Dear Lord,
I know that you know my heart's cry as I wonder how an occasion can be so joyous and yet so sad at the same time. I am a grateful mother who has known that you would use Erik for your service since the day he was born. I am asking for your continued blessing on Erik's life as he begins this incredible journey of following you to Senegal. In less than forty-eight hours every minute of Erik's day, week, and month will be filled with the unfamiliar - unfamiliar surroundings, people, language, and situations. You have blessed him with an awesome sense of humor and wit and I ask that you allow him to use that gift to make new friends. You have blessed him with a sharp mind, so I ask that you guide him through all the decisions he will be making and give him discernment to know your will. You have blessed him with a healthy body, so I ask that you continue to keep him strong and free from disease. You have given him a high pain tolerance so don't let that keep him from acknowledging signs when he needs to rest. You have given him a strong will that doesn't accept defeat and one that has never wanted to follow the crowd. Allow him to use that to his advantage so that when adversity comes, he sees it as opportunity.
Protect my son as only you can. Let him feel our prayers every minute he is away from us. Continue to grow him into the man you want him to be. And most of all, Lord, thank you for the gift of being his mother.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
I'll Be Home For Christmas - This Year!
I arrived back in San Antonio the night of the 20th. These days will be bitter sweet as I spend time with my friends and family. I am looking forward to riding bikes with my dad, playing football with my cousins Kris, Spencer, and Matthew, and seeing baby Sam (my nephew) giggle like a crazy man when he takes a bath. Christmas Eve will be our yearly family feast on barbque ribs, sausage, and chicken and I can’t wait for that! I look forward to one more trip with Suzi (my truck) to Corpus Christi. Chris has been looking forward to shaving my head all year and that will happen in a few days. I will also get to see one more AlamoBowl before I leave. Those are the fun things, but I already know that I am going to miss my cousin Matt and my best friend, Chris’, wedding. I don’t like thinking how much of Sam’s growing up I’ll miss and what the holidays will be like next year. I want to stay focused on the important things. Jesus asked his to disciples to “Come follow me…” and that’s what I’m doing.
One of the most important things that I learned at the International Learning Center was that family comes in many forms. Those wonderful people became my family. They may not have filled the entire void that I felt from missing my family and friends back home during the holidays but they did remind me of the one true comforter and His heart for the lost. My colleagues might not have been my family by blood but they are my family by the blood of the lamb. I look forward to many years of keeping in touch with them. Thank you.
The next few days will be fun! I almost have it all planed out, and I hope I can plan enough time to remember to pack! I leave on January 1st at 2:25 PM fly from San Antonio to Chicago, to London, then I will land in Dakar, Senegal at 6:55 PM on the 2nd. I spend two or three days in the capital city and then I will take a local flight out of Dakar to Ziguinchor and then about a 3 hour drive to Kolda in which I will live and meet the next extension of my family!
Please pray for my final days in the states! Pray that I may spend quality time with my family. Pray for preparation both physically and mentally as I say goodbye. Pray that I remember those last minute details before I leave, and most importantly pray for the Fulakunda.
I know that this might be hard for y’all to believe but this was my first snow!!!! December 5, 2007 will be a day that I will remember forever!!!! Here’s hoping you have a white Christmas and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
One of the most important things that I learned at the International Learning Center was that family comes in many forms. Those wonderful people became my family. They may not have filled the entire void that I felt from missing my family and friends back home during the holidays but they did remind me of the one true comforter and His heart for the lost. My colleagues might not have been my family by blood but they are my family by the blood of the lamb. I look forward to many years of keeping in touch with them. Thank you.
The next few days will be fun! I almost have it all planed out, and I hope I can plan enough time to remember to pack! I leave on January 1st at 2:25 PM fly from San Antonio to Chicago, to London, then I will land in Dakar, Senegal at 6:55 PM on the 2nd. I spend two or three days in the capital city and then I will take a local flight out of Dakar to Ziguinchor and then about a 3 hour drive to Kolda in which I will live and meet the next extension of my family!
Please pray for my final days in the states! Pray that I may spend quality time with my family. Pray for preparation both physically and mentally as I say goodbye. Pray that I remember those last minute details before I leave, and most importantly pray for the Fulakunda.
I know that this might be hard for y’all to believe but this was my first snow!!!! December 5, 2007 will be a day that I will remember forever!!!! Here’s hoping you have a white Christmas and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
A Letter To Myself!
Back in September, right after I got my new computer, I put a countdown that tells me how long until I leave for Senegal. My roommate, who is going to northern Senegal, called it my Fulakunda Countdown! Today I had another mini freak-out when I saw the clock go under 35 days. I’ve been doing that a lot lately. I’ll be just sitting there talking to someone, or even just reading something about Africa and I ask myself, “What in the world am I doing?????” I know that it’s God’s will for me to work with the Fulakunda and I truly want to go but as you can image, there are sometimes when the devil slips his ideas in my mind and I believe them. It was over the Thanksgiving holidays I got a little homesick and really had to be reminded why I’m doing this. I hope that the ten days that I will have with my family before I leave on January 1st, will be both a time of fun and one with lasting memories.
Yesterday the Regional Leader gave me and the other West African missionaries an assignment to write myself a letter that will be mailed to each of us in six months. They asked me to tell myself the reasons why I am where I am. It’s meant to be a reminder to myself that I’m being obedient to God and that I’m doing what I was called to do. I can imagine that after living in Senegal for six months the “What in the world am I doing????” feeling will still be constantly running through my mind. I wonder if my own words will have any impact on me. To write a letter to the Erik six months from now, I had to think of the Erik six months ago. I want to share just some of the things that I have learned in the past six months and some of the things that I want to learn in the next six months.
In the past six months I’ve learned
...that I’m not as much of a morning person as I thought I was.
...it’s really neat to just pull out your Bible and randomly read a Psalm.
...I’m spending more time in prayer (and I want even more).
...that I can cook for myself!
...the book of Acts is awesome!!!!
...I have fallen in love again with the red letters in the Bible.
...that I need to know more about the Old Testament.
...that I can sew a button back on a shirt.
...I can feel my prayer partners’ prayers everyday (especially Saturday night.)
...that I have a lot more work that I need to do to be the person that I want to be.
...that I love the Fulakunda people, even though I have never meet one.
In the next six month, I want Erik to
...be able to speak Pulaar!!!!! (the language of Southern Senegal.)
...feel peaceful when I wonder, “What in the world am I doing here????”
...bring the Fulakunda closer to a relationship with Jesus Christ.
...be happy with the decisions I have made.
...know more about the Bible, especially the Old Testament.
...have a more dynamic prayer life.
I hope this has given you a feeling for how to continue to pray for me. This year has been such a year of God stretching, teaching, and molding me into a new person. I am positive He is not done! Pray that when that letter comes next June, I will be proud of where I am, why I am, and whose I am.
Yesterday the Regional Leader gave me and the other West African missionaries an assignment to write myself a letter that will be mailed to each of us in six months. They asked me to tell myself the reasons why I am where I am. It’s meant to be a reminder to myself that I’m being obedient to God and that I’m doing what I was called to do. I can imagine that after living in Senegal for six months the “What in the world am I doing????” feeling will still be constantly running through my mind. I wonder if my own words will have any impact on me. To write a letter to the Erik six months from now, I had to think of the Erik six months ago. I want to share just some of the things that I have learned in the past six months and some of the things that I want to learn in the next six months.
In the past six months I’ve learned
...that I’m not as much of a morning person as I thought I was.
...it’s really neat to just pull out your Bible and randomly read a Psalm.
...I’m spending more time in prayer (and I want even more).
...that I can cook for myself!
...the book of Acts is awesome!!!!
...I have fallen in love again with the red letters in the Bible.
...that I need to know more about the Old Testament.
...that I can sew a button back on a shirt.
...I can feel my prayer partners’ prayers everyday (especially Saturday night.)
...that I have a lot more work that I need to do to be the person that I want to be.
...that I love the Fulakunda people, even though I have never meet one.
In the next six month, I want Erik to
...be able to speak Pulaar!!!!! (the language of Southern Senegal.)
...feel peaceful when I wonder, “What in the world am I doing here????”
...bring the Fulakunda closer to a relationship with Jesus Christ.
...be happy with the decisions I have made.
...know more about the Bible, especially the Old Testament.
...have a more dynamic prayer life.
I hope this has given you a feeling for how to continue to pray for me. This year has been such a year of God stretching, teaching, and molding me into a new person. I am positive He is not done! Pray that when that letter comes next June, I will be proud of where I am, why I am, and whose I am.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
I got it figered out....I think
This past weekend without electricty was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be. It got dark around 7 o'clock but I had a realy cool flashlight to be my eyes. The cooking from scratch wasn't all that bad. We had to pretend we had gas stoves like we will have in West Africa.
Here is a pic of me cooking the one thing that I know how to cook, TOAST!! The other West African Missionaries and I cooked more than just that, I just wanted to share this picutre.
Friday, November 9, 2007
A World Vision and a Heart for the Fulakunda
Yesterday was the Worldview Workshop Day. We got to hear someone speak about a certain worldview and how through understanding them we would be able to share Christ with them. I chose to go to the Tribal Worldview. It was very interesting and we got to talk about many things. The teacher mentioned times when she has tried to share and ran into barriers. The tribal people couldn’t understand the difference between the one true God, and the god that they have been told about. We also talked about many different animistic beliefs and what to do if tribes are practicing their beliefs while you are in the village and about to share. (Would you drink the blood of an animal if it was offered to keep from offending the tribe?)
The afternoon of the workshop we watched a video about the Taliabo people who live in a very hard to-get-to island in the Pacific Rim. The video shared the stories of the Taliabo people and what they believed and how these people are so afraid of death. There were two missionary couples that found these tribes and asked to live with them and learn their language. Once they learned the language they shared the stories of the Bible with the tribes. It was great to hear how these missionaries went about breaking through the barriers and were able to lead the Taliabo people to Christ. It was a story of people being obedient to Christ that were told to share with people that were waiting and needed to hear the good news. I thought to myself, “Man that would be great if something like this would happen to the Fulakunda!!” And then it just hit me, the Fulakunda are just as needy as the Taliabo. God wants the heart of the Fulakunda just as much as the wants the heart of the Taliabo and the heart of you and me. I stopped right there and started to pray for the Fulakunda, that God would work in their hearts, so they can long for that eternal joy that the Lord gives me. I still don’t know what will be in store for me or the Fulakunda, but I do know that God is seeking the hearts of the Fulakunda and he is going to use me for his glory. Ohh, I pray that I can see the harvest of the Fulakunda. Pray for with me, please.
On a different note, this weekend we are simulating a West African experience and we will spend the weekend without electricity and cooking our meals from scratch. I hope that I will learn from this experience. Cooking has never been my strong point and I hope that I learn enough to not go hungry while I’m by myself in Senegal.
The afternoon of the workshop we watched a video about the Taliabo people who live in a very hard to-get-to island in the Pacific Rim. The video shared the stories of the Taliabo people and what they believed and how these people are so afraid of death. There were two missionary couples that found these tribes and asked to live with them and learn their language. Once they learned the language they shared the stories of the Bible with the tribes. It was great to hear how these missionaries went about breaking through the barriers and were able to lead the Taliabo people to Christ. It was a story of people being obedient to Christ that were told to share with people that were waiting and needed to hear the good news. I thought to myself, “Man that would be great if something like this would happen to the Fulakunda!!” And then it just hit me, the Fulakunda are just as needy as the Taliabo. God wants the heart of the Fulakunda just as much as the wants the heart of the Taliabo and the heart of you and me. I stopped right there and started to pray for the Fulakunda, that God would work in their hearts, so they can long for that eternal joy that the Lord gives me. I still don’t know what will be in store for me or the Fulakunda, but I do know that God is seeking the hearts of the Fulakunda and he is going to use me for his glory. Ohh, I pray that I can see the harvest of the Fulakunda. Pray for with me, please.
On a different note, this weekend we are simulating a West African experience and we will spend the weekend without electricity and cooking our meals from scratch. I hope that I will learn from this experience. Cooking has never been my strong point and I hope that I learn enough to not go hungry while I’m by myself in Senegal.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
It's All Good!
I’ve now been in the International Learning Center for almost a week and I’m loving it. The whole place is set up for me and all the other missionaries to learn and get ready for the journey we have in front of us. When I first got here they gave me the key to my room, my name tag, and about five hundred papers to read. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a little but they have given me a lot of things to read and do over the next 8 weeks. I have that same feeling that you get in the first week of school when you look at the syllabus and you wonder how you’re going to have enough time and strength to do it all. I’m slowly getting things checked off one by one but I don’t want to burn myself out by doing it all in one weekend or something. Pray for my time management. It’s funny that I’m worried about doing too much, too quickly. Normally I am a procrastinator who waits until the last day to do a project!
There a large number of people here in VA with me. On top of all the reading that I have to do, I want to meet everyone here, and hear all their stories. We all know that there are only 24 hours in a day and some of the time that I spend talking to other missionaries takes away from my own personal quiet time with the Lord. Please pray that I have more discernment on when I need to go back to my room and when I can stay and hang out with all my new friends.
Like I said, it’s all good! I’m thinking of my family and friends as I write this note. Your prayers are being felt! Keep it up.
I’ve now been in the International Learning Center for almost a week and I’m loving it. The whole place is set up for me and all the other missionaries to learn and get ready for the journey we have in front of us. When I first got here they gave me the key to my room, my name tag, and about five hundred papers to read. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a little but they have given me a lot of things to read and do over the next 8 weeks. I have that same feeling that you get in the first week of school when you look at the syllabus and you wonder how you’re going to have enough time and strength to do it all. I’m slowly getting things checked off one by one but I don’t want to burn myself out by doing it all in one weekend or something. Pray for my time management. It’s funny that I’m worried about doing too much, too quickly. Normally I am a procrastinator who waits until the last day to do a project!
There a large number of people here in VA with me. On top of all the reading that I have to do, I want to meet everyone here, and hear all their stories. We all know that there are only 24 hours in a day and some of the time that I spend talking to other missionaries takes away from my own personal quiet time with the Lord. Please pray that I have more discernment on when I need to go back to my room and when I can stay and hang out with all my new friends.
Like I said, it’s all good! I’m thinking of my family and friends as I write this note. Your prayers are being felt! Keep it up.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
God is Good!
The days are coming fast, and before I know it I will be employed by the International Mission Board. I even started packing yesterday….well I thought about it and rearranged my clothes closet.
On October 23rd I will start my eight week training in Rockville, Virginia. I’ve check the temperature averages in that area in November and December and right now I’m more worried about the cold weather there than the heat in the Sub-Sahara region of West Africa. While in Virginia my goal will be to get myself mentally and physically ready for the work God has in store for me. This will entail studying the culture, learning to work effectively with a team, and of course, much time in prayer. Pray that God continues to prepare my heart for His work.
Even though I believe one could never be totally ready for a journey like this, every day I feel more and more ready.
I want to thank all the people from FBC-Corpus Christi that will and have been praying for me. I also want to thank all of my FBC family members that were present at the Sunday evening service Sept 30th to hear me speak about my journey and the Fulakunda people. Sunday, Oct 21st, I will have the opportunity to share with youth at FBC-San Antonio. I look forward to having them as prayer warriors.
I have no idea how often I will be able to make a post. My goal will be to try a least once every ten days or so, but I’m not making any promises, in Virginia or Senegal.
1 Corinthians 10:31-33 Just thought I would share this passage with ya’ll, it’s a good one.
On October 23rd I will start my eight week training in Rockville, Virginia. I’ve check the temperature averages in that area in November and December and right now I’m more worried about the cold weather there than the heat in the Sub-Sahara region of West Africa. While in Virginia my goal will be to get myself mentally and physically ready for the work God has in store for me. This will entail studying the culture, learning to work effectively with a team, and of course, much time in prayer. Pray that God continues to prepare my heart for His work.
Even though I believe one could never be totally ready for a journey like this, every day I feel more and more ready.
I want to thank all the people from FBC-Corpus Christi that will and have been praying for me. I also want to thank all of my FBC family members that were present at the Sunday evening service Sept 30th to hear me speak about my journey and the Fulakunda people. Sunday, Oct 21st, I will have the opportunity to share with youth at FBC-San Antonio. I look forward to having them as prayer warriors.
I have no idea how often I will be able to make a post. My goal will be to try a least once every ten days or so, but I’m not making any promises, in Virginia or Senegal.
1 Corinthians 10:31-33 Just thought I would share this passage with ya’ll, it’s a good one.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The Beginning
In about a month I will start the next chapter of my life working for the International Mission Board. I will spend about 2 months in Virginia and then I should be off to Senegal, Africa the first week of 2008 to work alongside the Fulakunda people group.
Please pray for strength for me and my family as the day that I will leave is getting closer and closer by the minute ... or by the day, however you want to say that.
Please pray for strength for me and my family as the day that I will leave is getting closer and closer by the minute ... or by the day, however you want to say that.
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