myth buster 101

As I've been working at support raising, I'm learning that sometimes folks feel like they have to be able to give a large gift in order for it to be worth their giving anything at all.

But, did you know that if everyone who knows about this Africa missions trip were to give just $10-$20, I would easily meet my support raising goal?! Isn't that amazing?!

That that could be all it takes, just $10-$20 as part of a team effort, and together the team can get me to Africa and back! So, I just wanted to make sure you all know that I appreciate gifts of any size. All support gifts make a difference. I know what it's like to live on a tight budget, and I'm a notorious $10 support gift giver. But, even that $10 connects me to the work God's doing through my friends.

My first big support raising deadline is approaching very quickly. I need to raise $879 more by July 1. Please pray with me that that amount will be in my hands or New Hope's hands by this coming Sunday morning. After that, I'll need to raise or have commitments for about $4000 more before I leave on July 27. Thanks so much to all of you who've prayed and given to get me this far along in support raising!

To recap an earlier post that's now buried:

If you'd like to join my financial support team, you can do that by submitting contributions to New Hope International Ministries, One Macklem Drive, Wilmore, KY 40390, with a note that the amount is for me. (The support raising address is also always posted on the right of this blog.) If you'd rather, you can also send contributions to me at P.O. Box 128103, Nashville, TN 37212, and I can turn them in.

If you'd like to receive email updates during this support raising phase and also once I get to Africa, email me at khakiface(at)yahoo(dot)com or leave a comment here and I'll add you to the list.

Thanks!! Enjoy this last week of June!

after tasting the coffee

I was all excited to take pictures on Saturday and add some visual life to this blog, but somewhere between the Ethiopian Sidamo and the Tanzania and trying to remember what I needed to say about going on a writing mission trip to Africa, I forgot all about pictures. Until everyone was gone and my poor underused camera called out to me from the mantel.

In summary: Saturday was great! It was so good to visit with folks and to feel well-supported as I presented for the first time in one fell swoop (what is a fell swoop anyway?) the tale of what this whole Africa trip is all about. As life has been busy and wearisome lately, it was good to be reminded how excited I am about this opportunity, how certain I am that God is directing this path, and how much I want to celebrate the freedom to follow Him.

Here's what things looked like after everyone left:
Caption: A girl in a red skirt was recently seen in front of a large world map begging passersby to help fill what she called her "Green Support Raising Basket." Mysteriously, though, when asked if she would at least play something for said passersby on the drum resting beside her, she replied, "But I haven't eaten any tomatoes today!"

Caption: It appears that this is a hasty re-creation of what she and several others ate instead.

Caption: We believe this map and the "Green Support Raising Basket" are connected somehow. [ed. note - The pink papers read: 1 Ghana, 2 Kenya, 3 Uganda, 4 Zimbabwe, 5 South Africa.]

coffee tasting/support-raising/see-you-before-i-leave shin-dig

Calling all Nashville-area folks!

Please plan to join me at my house on Saturday, June 16 from 2-4 pm for a fun little shindig-in-3-parts!

~~Part 1: Coffee Tasting~~
Come taste some excellent African coffees and learn about the fine art of coffee making and growing. Some pro baristas will help you learn how to sound like a coffee connoisseur/snob when you tell all your friends about your tasty weekend activity. And, if you don't like coffee, don't despair! You'll still find plenty of tasty treats to partake of. :-)

~~Part 2: Support-raising~~
This one has sub-parts! Pay attention because it could get complicated.

*I'll spend a bit of time giving an overview of what I'll be doing in Africa this fall, answering questions from the audience ;-) and if I get really motivated maybe using some audio visual tricks to get you really excited about Africa.

*There will be a bucket available in case you'd like to contribute to my support account but haven't mailed anything in yet. You'll be free to drop in cash, coins, checks (hey, you'll save 41 cents by not having to mail it to New Hope yourself!), and credit cards! What a deal! But, there will be NO obligation to visit the bucket. Please come even if you can't contribute.

*For the Ghana portion of the trip, my sister and I are jointly trying to fill a suitcase with toiletries, medications (like cough medicine, ibuprofin, etc.) and old eyeglasses to be distributed in a Ghanaian village. Feel free to bring something to help fill the suitcase! Again, though, no obligation.

*In early July, I'll be holding a yard sale as an Africa trip fundraiser. So, if you've got some cast-offs you can donate to the yard sale, this is yet another way for you to be part of the Africa fun. You can bring your yard sale items with you on Saturday. Anything that doesn't sell will be donated to Good Will or a similar local charity.

~~Part 3: See You Before I Leave shin-dig~~
Please come hang out! I'd love to catch up with you before I head off to Africa but won't have time to get together with everybody one at a time, so come hang out at the group gathering so I can visit with you!

Call or email me for directions: khakiface(at)yahoo(dot)com! I really hope you can come for all or part of the time!!

support raising update

To update you on the support raising front: simply put, I've got a long way to go. :-) My first big deadline for $$ is July 1. I need to raise approximately $3400 more by that date. Please join me in praying that God will provide the money needed by that deadline and then the remaining money by the next deadline. Also, please consider whether you can be a part of God's provision. Thanks!!

possible writing projects

I've still got lots of finalizing to do, and much may not be finalized until I arrive in-country. But, to keep you updated, here are some of the types of stories I'm in contact with folks about: African church leaders helping bring reconciliation between Kenyan tribes with violent historical differences; new wells providing clean water and strengthened community in villages; individual stories of babies at an orphanage in Nakuru, Kenya; the work of folks connecting pastors from different denominations in southern Sudan; the excitement accompanying small one-shelf libraries in fishing villages in South Africa; the Bible women providing pastoral care in the settlements around South African cities; stories from Africa University in Zimbabwe.

The further I get into this, it's been very cool to find that there's real need for the skills I'm offering folks. I don't know any writers who've done something quite like what I'm doing, so, though I've known in my head that my trip makes sense, I've not been following in known footsteps of people I'm acquainted with. Most of the folks I know who've gone on mission trips do things like build houses or schools or offer medical clinics or lead church training sessions. It's been neat to hear from folks I'm connecting with in Africa that they are excited I'm coming and they could easily keep me busy for a month or more, whereas I'm anticipating spending only a week or so with each organization in each different location. All that to say that you never know when what you're good at is what someone else needs to benefit from.