blog this

well. read this. it's my april prayer letter. it's my gift to you.

Dear friends!

I roll my eyes, a lot. I also audibly sigh, a lot. I try not to, but it happens. The eye-rolling and audible sighing are best seen when I'm at the airport. And it’s usually connected to my luggage. It might be when I watch a security official throw out some type of liquid I accidentally left in my carry-on luggage. Or it’s when that same person goes through my luggage and takes out piece after piece of my painstakingly, magically, meticulously packed piece of clothing, shoe, necklace and scarf and then lets me repack.

When it comes to me repacking at a busy airport, the eye rolling and sighing are just the beginning…I’m not afraid to give my 'oh no you didn't' arm cross. Okay, so, maybe that security official didn’t know that I spent hours convincing that shirt to fit into that luggage. So, I uncross my arms and repack, it will be alright.

Even though I have several years of packing and unpacking under my belt, I don’t have it down to an art. I still, notoriously, over pack, a lot.

As I begin to prepare for my May trip to Sierra Leone, I've begun mentally and spiritually packing. I think about what I will need and then what I can bring to our staff and friends they serve among.

The more I have thought about the more I have realized I’ve been given countless, priceless and intangible gifts from you all. You all have given me support, love and sacrifice that point me to God’s unfailing love and character. Those things will carry me the some 5,000 miles I’ll be traveling to Freetown, Sierra Leone. And when I arrive, I anticipate and know that I will be introduced to new facets of God’s character through our staff and especially the friends they serve among.

In the midst of a country that continues to rebuild what was once destroyed by a civil war, the friends who are staff serve among will point me to God in a new way. I look forward to introducing you to the children who you support through your faithful commitment to WMF.

Through the years you have loyally and sacrificially joined me in my ministry with WMF and I invite you to accompany me on this trip. The urgent needs I have right now are:
• One-time gifts that will allow my support account to absorb my trip’s cost (approximately $3000)
• An increase in monthly supporters who will give my support account a much-needed boost. My support account has been healthy this year, but it’s dipped back into the negative in March.
• Monthly supporters who will commit to increasing their monthly giving by $10.
• Prayer that the Holy Spirit will continue to move on people’s hearts to join me in what God is doing around the world.
• From traveling mercies, safety and good health, I need prayer for my trip!

Thank you all for the gifts you are to me. From sweet visits in March (thanks Brittany, Elizabeth and Allison) to text messages and emails (way too many to thank – but thanks Elizabeth K.!), you all have been amazing friends who I thank God for each day.

Grateful, jara

ALSO: if you want to paypal it - here ya go.