Mission Jinja 2012!!

My dearest friends and family!!!
I am so very excited to finally have the time to sit down and put into words my feelings and emotions and thoughts!
I once again have been called to "Go to the Nations!"  This time with the unique experience of leading a team!
Last year, I was called to an amazing opportunity.  I was called to leave my family and home for 2 weeks and travel to Mombasa, Kenya with an amazing ministry called REAL4Christ (www.real4christ.com).  While I was there, if you read my previous blogs, the Lord scarred my heart.  I was exposed to things that I had never been exposed to.  I left knowing I wanted to do more.
During the preparation for Kenya, I was also called to start a non profit.  I co founded Imani Tumaini Upendo (www.imani-africa.com) last April (Imani for short!).  Imani Tumaini Upendo means Faith Hope Love in Swahili.  We have just begun, but the Lord is blessing our movements!!  If you would like to be added to the newsletter for Imani to find out more about what is happening, please let me know!!!  Email me: rachel@imani-africa.com!

I have always loved missions.  I have felt in the past a call towards them.  But, as most of you know, I chose a different path for my life in the early years.  I didn't follow the calling, I ignored the Lord.  When praying and thinking over this blog, I was led to the story of Jonah.
Jonah was called to go, specifically by the Lord.  However, Jonah ran.  Not only did he run, and therefore missed out on many blessings that could have been awaiting him, he ended up on a boat with others who didn't even call God their god!  But, God had a specific purpose for Jonah and wasn't about to let Jonah just walk out on this purpose.  God turned his life upside down!  He created a storm so bad that ultimately caused Jonah to be thrown overboard, left to drown.
Instead of leaving him to drown however, the Lord sent a fish to swallow him whole.  You may be thinking, the fish was a blessing?? What??  YES!!  The fish saved Jonah, in more ways than one!  This time of solitude, left in the belly of the fish, gave Jonah some much needed one on one time with God.  And like a good time out for your kiddos, left him to think about his actions and whether he truly wanted to ignore the Lord or not!  Jonah decided the Lord knew best, and ended up doing what he was called to do.
My life was like this.  I felt the call, but I ran.  I look back now and see the storm the Lord created in my life.  A storm so severe that everyone in my life wanted to throw me overboard!  I remember feeling as if I were swallowed by a whale, by myself, alone, and scared.  Many nights of tears and repentance!
The Lord then offered me a second chance, just like He did for Jonah.  I changed my life, repented and never looked back!  I am not perfect however, I will never claim that, I am still a human with a sin nature and struggle against it daily.  But I now look to the Lord and His calling on my life instead of my own wants and desires, my life looks nothing like it did even 5 years ago.  THANK GOD!!!

Last year I was called to go on a team.  Then start Imani, but the next chapter begins with me leading a team to Jinja, Uganda with another amazing ministry called Healing Faith (www.healingfaithuganda.org)!!  They are personal friends of mine and they have an amazing heart for the Lord!! Go check out their website and read their blog!
The process has already been challenging, but rewarding!  I am growing spiritually now more than ever before because of my obedience.
I am writing all of this because I need your prayers and support!  Knowing that I have powerful prayer warriors who know me personally, behind me, praying for my leadership and my team.  Praying that satan has no place in this journey, means so much to me!
There are so many of you who have helped me in my journey whether you know it or not.

If you have made it this far, THANK YOU!  Thank you for taking the time to love me and my family.
I will be posting updates on here, and we will have a team blog set up soon, so that while in Jinja you can keep up with what we are doing!

If you would like to donate towards my trip, you can do so by going to www.imani-africa.com
Or by mailing a check made out to Imani and sent to the Imani office at: 216 W 26th St, Bryan, TX 77803

Imani is a 501c3 non profit so all donations are tax deductable!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support!!  I cannot wait to see what this journey has in store for us as a team!

Rachel