almost there!

10 January 2010

We are finally almost there, as we leave Friday! Our bags are packed and all of our funding for the trip to South Africa is in, now all we need to do now is hop on a plane. We want to thank everyone so much for the contributions, prayers, and encouragement that has brought us this far. We certainly could not have done this alone!

We will bring back mementos, photographs, and most importantly stories to share with you all. We want everyone to live this experience with us because all of you are, in some sense, going with us. We invite you to share in our joy and our suffering as we witness life in a very different world and serve the people to whom Christ has called us. We will come back with changed hearts and a new sense of responsibility to serve and to be thankful. We hope some of that rubs off on you as you hear our story.

We ask for only one more thing as we embark: encouragement! We need your thoughts and prayers as we strive to live the gospel in a place that desperately needs hope. Pray that we show up surrendered to God’s will, ready to fearlessly do anything as it suits our mission to do so. Pray that we stay focused on the present moment and not our worries back home or the way we are going to tell our stories when we get back. Pray for group unity as an unfamiliar environment and discomfort might wear on our nerves and shorten our patience. Pray for our safety as we travel, work, sleep, and interact with people of South Africa, a place that is known for crime. Above all, pray that we touch lives and that our lives are touched as we work. The names of all those going are:

Stefani Burkholder
Crystal and Ian Armitage
Ryan Callahan
Kellie Hardin
Eyole Mbongo
Kevin McPherson
Jonathan and Kelly Nolte
Nicole Polanco
Jeff and Katy Reininger

Stefani is our leader for the week and may need special prayer for peace. Ryan is not coming back to American after this trip but staying in South Africa for at least a year. Please pray for his transition, his work, and his finances.

Thank you for the support and we look forward to seeing you all in about two weeks!

Love,
Jonathan and Kelly