa. Others of us will also be hosting a sewing conference, hairdressing training, music workshops for children and youth, and providing dental work. I will be working with the teacher’s during the teaching conference and working with children during the reading camp for the children and youth. I am so excited about this project and to see what God is going to do in the lives of the adults and children we work with during this summer. I truly believe that the Lord desires to do a mighty work and He is inviting us to join Him in His work.
***Update***
My trip, instead of being 12 days long, will now be 16 days long! I was given the opportunity to go a few days earlier with two other fellow teachers to spend four days in Lusaka, Zambia observing teachers in schools. We also won't be doing a teacher's conference any longer, but rather focusing on our reading camp, children's conference, pastor conference, and sewing/hairdressing conferences. The second week, we will be conducting a reading camp at a village school in Kabwe. We will observe and assess students so that they will be placed in their respective leveled groups on August 2. August 3-4 will be the actual reading camp. We will be focusing on mastering knowledge and comprehension of letters, letter sounds, sight words, and simple sentences. We will leave the teacher's with lots of books for their library, teaching calendars, ABC flash cards, stickers, etc. While we are there, I will also be teaching teachers a brief overview on Adult Literacy.
During the reading camp, others from our team will be conducting sewing and hairdressing conferences as well. August 5-7 we will be having a pastor's conference coupled with a children's conference. The children's conference will be similar to a VBS (Vacation Bible School).
I'm so excited for this trip! I've been wanting to go on another mission trip for awhile now and especially one over seas. This will be my first time away from home for this long, away from friends, family, all my comforts and things that I'm used to. I am truly leaving my "self" at home. This part is scary, but I am leaving it all up to God. He is ultimately The One who is working through me and making the mission amazing. I am just His vessel, being used by Him. This truth comforts me. While I'm on this trip please pray for our team and the hearts of the adults, youth, and children that we will be working with, teaching, and sharing life with that seeds will be planted and lives will be changed for eternity.
I'm so excited for this trip! I've been wanting to go on another mission trip for awhile now and especially one over seas. This will be my first time away from home for this long, away from friends, family, all my comforts and things that I'm used to. I am truly leaving my "self" at home. This part is scary, but I am leaving it all up to God. He is ultimately The One who is working through me and making the mission amazing. I am just His vessel, being used by Him. This truth comforts me. While I'm on this trip please pray for our team and the hearts of the adults, youth, and children that we will be working with, teaching, and sharing life with that seeds will be planted and lives will be changed for eternity.
"And He was saying to them all, If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?"
~Luke 9:23-25~
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
~Ephesians 2:10~
