July Newsletter

Getting From Here to There

"When do you leave?" has been one of the most frequently asked questions I hear. In order to go I must have 90% of my support pledged/raised. Currently I am at about 25% with 3 weeks left before I would like to leave. For some this may be discouraging, for me it has been a water walking experience. I leapt out of my boat of security and have been learning what it means to get my feet wet for Jesus.
Sometimes I find myself looking at the quarter-full thermometer and wondering how will I ever get from here to there? Then the voice of Jesus rings in my ear "You of little faith, why do you doubt?"
School starts September 1st. I would like to have my support raised by August 15th and be in Prague by August 20th!

The count down is on!
Reaching for the Goal Raising support has to be one of the most humbling, eye opening experiences. I avoided entering the mission field for quite some time simply because the thought of having to ask people for support was terrifying. Yet, through this experience I have seen the Lord at work, and people give in a way I never thought possible. I am learning of the blessings that come with giving generously.

Frequently Asked Questions

"When do you leave?"
Has to be one of the most frequently asked questions. Which has a tricky answer. There is when I would like to leave: NOW! When the school would like me by: August 15. And when I am allowed to go: when I have 90% of my support.
The catch is people like deadlines and will often come through in the last hour. So when is the last hour? I have struggled with putting deadlines because I feel like I may be setting my own goals rather than relying on the Lord's provision. Yet today I realized that people in North America thrive on deadlines, procrastination and doing things at the last minute.

So "When do you leave" Lord willing I would like to have all my funds raised by August 15 and be in Prague shortly after that. What about your Visa? Visa paper work is moving and the prayer is everything will come together quickly. I knew going into this that my faith would be pushed and stretched in a way it has never been before. Yet I have been encouraged to see the Lord's provision in ways I could not have imagined. Just when I feel like Peter and see the wind and the waves crash and that sinking feeling begins to rise, the Lord stretches out his hand and asks Why do you doubt?

"How is your support going?" It comes in spurts. Considering I started July with around 1% I am excited to already be close to 25%. In three more weeks I would like to be at 90%. Praying and waiting to see how the Lord will bring it to completion.

Many Blessings

There are so many things to thank the Lord for!

• Gorgeous weather for my brothers wedding - my younger brother got married in the park this past weekend and it was such a gorgeous day. Many congrats Kyle and Cathy!
• No more Postal Strike! With the Canadian Postal Service back to work mail has started to move and with that comes financial support. I have been blessed time and time again to see who has been giving and have been blown away by peoples' gernerousity and heart to give. I've been told by many veteran missionary friends that a lot of my support will come from places that I would never have dreamed of. I have become bolder in sharing my vision and mission with anyone who will listen and have sometimes been surprised by the supportive response.
• My Visa application is moving right along! Talked to the Czech Embassy in Ottawa today and learned that my application is on its way to the Czech Republic. Please pray for it to be processed speedily!
• I have a date set for my informational/fundraising evening. August 1st I will be sharing at Emmanuel Fellowship Baptist Church in Vernon. Will be a time of Food, Fellowship, Fundraising and Fun! Please pray for all the details and things that need to come together to make this event happen!

Overall it has been quite the roller coaster ride and I know things are just starting but I am so thankful to the Lord for his timely provision. 

This Sunday I will be sharing in church a little about my ministry so I made a short video about where I am going and what I will be doing there.

Training for the Mission Field

June 20-25 I joined my fellow TeachBeyond candidates for orientation at Wheaton College in Wheaton Illinois. It was a jam packed week of eye opening experiences, overwhemling realizations and encouraging memorable moments, as we begin to prepare to set out to serve in different schools around the world. I was excited to meet some of my fellow colleagues who I will be working with, as well as meeting those who will be serving at schools nearby that I will be able to visit.

When people ask how orientation was I get a little toungue tied. Good, and busy just don't seem to cover it. In some ways it all still feels like a dream. SO sureal that I catch myself wondering is this for real? Am I really giving up my security for the unknown and unstable? I had my moments where I was sure I must be crazy to even consider such a drastic change; yet there is a peace in the knowledge that I am following my Lord, going where he sends me.

Highlights for me was getting to meet people who I have had extended phone and email conversations with but had never met. Joining TeachBeyond is like entering into a new family. It is comforting to know I am not in this on my own and I have an amazing team behind me praying with me.

Hey, How's it going?

It goes Whether I want to go with it or not!

Quick note to let you all know that I am still out here. I have so many stories to share and yet there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that I need/would like to do! So point form summary will have to do for now and will hopefully give more details in the next update letter.

• School at KCS is done for the year! - It was a fantastic end to an amazing year and I have been blessed to have been apart of such a loving learning community for the past 3 years.
• Postal Strike: is no more (for the time being) meaning that mail is moving again and hopefully financial support will be able to make its way through.
• Went to Wheaton Il. for orientation and training. A wonderful, overwhelming, encouraging time of learning, meeting  new people making new friends and gearing up for a life out on the field.
• Packing, packing, packing... I am officially moved out of SA. I was blessed by an amazing group of friends and family who came to help me pack, clean, load and unload all my worldly possessions. I am learning lots about what is necessary to have in this life and how much STUFFwe accumulate! Being a sentimental person it was difficult to let go of the mundane things that contain so many memories. Never knew how attached I could get to a can of Spam!
• Up and coming:
  - Visa paperwork to process - praying that it all comes together
  - Wedding bells: my brother is getting married next weekend
  - Sharing: making appointments to share with people what my ministry is about and how they can help

So much for brief outline. More to come when I have a moment to catch up.
Many Blessings
~K