Hello again! Things are starting to come together as Bekah and I have both graduated from college, and we have a little more time to actually plan things. We are getting really excited about the possibilities that God is preparing for us.

We were able to sit down and talk money, and although the total cost for both of us may seem daunting, we have no doubts that God will provide for us over the next couple of months. We have not sent out our support letters yet, but we already have some friends/family sending some money for our trip. This is such a blessing, and this gives us the hope that we will raise enough money by September. The estimated cost for us both to go on this trip is about $15,000. This amount includes airfare, food/living costs at the orphanage, medical expenses and emergency money. Once we purchase the airplane tickets, we will have a better estimate on the total cost.

We continue to ask for your prayer over the next couple of months. Specifically, we need prayer make the final preparations for the trip, as well as preparation of our hearts, so that we will be open to whatever God has in store for us.

We will also be holding a couple of fundraisers over the summer- today (May 28) we are holding a fundraiser at Hoss's, and we will also be doing a sandwich sale and a Little Caesar's fundraiser. Our support letters will be sent within the week, so keep your eyes open for those :) Thank you so much for all of your support- we really could not do it without you!

In Christ,
Lauren

Preparing for Our Mission

If you are reading this blog, chances are that you already know why you are here.  Just in case, I will let you know why I am writing it.  This blog is the story of my journey through the next year and a half.  In September (though the exact date has not yet been scheduled), Lauren and I will be leaving America to work with some orphans in Burkina Faso. 

If you do not know where that is, that is okay.  I didn't either. It is right here:

We will sharing with you some of the ups and some of the downs that will come up in our preparations and during our time in Africa.  We will also be sharing some ways that you can pray for us.  

I know that there are many of you that will be following this blog closely.  I am not sure how often I will be able to update it (especially when I get over there as the Internet is not very reliable), but know that when I do, I would love to hear from you guys.  I know that Lauren and I will miss many (if not all) of you and would love to hear about what is going on in your lives too.  Please know that we love you and appreciate the support that you have and will continue to give to us. 

Possible Prayer Requests:

• Direction as we face decisions
• That we would be able to see and understand our next steps
• That God would go ahead of us to the people that we will impact
• Financial Support