First Day in Morogoro

I do not have much time to write now because I will soon run out of pre-paid internet credits that were given to me by the previous missionary teacher. But, I am here in Morogoro and it is AMAZING!! I can't wait to upload pictures because it is absolutely stunning here. The pastor and his family have been so wonderful thus far in helping me get situated. I honestly couldn't have asked for a more fitting assignment.
The school is just a few minutes walk from the pastor's house and it is very nice. Today the pastor introduced me to the head teacher who gave me the materials that I would need to make my lesson plans. I will be teaching classes 5, 6, and 7 and helping them prepare for the exams that they will have to pass in order to enter secondary school. I have already finished the lesson plans for class 6 (equal to grade 6) and have made a nice sized dent in the lesson plans for class 7 (equal to grade 7). The students are enthralled with me and my hair. During the afternoons on Fridays they have a time to play sports. I went out to the play area to try and meet the students and before long I had a huge group of them surrounding me; three of them holding onto each hand. It was amazing!!

I pray that all is well with you and that God blesses your life. Don't be afraid to answer His calls because He will bring you amazing places and show you many wonderful things!

"He has shown you, oh man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before your God." Micah 6:8

Blessings,
~Christine

Goodbye For Now, But Not Forever

Throughout the course of the last week or so, I've been saying good-bye to so many people. I guess in many ways, I've acted as if this trip is goodbye forever. But, it's not really. As my time of departure comes closer and closer, I realize that I'll only be gone for 6 months! Before I know it, I'll be back in the states. So, I guess this means that this is just goodbye for now, not forever. I love you all and pray for God's presence in your lives to show you the path that you are to follow. I also pray for you for the strength to chase after that path, no matter where it may lead or how scary it may seem. God is always with you and He is holding your hand through it all.

Well, I guess the next time I post I will be in Tanzania! Get excited!! Until then, I leave you with this Irish blessing:

"May the roads rise to meet you,
May the winds always be at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand."

With much love,
Christine

Tangled in Missions

I'm not sure if you've seen the Disney movie Tangled yet, but it is a fabulous movie full of adventure and dreams. I’m sure you’re wondering what in the world a Disney movie has to do with going to Tanzania to do missionary work, but lately, I've been feeling a lot like how the main character, Rapunzel felt during the course of the movie.

The main character, Rapunzel has a dream and she will stop at nothing in order to see her dream fulfilled (even if that includes disobeying her mother and kidnapping a thief). She has been locked in a tower for 18 years and every year on her birthday she sees floating lights in the sky and she wonders what they are. Through her determination and a series of fortunate events (and unfortunate events), she finds herself in the kingdom just in time to experience the release of thousands of lanterns into the sky. But, as the moment approaches, she begins to have doubts. She wonders if the experience will be everything that she has dreamt it will be. What if it isn’t? And then again, what if it is? What then?

That seems to be exactly where I am finding myself. I’ve imagined for years what it would be like to go to a foreign culture and completely immerse myself in it. I’ve dreamed of helping people and changing the world in the name of Christ. For years I’ve wrestled with God over whether or not this was actually what HE had planned for my life or if it was just something that seemed like a good idea, but would quickly be forgotten. But, God hasn’t let me forget it and I know that this is where I’m supposed to be. But, am I really prepared for what will happen once I get there? Am I ready for what I will learn and how I will feel? I guess the only way to find out is to press forward into the unknown and trust that God knows what HE’s doing in my life. That’s truly all we can ever do, no matter how hard or scary it may seem at times. Sometimes it may mean risking everything (family, friends, job), other times it may mean getting on a plane, and sometimes it’s as simple as greeting a stranger. My prayer is that you too will find a place of complete (and maybe insane) faith in God to direct your steps to fulfill HIS vision and purpose for your life.

“I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23

Blessings and peace,

Christine

It's Official

Well, it's official!! I have booked my flights to and from Tanzania (with a quick stop in Europe on the way back). I'm SOOOOOOOOOO excited!!!!! I'm officially leaving on January 10th and I have a series of flights that will land me at the Dar Es Salaam International Airport at 9pm (local time). The closer it gets and the more that I get done just makes me all the more excited for what is to come.
Some more super exciting news is that I will be bringing a piano keyboard with me along with a set of recorders to help me teach music! It's amazing how connections that you make can help you so much! I was a member of the Sigma Alpha Iota honors music fraternity in college. The organization contains a section that collects musical instruments and music and also raises money to purchase and send musical instruments to schools and orphanages in third world countries. Thus, the Wesley Primary School in Morogoro, Tanzania is a perfect candidate for such donations! I'm SOOO excited!!! Of course, it's going to be interesting trying to get all of that on the plane in addition the all the children's books that I'm trying to collect, but I know that with God on my side, a way will be made!
It's so exciting to me that God is working through my life to make an impact on a school half way around the world. It makes me feel so humbled and leaves me in awe of how He sees the greater picture and how everything is going to work together, even when I don't. All I have to do is keep leaning on his understanding!!

"Trust in the Lord your God with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Christine

Be Faithful to Him and He Will Be Faithful to You

God has continued to pour out His blessings on me in so many unreal ways. Today I was waitressing at the restaurant that I work at and two young ladies, about my age, came in to eat. One of them asked about my purity ring and soon we were on the topic about God. Somehow, as we talked, the topic of my mission trip to Tanzania came up. As it turned out the two of them had been on some mission trips previously and one was wanting to go on a longer term mission trip soon. We were talking about God's timing and how it's always perfect. I told her about how I've been wanting to go on this mission trip for years (and truthfully, it's been nearly a decade since I first felt the call) before I actually am getting to go. But, I know that if I had tried to go sooner, it wouldn't have worked out so well. I just know that God is in this trip because everything is falling in to place so well. The second blessing was the gift that they left for me at the table: my first donation of $100. I am overwhelmed with how God works in the lives of His children to change the world!!

I hope that each of you is having a blessed day. Remember, no matter where you are in life, God is walking with you and leading you in the direction, to the place He has called you.

"The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11

Blessings,
Christine

A God-Ordained Encounter

Over and over again, I am simply overwhelmed by people's responses to the fact that I am going to Tanzania to do missionary work for 6 months. It is truly a blessing to me that others are willing to bless this journey by providing financial support, donations of books and instruments, or simply by following my blog to find out how things are doing.
This weekend I am visiting the college that I graduated from for a choir reunion concert. While I am here, I've been trying to get together with the many friends I have up here. So, today a wonderful friend and mentor and I met at a local tearoom to catch up and talk about life. It was a completely wonderful time! As we were leaving, we began talking to the owners and the topic of my mission trip came up. They do a lot of collecting items for the troops and they want to add me to their list!! I'm so excited I can't even contain it! I just know that this is what God's will for my life is right now and I feel like so many things are falling into place! Every new encounter renews my excitement about this trip and reassures me that this is where I am supposed to be.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28

God bless,
Christine

Is This Really Happening?

WOW! Things seem to be happening so fast now! There have been so many exciting things happening this past month that have offered me all kinds of distraction. I competed in the USKA LA State Championships a couple weeks ago and this past weekend I ran my first ever 1/2 marathon. Now that I am past all of the intense training for those two events, I am now finding my attention is redirected to training/preparing for January and the exciting possibilities that this long-anticipated adventure brings!! I've been researching flights and trying to find the best deals and I've also been working on my support letter that I'll be sending out soon! It's all so exciting and each new thing makes this whole adventure seem more and more real!!

I love the idea that life is an adventure worth experiencing. Every new encounter or activity gives us new insights about who we are as people and how the world functions. I hope that through this experience in Tanzania I will learn about and appreciate the culture of the people there. I hope to also gain new insights into a different way of living compared to how we function here in America. I believe that every culture has something wonderful and beautiful to contribute to the world and I hope to explore that while I am in Morogoro. I also hope to learn more about myself and how I view the world and how those views affect me and my life decisions.

Well, for now I've been working on my sponsor letter that I will be sending out to friends and family soon. I hope that everyone will contribute in some way (and that does not necessarily mean money). Of course, it is a strong aspect of the trip because there is no way that this trip could happen without financial support from others. But, there are other kinds of support that I will need as well. For example, I believe that prayer support is one of the most crucial elements to a successful mission, so if you are a pray-er, please add this mission to your prayer list! Also, I would like to collect childrens' books and sheet music to bring with me. The guy I will be replacing has mentioned that the Wesley Primary School is looking to build up a library, but they are sorely lacking books. Thus, any contributions would be greatly appreciated! Also, the students are very excited about learning music and how to read music, but they lack the supplies to make this happen. Thus, if you happen to have any old childrens' books or sheet music lying around that you would like to donate, please let me know asap!!

As promised in my first post, here is the information about what my expenses will look like and how to donate money to my cause through The Advance:

This is what my projected budget is looking like right now:

       Travel Expenses (flights to and from Tanzania): $3,000-$4,000

       Housing: $100/month, $600 total for 6 months

       Food: $100/month, $600 total for 6 months
       Miscellaneous (medical expenses, emergency fund, etc.): $100/month, $600 total for 6 months

In order to make a donation, please go to:

http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/advance/donate.cfm?id=3020917&code=982465

At this site you can easily enter the amount you wish to donate and under “special designation”, you will find my name listed. Please note that through The Advance, 100% of your donation will go to support me. By setting up a completely separate account from my personal finances, I am even better able to make sure that 100% of your money goes directly towards my necessary mission expenses (this money will NOT be used towards weekend trips, the purchase of souvenirs, or anything non-mission related). Please note that, YOUR DONATION IS TAX DEDUCTABLE. If you would like more information, please visit: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/advance/

Good night everyone and blessings to all!!!

<3 Christine

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
~Harriet Tubman