The start of it all...

Today, I'm linking up over at The Williams Post

It is a linkup about our very first blog post. YIKES! Mine was pretty horrible.

I've been missing for a while like I forewarned in my last post.

The past week 1/2 I've actually started feeling better but I still don't have a lot of energy so most days during Journey's nap I also nap instead of blogging.  Also, I'm still struggling with Photobucket.com and how to make collages easily.  In my mind I'm stuck back in early May when my dad, step-mom and my brother came out to visit.  I so badly want to post pictures but would LOVE To be able to make a collage out of them.  man, honestly I think the pictures make the blog but if I were a writer for real, this blog thing would be a little easier.  Instead I have to make it hard and someone told me about editing pictures! GEEZ! WHO TOLD ME ABOUT EDITING PICTURES??  It's changed my life and now It's hard to post and not edit.

ANYWAYS...

Back to my wonderful Sister-in-law whose blog I'm linking up with today.

Did you know her and her husband are going to India and need your help?

Here is how you can help:

 Go buy a clutch from her at  http://missionarykerrie.storenvy.com/  I bought one from her and I LOVE
it!

Tuesday Challenge

Today I'm linking up over at The Williams Post for the Tuesday Challenge.

Although I did not do the Tuesday Challenge for this week, I'm going to write about life on a mission in Oregon and what God has been teaching me lately.  I'll have to thank Kerrie for making me step out of my comfort zone twice this month and write about something serious! ha! I'm actually guest posting on her blog on Thursday. :)

So about 2 years ago...give or take, we started praying about what God had in store for our family next.  Since before we were married, we always felt the call to "Go".  We've both gone on several mission trips to different places and always prayed that if God called us to move away from Alabama that we would.  I remember when we were engaged, our friends Chris and Lillie from First Baptist Albertville, AL were praying about moving to Maine.  We actually met with them and started praying about what it would look like for us to get married early and move to Maine with them.  We really wanted to go but after praying about it we didn't feel like it was the right time.  Then we started the Church plant (LifePoint) in Alabama not too long after this.  We definitely felt like we needed to be in Albertville at that time and LOVED being there and having a new ministry.  There is nothing like the feeling of being where God wants you and doing exactly what He has called you to do.  After about a year of the start of Lifepoint Church, our friends Neal and April were praying about moving to Oregon.  We started praying with them about us moving with them.  Again it didn't feel like God was calling us there at that time.  So 3ish years later is when we realized it was time to go.  This was about a year 1/2 or so ago.  We told our families and spent the next few months preparing with our team to move.  Last January (2011) we packed up and moved out to Oregon.

Why Oregon?  Well, first off I believe it's a place God placed on our hearts.  After we got here we discovered that the county that we live in is the #1 un-churched area in the United States.  We came out with a Team...our first Crash team in hopes to help with a church plant.  We've been here a little over a year and things are just now starting to come together... not that things haven't been happening this past year.   God had done SO much in the past year in our team.  We've learned what it means to really rely on him.  It's a great place to be when you don't know whats next and you earnestly seek God for whats next.  Honestly I've grown so much.  Oregon has changed me for the better.  To read more about the the past year you can read my one year update. 

I also wanted to say that I don't believe there is anything special about us because we moved to Oregon...and I don't think there is anything wrong with Oregon...or that Oregon is worse off that Alabama.  Or that Oregon has more "sinners" than Alabama... A friend here told me the other day that she thinks there needs to be missionaries sent to the South.  :)   I just want to encourage you to Share the Love of Christ where you are. You don't have to "Go" across the country to be a "missionary". (Check out Crashing From a Distance)

So, we've been approved to use a basement of a church in Eugene to start meeting on Sunday nights....this may not look like a typical church plant at first, with worship and preaching (but who knows) but more of getting out in the community and loving on people but having a place to invite them to join us.

And about what God has been teaching me lately: I need HIM.  I need to seek Him. Jeremiah 29:13 "You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!"  I need to draw near to Him so He will draw near to me. James 4:8

Click the link below to join this week's link up!

Guest Post: My missionary friend Breanna

Meet Breanna

If you don't know already, Breanna is from Alabama and moved out to Oregon 6 months ago to help with the Crash team.  She actually lives with us and helps keeps me sane by watching the girls so that Q and I can go out of dates! :)  She is a missionary.  She has been to Mexico 6...or so times.  You can read more about that on her blog. I'm excited about being able to help Breanna out by sharing her story below about her upcoming mission trip.

Hi friends of Q&A! Thank you, Audrey for letting me guest blog today! I'm just gonna cut to the chase. Did you know that only about 2.3% of the Indian population claim to be Christian? Out of an estimated population of 1,189,172,906 only 2.3% claim to be Christians. That equals about 27,350,977 people. If you subtract that amount from the population you get 1,161,821,929 people that will die and spend an eternity in hell without ever trusting in Jesus as their Savior. When you live in an area where 2.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS finding hope in the Lord is something that can carry them throughout all of the hardships of living life with the fatal disease.

I will be traveling with TREC, International in January 2013 to India. During our trip, we will be hiking A LOT, stopping at orphanages to work with the orphans, painting/decorating classrooms, training teachers and sharing the Gospel with a community of people desperate for hope. This will be my first ever (of many to come) over seas mission trip.

Now comes the awkward part. I always hate asking for money... from anyone, even my own mother. Let's just face it, though. Can one teenage girl with no income living away from home possibly pay out of pocket for a mission trip to the other side of the world? No. That's where you come in! The cost estimation for my trip is $3000 with the first $500 due on March 6. Yes, a little less than a month! Not to mention the other supplies I will have to buy such as hiking equipment and Visas! I totally believe that a donation can be a blessing from many different angles. Angle #1) You get to have the benefit of seeing life change in a foreign country that otherwise might not happen, and all because you gave up one cup of coffee at Starbucks(or JaMoka's!) and donated to help a missionary. Angle #2) I get to go to India in January and have you forever to thank for the opportunity! Angle #3) Our team could plant seeds or change lives in India. Seeds planted that will be fertilized by the Lord and later He will use those people to make an impact on their own community.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE:

-Write a check payable to TREC, International (send a note with the check saying that it's designated to Breanna Rains) mailed to TREC, International P.O. Box 242205 Montgomery, AL 36124 (tax deductible)

-Write a check to me and mail it(email me for the address) to me.

-Write a check/give cash to my mom at Lifepoint Church(if you know her.)

-Look for my mom at Lifepoint who will be selling knit hats/crocheted dishcloths to help me raise support.

-Check out my facebook page where I also am selling the hats! 

-Pray. Pray. Pray!

-Donate online here.

So, all ways you look at it, there are so many ways you can be a blessing to me and to the people of India. I also want to add that this trip will not have an impact at all unless there is prayer... lots and LOTS of prayer! When you think you have prayed enough, pray some more! Thank you so much for being a blessing to me and to the Indian people whether it be prayerfully or financially. I know that the Lord is paving my way to India as I type this, and He will provide! If you have any questions, or want to contact me for any reason email me at breannarains@gmail.com :) Thanks so much!

Here area a few examples of the hats she is making to sell. 

Here are some of the crochet wash cloths that my mom is making for Breanna to sell.

Meet Aimee

 

Above is a picture of Aimee and her family.  I met Aimee at my church home in Alabama.  I don't remember exactly when I met her but I know that I've laughed more since I've met this lady.  She is seriously one of the funniest people I know...especially on Facebook.  Her status updates crack me up.  I think it's because they are usually about her kids and her youngest daughter reminds me of my oldest.  They both can get into trouble faster than any kid I know. :) Aimee loves the Lord. Below is Aimee's story, in her own words, about her upcoming trip to Africa.

"Let's see here. Why do I want to go to Rwanda? Well, I have always had a heart for Africa even before I came to Christ. When Chrystal went back in June my heart ached because I knew that was where I needed to be but didn't have the knowledge of the trip or the resources to make it happen even if I had. I knew the morning that we dropped her off at the airport that this year when she went, I would be with her. I have such a strong calling on my life to teach (which is why I am in school to be a teacher) and that is exactly what Land of a Thousand Hills is all about. They choose not to do things for people but to teach them to do it on their own. Kinda like you can give a man a fish and feed him for a day or you can teach him to fish and feed him for life.

When I decided that it was meant for me to go to Africa I didn't care what it cost to get me there because I knew that God would provide if I were truly meant to go. The money has been coming in a little at a time thanks to some very generous and crafty people such as Audrey and Jessica Stewart. My mom was helping me make dresses to sell to come up with some of the money but then she passed away in November and I have no idea how to use her sewing machine. After she passed I almost didn't want to go anymore but then someone told me how proud she was of me answering the call from God and choosing to go on this trip and I knew that I had to go.

As of right now, I am still looking to raise another $2500. This will cover the cost of my trip minus the plane ticket, my vaccinations and money to leave my husband to pay bills. I don't get vacation time at work so I will have to miss work for 2 weeks to go. Any financial support would be greatly appreciated but even more than money, I need about 2500 prayers! I know without a doubt that this trip is was God has called me to do and I wont settle for less than He asked for. As I grow my relationship with Christ I find myself more excited about how this trip will change my life and the lives of my whole family. I am so excited for my children to see what it means to follow God and to go and make disciples as He has called us to do."

13 years ago I got the chance to go to Africa on a mission trip.  Yes, my parents were brave enough to let me go to Africa at 16! (Again, so thankful to have supportive parents!) From then until now (and probably forever) I hold Africa in a special place in my heart and I am always so eager to help those that want to go to Africa.  I was so blessed to have people to help support me financially.   If you would like to help support Aimee and her trip to Africa you can email me at awilliams@discoverlifepoint.com to get an address to send money or you can help by buying something that I knit. 100% of the money I get from the things I'm knitting right now go to Aimee's trip to Africa. You can comment on here about something your interested in or send me an email.  

Here are a few pictures of things that I can knit:

Ear warmers $7 (I'm not sure why this picture is blurry but  maybe you can see enough)

head bands $5

Bracelet/Cuffs $4

Thicker ear warmer $6

Example of an ear warmer on.

Another example from a different view.

2 Ear warmers, scarf ($15), and headband...just to show you different designs and colors.

The yarn I have now.

If you have a specific color in mind let me know.