Newsletter Aug09

“We need you here, Jerrah.” These are the encouraging words of Leon Best. He is our team leader who is already in Cape Town, along with his family and two of my other teammates. The journey of raising support to get to South Africa began back in June, but this is the first of my monthly newsletters that I will be sending out to keep you updated on how support is going and what the current prayer concerns are.

I just stepped off the plane returning from Summit County (Copper Mountain), Colorado where we were at 9,700 feet elevation (as seen in the picture below)! Campus Crusade for Christ hosted a Global STINT (Short-Term International) send-off there and I am trying to get back adjusted to Eastern time. Basically, this 6-day meeting in the sky was composed of encouraging speakers who addressed four topics: Loving the Lord, Loving Your Team, Lauching Movements, and Learning a New World. In addtion, the special seminars helped me connect with God better through the book of Psalms and learn creative and fun ways to communicate the Gospel. This conference was a great way for God to show me His big picture in spreading the Gospel, and that I have a part to play in it! (Praise God!) Now, back from the conference, getting to South Africa is the main thing I’m looking forward to.

Points of Prayer

· My goal, as far as financial support, is to have 85%-100% of my needed support by October 1, 2009. I am currently at 15%, and so, my first and most important prayer concern is that the Lord will grant my petition I have placed before Him (Ps. 20).

· Though I am set to leave in January, I would actually like to leave by the end of October.

· Also, pray that my teammate Laureen (on left in picture above) may raise the rest of her financial support by October as well so that we both can depart at the same time.

· Pray for boldness as I step out on faith to speak with potential partners.

· Pray that the Lord will protect me as I travel up and down the highway for support appointments to Fort Wayne, Indiana from Indianapolis.

Thank you for your prayers and partnership in spreading the Gospel!

the First

this is my first posting out to the world on this blog to keep people in the know of how support is going and whats been going on. First of all, after talkin to my friend Chris aka Chris T., I decided that I'd do a blog and post it here and on facebook to keep friends, family, and whoever else in the know (thanks a bunch Chris, I'm trying what you said to see how it works). I plan not to put a whole bunch in my postings but to put enough info in them so that people may know "what's been up with Jerrah lately?" Second of all, give me a break here people, because I was really hesitant on doing this just because I'm not a "blogger" and so I don't really like the idea of doing this kind of thing on a regular basis, but I believe it will turn out alright in the end because I think it helps me get things out of my head and to stay connected with the world. Finally, I plan on having videos posted up as well (for when I don't feel like typing). Thats it for now. (note to self, think of better ways to end my postings other than "thats it for now.")