The Clock is Ticking

counting down

The clock is ticking and I am so excited that I am now counting down the days until my departure! Lord-willing, if I am able to raise all of my support in time, I will be departing for Southeast Asia this coming July 1.

Hopefully many of you received a recent letter from me in the mail. If you did not, and would like to, please send me your information so I can send one your way.

Once I reach Southeast Asia, I will be working with those already there to reach Southeast Asians through Christian Education. Education is something that is very close to my heart, so I am very excited about this new possibility!

progress & needs

I am very excited to announce that by the grace of God I am nearly 80% fundraised. My sending organization Pioneers requires I am 100% fundraised before I depart. Would you be willing to help me with this last 20%? Here are my needs:

  • 3 people to commit to $10/month
  • 2 people to commit to $20/month
  • 2 people to commit to $50/month
  • 1 person to commit to $100/month

If you are feeling led to partner with me but are unable to do so monthly, I need one-time supporters as well to help me get there. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with me?

To do so, click here (Faith Wilson, Acct #111497) to partner monthly, and click here to donate one-time.

prayer requests

My other huge need is prayer partners! Would you be willing to commit to pray for me? You can download my prayer card, or if you see me around before I leave just ask me for one. Here are some specific prayer requests:

  • endurance through final preparations
  • healthy, meaningful goodbyes
  • provision of needs
  • protection against anything that could get in the way of my departure

I cannot thank you all enough for the many ways you have supported me through this process. I look forward to my next update coming from Southeast Asia!

A Quick Update

Prayer Card

encouragements

What an amazing and CRAZY couple of months it has been! Thank you all for your prayers. I will be sending out a detailed mailed update at the end of May, but I wanted to send you all a quick update via email. If you aren’t on my (snail) mailing list, please send me your information!

Much progress has been made, and Lord willing I will be leaving first week of July!

Here are some things I have been busy with in these past months:

BRCC WorldLead

Early in March I had the privilege of attending Boca Raton Community Church‘s WorldLead conference. This was a gathering of the others my church is supporting from all over the world! This was an amazing opportunity as I got to spend a whole week getting to know and learning alongside others doing God’s work internationally. It was also an encouragement to spend time with my sending church and get to know the others they are supporting.

Pioneers Pre-Field Training

Near the end of March I had the joy of visiting my sending organization Pioneers and spending time at their Pre-field training. This was also incredibly encouraging as I got to spend some time with several others on a similar journey as I am. I received valuable training from Pioneers and came back excited for what God is doing.

EMT Certification

This month I also completed my EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) course. This is advantageous as I took the course as a resource and preliminary medical knowledge for work on the field.

coming plans

As I mentioned, Lord willing I will be leaving in the first week of July! I will be departing Southern California mid-May and will be back in South Florida for much of June as I make final preparations.

progress & prayer requests

Please continue to pray for spiritual protection and guidance, as well as my funding. Many of you came alongside of me in the month of March, and I have been blown away by God’s faithfulness.

PRAISE THE LORD I am nearly 75% on my departure costs! I am still needing to raise some funds but this percentage is getting me close to being able to purchase my plane ticket.

I am also 62% on my monthly pledges! This has been a great encouragement. Would you consider committing to partner with me regularly?

I am still in need of:

  • 5 people to commit to $10/month
  • 5 people to commit to $20/month
  • 4 people to commit to $50/month
  • and 3 people to commit to $100/month

Would you prayerfully consider this? To commit to monthly giving, fill out the Pioneers EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer) application online, or mail in the Credit Card Transaction form to Pioneers.

Many of you have already partnered with me either financially or by committing to pray. Thank you so much for your support. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have you on my sending team!

I am looking forward to what God has already planned for these next couple of months. Stay tuned!

Bunny Slopes and Preparations

gun it!

I have Florida blood through and through. I recently had the opportunity to visit a friend who lives on Mammoth Mountain, and I was reminded of my inability to deal with the cold. But I suited up (in MANY layers), and hit the slopes.

Now keep in mind, I had never been skiing before (or anything of the sort). Apparently this makes for great entertainment for experienced skiers. My first trip down the bunny slope was wild! With the cold wind and a giant smile on my face, I gunned it. I cruised down that hill in what felt like seconds. I felt so free, so alive! At the bottom, however, I was (gently) informed that speeding down a slope without control or the ability to safely stop does not make for good skiing. So, I tried again, concentrating on making careful, safe turns, and controlling my speed and my direction.

That gun-it run at the beginning of the day taught me a lesson. As I graduated to more difficult slopes, it was important that I had spent time on the bunny hill learning the importance of patience and preparation.

patience & preparation

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” [1 Peter 1:13]

My journey to Asia has brought about similar lessons. Be patient and prepare. Of course I can’t possibly foresee every turn, and I certainly can’t prevent every fall. (I sure fell a lot while skiing! Watch some funny videos here.) I trust God will guide me through the unexpected turns and He will use every fall as a learning experience.

I can’t do this on my own. Like on the hill, I need to rely on my community (YOU!) to take the journey with me.

progress & prayer requests

I need your help and support as I prepare. God has provided a lot of financial support already, but I sill have quite a bit of money to raise. If you haven’t already, would you be willing to partner with me? Just click on the giving button to the right, or  print out a response card.

I’m still on the bunny slopes, but the black diamonds are quickly approaching. Would you commit to pray for me? Please pray for:

  • potential financial partners
  • continued spiritual protection

Please visit my prayer page for more prayer requests.

Finally, I will be sending out a mailed update soon. Would you allow me to send you one? If you have not already, please send me your information.

Thank you for taking the journey with me. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Happenings and Progress

it’s a new year!

I love the new year: fresh start, new beginnings, new potential. As I think about the past year, I’m amazed at how God has led me to today – preparing to go to Southeast Asia in 2011!

Wilson Family Photo, December 2010

I want to update you on what I’ll be doing there and my fund raising progress. In addition I want to share some recent happenings and prayer requests.

what i’ll be doing

I will be working with people who have already established a Christian school. Among other things, the school focuses on the power of the creativity God has placed in each of us. This lines up very well with my vision of creativity.

I will be working with those already there at the school in whatever ways I am needed most. This means I may be teaching at the school or assisting in other ways. I will be working directly with nationals, developing relationships and  living out this vision I have for creativity in the context of education. While some of the details of what I will be doing day to day are still being worked out, one thing I do know for certain is that this is exactly where God has called me to serve Him next. I’m excited to follow God on this adventure He calls life!

I’ve recently learned a lot about how God has chosen to use us (His church) in His world. Much of my growth has come through a recent read: When Helping Hurts (Corbett & Fikkert). I highly recommend it! Read more about my vision, or find answers to frequently asked questions on my website.

happenings & progress

Thank you for your prayers. The month of December has been encouraging! One of the fun things I did was put out a series of podcasts reflecting on my time in Camden. If you missed them, make sure to check them out on my website!

Another huge encouragement was a grant I received from my university (Azusa Pacific University). This puts my monthly pledges at about 50%, and my departure cost at almost 20%. I still have a long way to go, but I trust God’s provision and His timing! If you haven’t had a chance to donate and you feel led to, you can give directly through Pioneers (acct #111497), or learn more about ways you can give on my support page.

prayer requests

I have been encouraged this month through many of you. Please pray for the next few months as it will be a key period in the continuation of my fund raising progress. This month I will be starting my EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) training as I continue to prepare for departure in 2011.

Also, please continue to pray for spiritual protection as I know I am a target!

Thanks for all the prayers and support! I am blessed by each of you.

Camden Reflections: Taking Camden to Southeast Asia

So, why do I spend all of this time talking about Camden? Well, to put it simply, Camden has had a profound impact on how I view the world. Please take the time to listen to these podcasts about Camden and how it has challenged my assumptions and been a part of my critical preparation for Southeast Asia.

Episode I: Hope for the City
Episode II: Street Leaders are Awesome
Episode III: Basketball is Butt
Episode IV: Respect and Connections
Episode V: Taking Camden to Southeast Asia