Thursday, December 30, 2010

Please Join Me In Prayer...


Hello Friends!
2011 is coming fast. The end of 2010 means about a month and a few weeks left until I head out for AIM training. I am writing to ask for your prayers! I thank you as you have all had a hand in my calling to the mission field; it might have been a word of encouragement, a prayer, or just telling me how excited you are as I am answering His call; it all has been used by the Lord. I could not be anything more than grateful. As my training draws closer I would love to keep partnering with you in prayer.

A lot needs to happen in the short time left before I fly out to New York. The Lord has lead me thus far and I know He has me each and every step of the way....but some prayer would be great! Before I head out I will getting everything ready, from paper work to prepping for a sub while I am gone. The week of training will be busy and fun. I am very excited to meet other AIM candidates, make some new friends, and learn a lot about African Inland Mission. At the end of the week I will know if I have been accepted into AIM and possibly know a definite assignment. This is huge! As each day passes my excitement and nerves grow. This is truly an exciting time as God is calling and I am answering. I know I cannot do it without you and your prayer support. By mid February I hopefully will know where I will be placed, the ministry I will be doing, start raising my support, and have a sending date!

The prayer needs listed below are for pre-trip, during, and post-trip. Thank you in advance for all your friendship, support, and prayers. If you have any questions or would like more information on any of the prayer needs please contact me. Thank you for the covering of prayer; it is a great blessing. I will keep you posted on what is happening through my blog.

Working for Change in Africa,
Cassandra

Prayer Needs!
-Reserving and sending back all the needed AIM paper work (on time)
-God's provision for Candidate Week (still need to raise $500)
-Prepping my class, lessons, and projects for a sub while I am gone
-Travel mercies (round trip)
-God's leading as the final step of an assignment is completed (I am dying to know where I am going)
-Meeting other missionaries during my training and making new live long friends
-Peace in my heart to listen to God
-All the little things (I know He has them all taken care of)

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Time Together...


Happy belated Thanksgiving. The last month has been crazy so there has been little time to write but I wanted to say a few things about giving thanks.

I spent the Thanksgiving holiday with my family. It was needed time and time well spent. My family and I do not have the chance to see each other as often as we would like and this time together was very meaningful. My grandmother is getting older and not in the best of health so the holiday spent at the table together had new meaning. We had a great time watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and a yummy meal. I was also blessed to have a few days with them after Thanksgiving before I had to head back to Cali. It was very hard to spend the time together knowing how it could be my grandmother's last. There was even a few times I had to hold back tears because she even said it might be her last. She is the one person in my family that understands me and we are joined by a special bond.

Because, of this bond it is harder then even to think of life without her. A life that holds a whole new chapter for me soon, one she may never get to see. I am sure I am not alone in this feeling during the Holidays. For many this could be the last holiday together or the hurt of the first holiday without them. All around us there are songs and phrases that tell of the great joy this season brings, but yet for many it is not a season of joy at all. This year the Lord is teaching me the flip side of this season. I still love the sights and sounds but they are bitter sweet undertone this year. All the fun of Christmas shopping, card writing, and decorating is still on my "to do" list. As I am going about my days getting things done and marking them off my list there is a kind of understanding I am learning about....the understanding of joy and pain this season can bring.

It can be very hard at times to feel this mix of joy and pain but I am grateful for the insight God has given me because I am now able to relate more with others. He always has a lesson for us to learn to help in our ministries. Through the pain this season, at time brings, I know He has plans for me and my family to have great joy together. This will be a Holiday season I will not let slip by or say bah-humbug to.

As you go about this season I pray if you feel the overwhelming joy you remember those that feel pain and if you feel the pain this season can bring I pray you know there are others that understand how you feel.