The Calling!

Is there anything in your life that you felt/feel called to do? Did you/will you follow through?

All my life, well since my teens, I have wanted to do mission work. My mom and I always talked of how fun it would be to go on a medical mission trip together, we are both nurses, but never went forward with it. A few months ago now I began thinking about mission work often, knowing that it was something I would really like to do at some point in my life. So I started praying about it each day on my way to work and the following testimony is what happened....

Brandon and I attend Indian Creek Community Church in Olathe, KS. About 2 months ago or so I started having this sense that I was supposed to go on a missions trip. I have always wanted to do this but didn't know where to go, how to do it, or when the right time would be. So, I began to pray this simple prayer:

 "God please use me as you would to be your hands and feet here on this earth, whether it be here in the states or in South Africa God please open those doors that need opened and close those that need closed to get me there. I pray God for the hearts of those that would help me get there because I know I cannot do it on my own. Amen"

So I began to pray this prayer every morning on my way to work. It then became very interesting to me that oddly I was beginning to hear the words South Africa often; whether on the TV,news, people, and at a church service. So I continued the prayer. Well about a month ago on a Wednesday morning on my way to work, I turned the radio off and said my prayer as I had for a couple months. When I turned the radio back on this is what I heard: "I will follow" by Chris Tomlin

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow...

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you

Light unto the world
Light unto my life
I will live for you alone
You're the one I seek
Knowing I will find
All I need in you alone, in you alone

In you there's life everlasting
In you there's freedom for my soul
In you there joy, unending joy
and I will follow

The tears started flowing down my cheeks and I had the biggest smile on my face with the words South Africa laying on my heart. I knew that this was no coincidence, this was a gift from God and I was going to accept it. I picked up the phone and called my husband, who had no idea I'd been praying about this, and said honey I think we're supposed to go to South Africa. He was very surprised to say the least but never once did he doubt or question me. So we began to pray about it together and then the oranges answered our prayer!

We were grocery shopping at Walmart and went to pick out some oranges. "Babe what does that say?" We both looked at the orange "South Africa" no kidding we looked at each other and tears were flowing down our cheeks. So South Africa here we come!!!

There is a family the Agee's from our church that felt called to move to South Africa to support the mission Oceans of Mercy. http://www.oceansofmercy.com/ Our church has partnered with them to help support their mission and does so by sponsoring orphans, shoe drives, pencil drives, mission trips once or twice a year, etc. Brandon and I have been sponsoring a child now for close to a year, for $40 a month we help supply meals, shoes, and school supplies. We look forward to meeting him when we arrive there!

We will be leaving March 8th and return on the 22nd. The village we help sponsor is Kwa-dick. On this trip our group will be helping to prepare the land site that a new community center for the orphans is going to be built on. We will also be helping with the child sponsorship program and updating the orphans records, HIV/Aids education, and spreading the love of our Lord Jesus! You can learn a little more about the trip here http://www.timstout.com/sa/

Brandon and I have been blessed abundantly in our lives (more stories to come) and we know that God has more planned for us then we can even imagine. We cannot wait to see what he has in store for us and I'm sure this is just the beginning. We ask for your prayers in our preparation for this experience as well as our traveling and health. We will keep you updated here throughout our journey.

We thank each and every one of you who has prayed for us thus far and who have supported us with this mission. We pray that God would bless your lives and lead each of you to live out for him as well. May God break our hearts for what breaks his and then lead us as his hands and feet to serve and bless his people abundantly here on this earth.

God Bless!

Kelsi