God continues to blow me away with His outstanding provision!
Prior to Thanksgiving, I still had 7 grand to raise for my trip. Frankly, this number was a wee bit intimidating. But nothing is impossible with my God! As always, He has provided my every need. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I found out that Vox had overbudgeted my trip by one thousand.
On Thanksgiving, my brother and sister-in-law, newlyweds with not much cash to spare, donated a thousand dollars to my journey; they told me that they really believed in what I was doing and felt that God wanted them to support me in this way. Wow! What an incredible blessing! Later that weekend, my mother agreed to pay for my ticket, taking care of about another two thousand. Whoa! When I returned for my last week of classes, my section surprised me with a check for $108, the total of their loose change that they had gathered throughout the semester. 
Oh buddy! But there's more! As I opened my journal later that week, I was surprised to find a blue envelope that simply said "Sharon" and contained a drawing of Africa along with another $100. Praise the Lord! Still there's more! This past week, a dear friend of mine asked if I would be willing to share a bit about Africa in my old youth group (more on this below). After she finished interviewing me, she asked the youth group if they would donate any spare cash to help me with my funds.
However, her youth pastor got up and told the students that they would donate every cent that they had with them. They ended up raising $256.23, and told me another $100 was on its way. These are high school students! Wow! In a matter of a few weeks, God provided over $4,000 for my journey to South Africa! Praise the Lord!!!! This combined with $1,000 I've saved from working this semester has taken me from needing $7,000 to only needed about $1,500. That's HUGE! My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty; there's NOTHING my God cannot do! Thank You, Jesus, for Your incredible provision!But finances are just one aspect of these shinanigines.
I am absolutely blown away by how supportive people are. Daily, I have people approach me and tell me that they are praying for me and are excited to see how God is going to use this experience to both impact kiddos in South Africa as well as grow me. Wow! I'm so excited to see what God is going to teach me. I'm so grateful that He chose to use me for such a task as this. My God is amazing!
Wednesday night
... was incredible! I couldn't believe the excitement and enthusiasm the youth group had for me. Their response was more than I could ever imagine! As I shared what God had been doing in my life over the past few years to prepare me for this journey, shouts and amens filled the air. I couldn't agree more with 1 Timothy 4:12; it doesn't matter that these kids are young; they have a heart for Jesus like no other! After the service, I stood in the back to talk with whoever wanted to talk. It was so cool! A Freshman boy came up to me and told that he's been feeling God's call for him to do missions, and me sharing tonight confirmed that. Wow! What an honor! Two leaders in the youth group, Leah and Justin, shared story after story with me about how God provided for them both before and during different missions trips that they've participated in. Their words were oh so encouraging! The night really confirmed this whole going to Africa thing that I'm doing. It was absolutely incredible! Plus, the night got me really excited to share what God has been doing in my life. Sure, I've shared about Africa with friends and family, but never in a group like this. It was exhilarating! There's no adrenaline rush like sharing all of the amazing things God is doing in your life. I can't wait until I have the opportunity to do it again.
Praise God praise God Praise God!For His incredible provision both financially and of people. For His incredible faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23). For Him chosing me for such a task as this. For the ways that He's grown me already. For His incredible plan for my life. For His love that fills me to the point that it can't help but overflow into the lives of those around me. For His guidance. For His grace and forgiveness. For having my plane ticket purchased.
Let us pray
Please continue praying as I figure out last minute details before I leave on the 9th of January. Pray as I transition from school into my journey in Africa. Pray that God equips me with the skills that I need to perform the tasks He has laid before me. Pray as I say goodbye to loved ones here in the States. Pray that I have a willing spirit. Pray that I learn to trust God over myself (Prov 3:5-6). Pray that I stay healthy (I've gotten sick right before every missions trip that I've gone on; I'd love for this trip to break that pattern). Pray that I'm able to build relationships in South Africa. Pray that I'm able to impact the kids and adults that I'll be working with. Pray that I have a teachable spirit. Pray that in all that I do, I bring glory to God.
To God be the glory, now and forever!
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