Hey friends,
Sorry this hasn't been updated recently... I've been waiting for some info and have finally rec'd it!! I'll update this ASAP!!! :-D
Thanks for your prayers!
Love,
Rachel

Hurry up and wait...

I hope everyone had a beautiful and blessed Easter!!! I had a totally awesome time with my parents visiting the Cherry Blossom Festival, Middleburg, and checking out some local wineries...

So yes, I'm getting very anxious about my trip since I hope to leave near the end of May or beginning of June and it's already April!! However, here's what I do know so far... the folks my application was sent to are actually not the correct folks, so my application has now been sent to the correct place. A couple weeks ago I spoke with Jan Kaiser who called to interview me for TESOL but realized that's not what I was looking into and we talked about Jamaa Letu Orphanage which is where I really would love to go. I just got an email today that Jan is actually on her way to the Congo now and will talk to Francine (who I believe gives the okay for volunteers) while she's there and HOPEFULLY I'll know something soon. God has taught me over time that when I wait for God to work things out instead of pushing ahead without God that amazing things can happen. However, I don't believe prayers can hurt anything too badly so please pray that I'll hear something very soon so I can dig into fundraising and preparing for my trip!!


Many blessings!
Jesus loves you!

Rachel

Pray, pray, pray!

So yesterday I had my phone interview. Seems there was a mix-up and I was being interviewed to be an assistant at a school over the summer... but I quickly explained that my heart was set on working with orphans. The cool part was that the woman who was doing my interview had actually help start the orphanage years ago so she had a lot of knowledge of it. It's an all girls orphanage with 50-60 girls. All along I have felt that this is where God is calling me to go. I was told that my interviewer with talk with some other folks and someone will get back with me. Please, please pray with me that I will receive an invite soon and that it will be to work at this orphanage. I hope to leave in about two months but can't do much at this point because I'm still not 100% sure of my location. I covet your prayers that God will allow me to volunteer at this location over the summer. This is the website for the orphanage, they also are getting ready to open a boys orphanage. I've been looking over this website constantly in the past 24 hours and feel that my heart is already there.  It is in the city of Lubumbashi in the Congo DR.
This summer is going to be a busy one in the Congo because they will be celebrating the 100th year anniversary of Methodism there and people will be coming in from all over the world to celebrate. I would love, love to be able to be there to celebrate with all of God's children!
Thank you so much for your questions, support, prayers and good thoughts. This is not only my ministry, this is OUR ministry!
The peace of Christ be with you!
Rachel

NOLA trip & making donations

Well, this time last week I was in New Orleans with a bunch of other folks who have the crazy wish to serve God around the world :-) It was a great trip and spending time with new friends who have heard God’s call to care for God’s family everywhere was such a blessing!! (Including the leaders, our group was 28 strong!)

Thursday I flew in and met two other volunteers at the airport. Two of the leaders picked us up and took us to the North Rampart Community Center, which we called home for the weekend. We all spent the evening getting to know each other and eating jelly beans. (Actually, we ate jelly beans all weekend, yum!)

Friday we spent the day in conversation about being Individual Volunteers for God and the church. For lunch we enjoyed gumbo. It was the first time I have eaten gumbo and I liked it! Friday evening we went out to dinner where I had a bunch of fried stuff. I also tried fried frog legs… not a fan. (The following photo are some folks from the group.)

We also broke into smaller groups throughout the day and evening Friday to have more in depth conversations. Right before bed time, a small group of us walked down to Cafe Du Monde where I tried my first (and second) beignet!! YUM!

We spent more time in large and small group conversations throughout the day Saturday. We also were taken down to the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans where busy neighborhoods were completely wiped out by hurricane Katrina in 2005. What we saw were open fields with cement foundations, a few houses and empty roads. There were houses that were still left from the hurricane, but they were bare shells and not habitable. On the plus side, we saw small clusters of new homes that have been built and even drove by two vans full of college kids on spring break who were getting ready to build a new foundation for a home!! We saw the homes Brad Pitt’s foundation was helping to build; they were nice looking homes and eco-friendly. We also drove through neighborhoods where the homes were damaged but not completely wiped away. These homes still had the markings on them from being searched after the hurricane. (The markings had the date searched, what team searched it, the number of bodies found, if there were dead pets inside and a few other important details… It was surreal.)  After that we went to lunch at Acme Oyster House and I tried char-grilled oysters for the first time and they were good!!   

Saturday night we performed skits that related to situations we might experience at our volunteer sites. The skits were all very informational but beyond that, they were hilarious! Most of us were laughing so hard we had tears at some point or another. Laughter is amazing medicine!

Sunday we were blessed with being able to worship at St. Mark’s UMC which is the church the community center is attached too. What a beautiful congregation! There were folks from middle-class to homeless, all colors of the rainbow and all worshipping God. After Worship the church serves lunch to the homeless. Since our leaders didn’t know about this in time for us to volunteer to help, we walked down the street and grabbed some lunch. After this many folks headed home but I headed down to the French Quarter with some other ladies and had a great time sightseeing. Our home-away-from-home was right on the edge of the French Quarter so we were surrounded by beautiful architecture!! 

Monday I said goodbye to New Orleans and flew back to Alexandria. I will say that NOLA is a nice and interesting place and the weather was divine! However, I’m glad to be home. I already miss the folks I trained with but hope to stay in touch with them and share stories from our experiences.

Many, many thanks to all of you who have been keeping me and this experience in your thoughts and prayers! My application has been received and looked over by a site in the Congo DR. The full-time missionaries who are there and run the site should be calling me in the next week to chat and if I seem like a good fit for the site, hopefully I’ll receive my invitation! If not, there are a few other sites that my application will be sent to.

Many folks have already asked where they can make donations to help cover expenses for this experience. Since this is a volunteer program, we have to cover all expenses on our own. Whether you are able to make a donation or not, THANK YOU for having an interest in what I’m doing. I ask that everyone keeps me in your thoughts and prayers as I strive to follow God’s call and the tug on my heart to go to Africa and share God’s love, my love and your love with orphans!!

If you would like to make a donation, a fund has been set up at my church. Here’s how it works: Please make the check payable to “WSUMC.” In the memo line please write “VIM fund.” (VIM stands for Volunteers in Mission… by writing the name of the fund instead of my name, your donation is tax deductable.)

Checks may be mailed to:
WSUMC
c/o Barbara Harslem- Financial Administrator
115 S. Washington Street
 Alexandria, VA 22314

Please note: Unless you indicate otherwise, your name will be shared with me so that I can properly thank you for your donation.

Please continue to keep everyone involved in this process in your thoughts and prayers and know that I’m grateful beyond words for all the support I’ve been receiving.

Love to all!
Rachel

Is this for real?!?

This trip has just seemed like a lot of talk and paperwork up until now... but now I'm registered for training that will run from March 11th-14th, have my flight booked and have a hotel room booked for Sunday night. Not sure if I'm more excited about the training and meeting new folks or about visiting New Orleans for the first time :-)
Prayers are welcome that 1- the trip will go well and God will continue to give me peace about going to Africa, 2- after paying for this trip I'll still make it through the month alive (financially), 3- I'll learn more about my actual trip to Africa while at this training...
Thank you to each and every person who is lifting me up in their thoughts and prayers!!!! This trip isn't just me going to Africa, it's making a connection with God's children and blessing them with your prayers :-)

Love,
R