Rwanda!!!

10 Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.
      Help me, O Lord.”
 ¹¹You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
      You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
 ¹² that I might sing praises to you and not be silent... Psalms 30:10-12

    So I suppose that you could say I have now fallen into step with the rest of my generation and *gulp* started a blog. At the age of 25 I have chosen to put fingers to keys and create an outlet for the things of my life. Will it be exciting? Will it be entertaining? Who's to say, but it will be a shared adventure filled with laughter, tears, and of course JOY!

    This February I will be embarking on a journey 4+ years in the making. Over 4 year ago God called me to a life of missions. When I prayed about where that life would take me Africa was clearly the place that God was calling me to. Many trips and opportunities came and offered me a chance to go but every time I clearly heard the Lord tell me that the timing was not right. Years began to pass by and I began to wonder if I would ever get to set foot where my heart so longed to be.

    Finally about 1 month ago, something amazing happened after a very talented man by the name of Enric Sifa (enricsifa.com) came to our church and preformed. Enric, an amazing musician, has lead an extraordinary life. He was just a young boy when the Rwanda Genocide took place in the mid 1990's and has overcome more than most people see in their life time. As he told his story and how God changed and healed his hart I began to pray about going to Rwanda on an upcoming trip with my church. I new my roommate had it on her heart to go but I was still unsure if this was the trip I was supposed to go on.

    About 1 week after Enric's concert my roommate Marika and I were driving to Houston and discussing the upcoming trip. As we were discussing logistics back and forth she said that she really felt like she was not supposed to be making this trip alone. She felt like the Lord was telling her that she was going to go with someone she new. I had been wrestling with whether or not I felt like this was the trip that I was supposed to go on and then there it was. Peace. The kind of peace that lets you know that you are right where you need to be, doing exactly what you where made to do. In that moment I knew that I was supposed to be on our church's team. I knew that I was going to Rwanda!

    The weeks leading up to now have been a blur of logistical emails and planning ways to raise funds and gain prayer support. I am so excited to see what God does throughout this process. The team from my church, about 8 people so far, will be partnering with a medical team to bring support and care to Africa New Life Ministries. Our trip dates are February 16-25 and we will be in Kigali, Rwanda and a few surrounding villages. Marika and I need to raise $6,000 in support and this cost will cover both of our air fair, meals, and transportation.

    My goal is to keep everyone updated on our progress as well as share this amazing journey that has been so long in the making. Below are links to additional information about the Rwanda Genocide, as well as a link to Africa New Life Ministries and a brief prayer list. Please partner with us in prayer and if you able or the Lord has laid it on your heart please feel free to donate using the PayPal button to the right of the page.

On the Journey With You,
Olivia

Information on Africa New Life Ministries
http://africanewlife.org/

Information on the Rwanda Genocide of 1994
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1288230.stm

Prayer List
Funding: we need to have at least $4,000 by December in order to purchase our plane tickets
Unity and vision: that our goal would be to see God glorified and for hearts and lives to be changed. That we as a group of individuals would come together as a team and the body of Christ.