Dollar Bills

So why raise support?

I think this question is asked a lot of people who are going into the mission field whether it be college campuses around the US or helping orphans in Africa.

Why raise support?
I don't know if there is an easy answer to this question.

I raise support because the organization that I will be working with is a non-profit meaning that they collect no money for the services they provide or the aide that they give to those who need it most.

I raise support because I will not be getting paid by Jericho Ministries even though it is a full-time job.


I raise support so that the women and children that I will be helping can take back their lives and know Jesus Christ.

But mainly I raise support because it increases my dependence on God and shows me how much He will provide for me.
I call God my Father, my provider and yet so often I don't believe that He will provide for my needs. I think "well what if God doesn't come through on this one...how will I do it all on my own?"
Anyone who has ever had to raise funds for a mission trip can tell you that it is incredibly faith-stretching. I am committing to be a full-time ministry with no benefits and no pay and am trusting that the Lord will provide people to support me.

By raising support, I can travel to Honduras, pay for my room/board, purchase health insurance, and give some money back to the ministry so that they can continue to help those who do not have the means to help themselves.



Why raise support?
There's one other reason that I raise support. I raise support to give others a chance to be a "missionary" and to have their faith stretched. We are not all called to do missions in another country, but we are called to share the blessings that God has given us with one another.

If you would like to join my financial support team, I'd love to have you!

~Katie

Do You Want To Get Well?

Today I was reading in the book of John and came across a verse that I had read before so many times but today it really jumped out at me.

The verse is found in John Chapter 5 where Jesus is in Jerusalem and meets an invalid who is waiting to be healed. This particular man had been waiting 38 years to be healed. And Jesus simply asks him "do you want to get well?" (John 5:6)

"Do you want to get well?"
6 words that say it all. Of course this man is going to respond "YES! I want to get well" Why wouldn't he? Why wouldn't this invalid man want to live a life that is free from an ailing body?
And yet, he comes up with excuses instead. "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me" answers the man.

This is my life to a T. So often I allow myself to wallow in my own self pity. Or I become so obsessed with a new fad that I cannot seem to pull myself out of it, even when it leads me to sin. I allow myself to come up with excuse after excuse. "I'll have a quiet time tomorrow"..."Everyone else is doing it"..."It's too hard"..."I don't have enought time"...etc, etc, etc.

Do you want to get well?

Of course I want to get well. Of course I want to live a life that is glorifying to God. Of course I want to be free from sin.


Do you want to get well?
What if getting well means having to end a bad relationship?
What if it means sacrificing sleep so that I can get up early to pray and worship?
What if it means that I have to deny my desires?
What if it means that I have to humble myself and admit my weakness?
Do I really want to do all of that to be well again?

Getting well means that I have to confess my sin and turn from it. I waste so much time and energy being bitter, or avoiding situations, or trying to pretend that what I'm doing is ok. And I can't see how sick and weak it is making me spiritually.
The invalid in the story wasted 38 years...how much time have I wasted?

And then Jesus commands the invalid "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." And just like that the invalid is healed. Jesus gives the command but the invalid makes the decision to get up and believe.

Jesus does the same for us. He died for us and he commands that we live according to the will of his Father. But it is our job to take our mats: our lives, our gifts, our relationships, and do something with them.

Do you want to get well?
What's holding you back?

Fall in Pictures

A few weeks ago, my friend Jill and I went on an adventure around Eau Claire to take pictures and say goodbye. This is one of the signs outside Hibbard Hall (where the majority of my classes were during school).




Here's a picture of the Senior women at the Campus Crusade Fall Retreat. It was my fifth year at Fall Retreat and I have really grown to love these women.



This was my Spanish III class at Osseo-Fairchild High School. There were only 10 students in the class, but we had a lot of fun. It was a hard transition to move into a new school in Eau Claire after such a great experience at Osseo-Fairchild.

December alreday?

Honestly, I do not know where November went. The month flew by!

So what has changed in my life?

Well to start things off, my roommate and I have moved. After trying very hard to find sub-leasers, we were successful! They wanted to move in on December 1st. We were so desperate to find someone to take it that we agreed. And then a family from Katie's church invited us to live with them!
We officially moved in on November 30th and it has been such a blessing so far. We share a room and a bathroom, get to participate in family meals and have a warm house to come home to at the end of the day. This especially has been great for me seeing as that I've been fighting off a nasty little cold the past few days and it feels like I'm back at home!

In other news, I'm at 18% so far for support. It has been difficult to put 100% effort into raising support since I'm student teaching from 7am-3:30 pm every day, working part time at Scheels, leading a bible study, and trying to have a social life! 18% is a great place to be and it's really challenging me to put all of my trust in the Lord. I know that He has called me to Honduras and He will provide for me.