Monday, October 27, 2014

All Missionary Women for Tanzania Sponsored…

Thank you soooooo very much. Missionary women for Tanzania are all sponsored as of last Friday. Any money that comes in for Tanzania after today will be put toward sponsoring a missionary for our next trip out of the country.

Things are really moving here as we deal with the final details and last minute packing. I bought the last two trunks today. Packing next Monday and Tuesday night. And then we are off! The missionary women are so excited. Seriously, I can’t tell who is the most excited - us or them. But I can say that is some good energy to be walking in to no matter how you see it!

I want to share something with you today that may bring mixed emotions and thoughts from many of you. We don’t practice the ‘no talk rule’ in our ministry because we know it leads to dysfunction. And I don’t intend for us to practice the ‘no talk rule’ with you either.

The Ebola subject is a hot topic today for those that are involved in international travel. Several of our team members have been questioned about our traveling out of the U.S. especially to Tanzania, Africa. We as a ministry would never be ignorant of our responsibility to our missionary women and/or our families on this side of the world. Ebola is a serious issue on the table. But, so are the many other diseases that abound in countries around the world today.

If many of you recall we were desperately trying to get a team into Burkina Faso in September 2014 or February 2015. God continued to close those doors. I believe that God prevented us from ever being able to take care of the logistics of that trip because HE knew the Ebola outbreak would become more serious. (Burkina Faso is in the Western part of Africa.) On the other hand God has paved the way for our trip to Tanzania, Africa. There is not enough space in the blog to testify to His Hand on this trip. We know and believe with all our hearts we are to be there for those missionary women in two weeks. None of the team members have been “moved” to step down from the trip. And also please know if God told us as a ministry to shut it down the day we were leaving the country, we would do so. We trust His guidance! As I tell my family and so do many of the other team members tell theirs, “We are better off in Tanzania, Africa, in God’s will, than in the U.S. out of God’s will.” No matter what the outcome is. HE KNOWS!

So, as we head down this home stretch to leave the country on November 7, 2014, please lift us in prayer that we will continue to ‘keep walking’ and be wise to listen.

Luke 9:23-26 (ESV)
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Love you tons!!

His,
Vickie

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Greeting to all…


Just returned from Dominican Republic where I had the great privilege to serve with SCORE International ministries. I am including links to several aspects of SCORE ministry that are at work in the Dominican Republic area concerning women and children. Please watch videos at bottom of page when there is one. It was a great honor to minister to the missionary women, the nationals, and women from several churches from the U.S. there in Dominican Republic this past week. It was also refreshing to observe the hearts of the women from the U.S. churches pouring into the lives of the Dominican people.




We are on the 100 yard dash to the finish line before leaving for Tanzania. We began our run as a team in July, with our contact person overseas back in January of this year and our original contact in the May of 2013 at a mission’s conference to begin praying about if God wanted us to go. He did, we are, and it's here!! So we have been on the track for an endurance run! 

As many of you know that have traveled with us the 100-yard dash is final details, which includes securing all the things we are taking with us as well as finishing up the sponsorship of the last couple of missionaries that need to be sponsored. As of today we have 46 missionary women sponsored with only 4 more to go. Thank you all sooooooo much for just listening to the LORD’s leading on sponsoring these ladies. I am ever more mindful after the Dominican trip last week of just how much our missionary women NEED the ministry God has placed on our hearts at Pure Joy International to bring to them. Thank you all for being a part of this ministry!!!

I want to close today’s blog by asking you to very specifically pray the following things for us in the 100 dash….
·       The last 4 missionary women to be sponsored.
·       The team to be spending quality time with family as they prepare to leave the country.
·       Protection for health with all the Ebola scare going on.
·       That we as a team finish strong in our preparations for the retreat.
·       That the missionary women’s hearts are being prepared by the LORD to receive all that God has placed on our hearts to share.
·       To remember that we are Ambassador’s for Christ 24–7.

And then I have one last thing to share and make a godly plea about. If you are not partnering with a ministry in your community, state, nation and/or overseas that is making a difference for the kingdom of God through obedience to Him, please prayerfully consider doing so. There are so many opportunities for you to find the heartbeat God is giving you to line up with a particular ministry and give! Give through prayers, going, gifts, partnerships, etc. Be involved because HE tells us to!

I love this quote from David Livingstone, “Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any tie, but the ties that bind me to your service and to your heart.”

Love you Sisters and Brothers in Christ!

His,
Vickie

Monday, October 13, 2014

Tanzania Team Member Shares….

If you remember several months ago I had a team member share about her coming on board for the Tanzania trip. Well, here is another one of our team members sharing her story of coming on board! And by the way…. as of this blog we only lack the sponsorship of 9 more missionary women. Thank you all so much for coming to the plate to knock it out of the park on their behalf!!!!

I love you guys!

His,
Vickie

“Yes!” There was not a moment of hesitation when asked about joining Pure Joy for a trip to Africa this Fall. I did, appropriately, agree to pray about it before giving my final answer. But the Lord knew my heart and He was gracious to honor my desires. He approved!

I had just turned in my resignation to my boss after eight years of working at my kids’ school, in a great work environment, with people I love and a schedule guaranteed to match that of my kids’. I had no logical reason to leave; I just knew it was time, and it was a step of faith. The offer to participate in a Pure Joy trip spoke volumes to me, as the Lord confirmed that He has a plan for me and He will use me apart from my job.

The offer also came in the midst of a rough few months. I had just stood with my precious daddy as the Lord ushered him into heaven; we sold our house, sorted through and packed up what seemed a lifetime of memories, and moved into a condominium with the youngest two of our five children; our second child graduated from college and moved away for good; and I was leaving my job. The Lord knew….

As far back as I can remember, I have admired the work of missionaries. Not too long ago, my husband and I intentionally pursued the possibility of serving in an Asian nation, but it was not the Lord’s will. Yet each time I would hear about a Pure Joy trip through our church I was drawn more and more to it, until it was not just a hope, but a craving in my heart. I wanted to go! The Lord did not approve of my first opportunity, a trip to Mongolia last year, but this year--THIS YEAR-- I get to join the trip to Tanzania!


What an honor! What a privilege!! The truth is, I am not gifted to be a missionary. I have no training, no skill sets, no experience to prepare me for living in a foreign land to teach and share the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Gifts and talents are not something I possess in abundance. But-- I can encourage people.  I can smile, hug, and talk with people. And here the Lord is, giving me the chance to give of myself to women who spend every day giving and serving and loving and teaching… in a foreign culture for the sake of Christ. I get to spend this retreat giving back to them, loving on them, serving them, worshipping with them! I get to glean from their wisdom, pray for their needs, and help them find a few days of retreat from their missionary lives of daily serving others. ME. I get to do that! In Tanzania. Next month. YES!!!!