Top 7 Travel Tips for Mission Trips

 Top 7 Travel Tips for Mission Trips

So I’ll be going on my first mission trip to Africa in about 5 days! And I am super excited and still unable to grasp the concept that I will actually be another continent in just a few more days. But at the moment, I’m really excited about sharing all of the things that I’ve learned while preparing for my mission trip. So along the way, I have generated a list of tips that I’d like to share with any budding missionaries who are going on their first mission trip. So let’s get started!

Tip #1 Passport

Get your passport! I actually got my passport about a year ago because I was planning to go on a mission trip sooner. It can take up to 3 months to receive your passport so apply for it early. To start, you can call your local post office and set up an appointment, and they will assist you with getting your passport. You will need your birth certificate, among other things, and they will actually ship it along with your passport application. So don’t be alarmed when they take it from you. Personally, I felt like they were taking a piece of me and sending it cross country, but they sent it back as promised. It can take up to three months to receive your passport, but I received mine in about a month or so. So try putting ‘getting a passport’ at the top of your list so you can have it in plenty of time for the trip!

Tip #2 Visa

Find out if you need a visa for your trip. I’m going to Togo, Africa, so I needed to get a visa in order to be admitted into the country. I printed off a copy of the application online and filled it out. There was a $140 application fee. And for Togo, the website stated that it can take up to 90 days for them to process the application. Once again, I had to mail off something that I felt like has become a part of me, which in this case was my passport, so that they could include the visa on a blank page in my passport. I had to mail it along with a yellow fever certificate (I’ll get to that step next!) and a return self-addressed envelope so that they can send my passport back. Please send a copy of any required immunization certificates, as they do not send back the immunization shot certificate. My requirements may be different from yours for the visa, depending on the country you’re going to, so be sure to check out the website!

Tip #3 Shots

Find out if there are any required shots that you need to take for the trip. The yellow fever shot was required for my trip to Africa. The first tip I can suggest for any type of immunization shot is to build up your immune system before you get the shot. You can do so by eating fruit with antioxidants in it such as raspberries, blackberries, and blue berries. It’s also important to eat fruits that are high in citrus and Vitamin C such as oranges and grapefruits. You can also make Olive leaf tea from olive leaves that you can find on Amazon or ebay. Olive leaf tea is a powerful tea that give a boost to your immune system which helps you not to experience the side effects of an immunization shot. Another important food that can build up your immune system are leafy greens such as kale and raw seasonings such as basil and rosemary. Make sure you take your shot before sending your visa because you may be required to send a copy of it with your visa application. If you drink Olive Leaf Tea, don’t drink it after you get the shot for about two weeks. After two weeks or so, continue to build up your immune system by drinking olive leaf tea right before bed and you can even pack some to take with you to drink on your mission trip! In terms of the day of the shot, all I can say is that you should rely on God’s strength and claim II Tim 1:7. And when you go in for the shot the doctor recommended other shots and gave me various helpful tips that were enlightening. In order to get a shot, you can inquire and set up an appointment with your local Health Department or an Urgent Care Center.

Tip #4 List

Plan, plan, and plan some more! Creating a list makes planning for a mission trip really easy. If you don’t want to forget any pertinent items you should make a list. Personally, I consulted with my mom, my Sunday school teacher who is going on the mission trip with me and another lady who is attending, and I looked at how-to videos on youtube in order to generate a Master list that I have referred to several times while planning for this trip. It has made my various shopping trips easier and I have a list that I can add things to.

Tip #5 Fast

Designate some time (allow the Holy Spirit to lead you) to fast and pray about the mission trip. I have asked God to use everyone involved in a mighty way. To give us wisdom and protection during our travels. It’s important to build up your Spirit man before going on a mission trip so that you can be ready to be an effective witness for Christ. Seek to draw closer to God, during this time and focus your attention on the purposes of the mission trip. Also mediating on Psalm 91 is great way to draw closer to God and claim His promises for your life. You want your mind to be on the purpose of any Christian mission trip which is to do the work of the Lord that will bring glory and honor to the name of God.

Tip #6 International Calling (No pun intended!)

We all like to have a way to communicate with our family and friends from the states when we’re on a mission trip. If you’re like me, you’d like to give them updates and let them know how everything is going. I have a prepaid phone plan with Verizon, so I am unable to add international minutes to my phone, but if you have a contract phone you can add international minutes to your phone. It is something that you may have to qualify for, so check into having international minutes added to your phone prior to going on your trip. If you have a prepaid phone with Verizon, than your other option, like mine, (which I learned from the nice Verizon Customer Service Representative on the phone) is to buy a Sim card with an inexpensive phone from the airport once you’ve landed in the country of the mission trip.

Tip #7 Have fun!

Lastly, have fun! Planning doesn’t have to be stressful. Enjoy every step, and if you feel yourself getting stressed out, ask God to give you grace to enjoy the experience and help you to complete all of the preparations in a timely fashion. 

If you’re going on a mission trip this summer, I wish you God speed and I invite you to share any of your questions or comments in the comments section! I would love to hear about your trips/upcoming trips.

“Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.” 1 Chronicles 16:24

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 Photograpy by: Gopal Vijayaraghavan 

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

How To Turn around A Bad Day

The Bad day

You woke up with positive ambitions. The sun is shining the birds are chirping, what a wonderful day! Then Mozart Moonlight Sonata starts to drift in, and you awaken to the fact that you’ve actually woke up late! So   you gather your wits and do battle with the unrelenting clock. Finally you’ve made it to work. Yes! Handel’s Messiah enters triumphantly. But minutes after your  arrival you ‘re  distracted by a spider right outside your door. So you end up spending 30 minutes doing battle fearlessly,trying to kill it,only for it to escape into a crack.

Then you proceed to  run a mail errand for work, which happens to be a fail, because you find a clock saying will return in thirty minutes in the window. You arrive back at the office and your boss thinks you’re late. You assure him you’re not after all you don’t have a bag or a lunchbox in hand. This is evidence your statement is true, it’s very unlike the lunch packer and purse carrier to arrive empty handed.  Still the situation doesn’t look good when you try to explain that you went to get the mail and there’s nothing in your hand.

Time has passed quickly it’s almost noon and you haven’t had time to stuff in any breakfast. So you try and calm your raging stomach and reeling mind with bible verses, meanwhile trying to keep your eyes off the crack the spider escaped in. You focus on work and try to do your job accordingly, while your feet hurt from the vigorous morning. Your boss has had you running back and forth all morning.  


A thought arises why’d I wear these heels today?So you’ve been pushing hard, only to find that you’re not doing a good job, but it’s not your fault,really it's not!  However, that doesn’t matter because it looks like it is. Now you have to adjust your attitude suck it up and smile saying” Sure I’ll fix that right way. So now your competence is being brought into question. Your stomach is growling, and your eyes keep diverting to the crack the home of the spider. I need to get it before it gets me.My,My will it reemerge? Then you remember I'm fearless,I will defeat it!

How do you fix a good day that’s heading speedily towards bad?  Really it’s not going to be a bad day, it’s a trick.  All these things are happening so that later in the day when things have cooled your attitude has heated. If you follow these three keys you’ll keep your day from getting any worse.

1.Catch it early.

 You say but it’s barely noon and I’ve already tried to avoid this by praying several times, but the day is still doing a downward spiral. You still have plenty of time, it’s not even 12:00 yet. The later the day the harder it is to fix the direction. (but not impossible by far) So catch it early.

2. Check your attitude.

You may not be able to fix the events that simultaneously take place. But you can fix your attitude in the place. Attitude is primary when days arrive such as these. If you truly determine and believe that greater is he(God) is in us than the adversary in the world, then you’ll be confident you have power. The power of a spiraling day lies in our hands, not the circumstances, but the power of an awesome attitude and outcome.

3. Fix your eyes on God.

Fix your eyes on God and his promises for times like these. Know that despite everything going on you can still behave like a true Christian should, because God is with you. Let’s do a comparison look at the problems, now look at the sky and think about God ,who is bigger than the sky and entire universe. Your problems are no match at all. So what do you have to worry about? If you trust God and stay positive your bad day can transform into a good day, despite the circumstances. Happy Good day!

When a spiraling day arises hear God’s voice in your ear saying: “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” John 6:19-20 

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The Application of Trust

The Application of Trust

Do you struggle in the area of trusting your emotions instead of trusting in the word of God? When God makes a promise to you, or reminds you of a promise in His word, do you trust him wholeheartedly?

         1.     The Problem

  Let’s look at our relationship with God from a paternal standpoint. When your dad promised you something as a child, did you doubt him? Or did you have full assurance in your mind that he was going to do exactly what he said he was going to do? I will say that I trusted my father no matter. But why is it, that so often, we distrust God’s promises? As the creator of the universe, He is more than capable of fulfilling his promises, but why aren’t we more trusting of his promises?

       2.  The Causes

  Let look at some probable causes of this lack of trust.

  A Dependence on Man Rather Than God

 The bible commands us not the put our trust in men. Most of us reside with other people, whether it’s other family members, a spouse, children, a roommate or friends. Or if you’re like me, you grew up a large family. And in a dynamic such as this, one can develop a dependency on people. I remember so many times when I should have went to God in a time of doubt, I sought out my family for assistance and complained about an unfulfilled promise in my life.  For example, when God promised me that I would obtain my teaching license and I reached a point of wanting to give up after experiencing set back upon set back, my Mom encouraged me to keep working towards my goal. But so often in life, we don’t have anyone available when we encounter a crisis of doubt. And God is always standing patiently by, waiting for us to reach out to him. We can grow such a dependence on man, rather than God, to the point where we trust in man more than we trust in God. Psalm 118:8 reads, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” It is much better to trust in the Lord, than to gain a dependence on man, which can stifle your trust in God.

  Feeding Fears

 Another reason why we may not trust God may be because we are feeding our fears instead of feeding our faith. Have you ever noticed that if you concentrate on your doubts that they get bigger and bigger until it gets out of control and you find yourself worrying about one thing for most of the day? Well if we don’t cast down these doubts with the word of God, then they can overwhelm us. If you constantly feed your fears, then it will be hard to trust God. On the other hand, if we feed our faith, then there won’t be room for doubt. Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.” And sometimes it’s not easy, but if we’re persistent with replacing our doubts with the word of God, then trust will win out. As a Christian, we must constantly seek ways to feed our faith. The primary way to feed our faith is reading and meditating on God’s word and allowing it to saturate our lives.

  Setbacks

  Sometimes when we are standing on God’s promises, we experience setbacks. Setbacks are probably one of the number one reasons why doubts tries to creep in. When my mom confirmed that I would obtain my teaching license, I was encouraged to keep pursuing my license, but it wasn't a smooth ride. I spent many hours looking for the courses that I needed to take in order to satisfy the requirements for my license. After hours and days and weeks and months of searching, I found a class that satisfied two of the requirements. Now after I experienced the first setback, I could have decided to doubt the promise of God, but we must continue to trust God in spite of setbacks that we face. Galatians 6:9 reads, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” 

 

  Abandonment

 Oftentimes when the rug is pulled out from under us, so to speak, from abandonment, we can experience the feeling of instability and all of a sudden mistrust and indecisiveness can rear its ugly head. In my own life, after I experienced a sudden loss, I begin to deal with indecisiveness and mistrust. Suddenly God's leading became unstable in MY mind and confusion broke loose. And unknowingly, I began to view God in a different light that is not supported by the word of God. A few years passed, as I slowly became an unreliable person who made promises that I ultimately never kept, due to the confusion that was plaguing my huge decisions in life. After about two years, I took a step back, at the caution of the sister, to take inventory and try to find out just what had set me on this indecisive tail spin. And I asked God to reveal to me just what had brought about this confusion. He showed me that the change started in my heart, after the loss that I experienced. Now I'm actively seeking to renew my mind with the word of God that focuses on the immutability of God. Such as Malachi 3:6, which states, "For I am the Lord, I change not.” And I realized just how much God loves me. He showed me that my relationship with Him is like that of a Father and daughter. He assured me that He is For me and not against me. And that His thoughts are precious towards me and that they are more in number than the small particles of sand on the beach!" (Psalm 139:17-18) God loves you too and wants to break the bonds of mistrust in your life.

 Emotion

Emotions are a strong entity. Emotions have led many astray, and can cause us as Christians to mistrust God's words. Emotions can be very misleading and will not always support God's promises. When we grow impatient, that doesn't mean that God's promises are any less true. When we feel confused, it doesn't mean God's promises concerning peace are any less true. Therefore, when we are standing on the promises of God, we must know which feelings to accept and which to cast down. C.S. Lewis captures this concept perfectly in the following quote, which reads, "Don't bother too much about feelings. When they are humble, loving, brave, give thanks for them; when they are conceited, selfish, cowardly, ask to have them altered. In neither case are they you, but only a thing that happens to you. What matters is your intentions and your behavior." So when God promises you something don't expect your feelings to follow obediently all the time. Stay active by casting down doubts or anything that doesn’t line up with the word of God. 2 Cor. 10:5

 II. The Solution

The solution is simple. Rely on God no matter what comes your way by applying His Word to every situation in your life and give every single burden over to Him.

"Casting all your care upon Him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7

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Photography
"Photo by Tom Tolkien"

Fears: Summer Terror

Three Keys to Overcoming your fear of spiders!

Overcoming Series

The sun is beginning to warm the plains of the prairie and the streets of the city. It’s spring time and the glorious shield that was held up against all bugs and spiders is slowly being lowered. That means what once was is no more. The freedom from bugs and spiders is beginning to be threatened, but no worries. The answer to your fearful qualms are here! So many people have a fear of spiders. Why are people afraid? Well because they appear sly and creepy and their not in any way easy on the eyes. I always thought if spiders were just a little more pretty we’d be less repulsed by them. You know like a ladybug whose repulsed or afraid of that? Yeah I know spiders bite and even kill, but so do germs and chemicals are you afraid of them, besides the majority of spiders don’t. There are dangers all around think about it. Do you fear falling down and hitting your head? Do you fear crossing the street because you might get hit by a car.I should think not.

Learn
The first key to getting over this fear is to know a spiders purpose. You know all the bugs and pests that  a sore pain. Spiders help prevent them from taking over your residence.  Like the mosquito who wants to suck your blood and make you scratch obsessively, producing multiple scabs.I once heard someone say ,what would you rather have 100 bugs in your home or one spider? Some good food for thought. Spiders are good for the habit and nature. Spiders were not made to be a thorn in our side or a fearful enigma, but to better the environment. Knowing these creatures are not just here to find you, bite you, or torment you makes a difference.

Look

The second key to overcoming your fear by is by facing it.  When you see a spider don’t be so quick to throw a box at it,look at it. Watch it,study it and take in its presence. You can even pull up some pictures on Google and look at them.The more you do that the more you’ll get familiar with the creature for what it is. Just look at it for a little bit. In a world full of insects you might as well get used to them. Size it up and compare your size to them. There’s not much competition at all. After you’ve done that of course move in to eliminate it from your residence.

Trust

The third key is to trust in God now this is actually number one in reverse. I like to start of with logic and then move to faith. The brain seems to accept it better once you find logic doesn't have all the answers. Faith is more powerful than anything. God cares about every hair on your head, so how much more does he care about every fear even the little ones. I remember praying against a huge spider on the loose. I prayed it would not enter my room it didn't .This is a common fear but, it’s nothing to the God who made the little creatures. He is above all and more powerful than all. Prayer on this fear works, consistently and faithful and also your words. Pray and have faith that God will keep you from harm and that when you do face one you’ll have the ability to defeat it. Think about it it's not even a 1/3 of your size the power lies in your hands. In Genesis s God said he gave us dominion over all the animals and the fish of the sea. We are the master not the slave to this creature. We have authority not a tiny circle with a lot of legs. If you don’t do any of these steps pray because prayer is more powerful than anything in the world. Through prayer death, disease, deformity, disorders, nature and much more has been conquered. So pray and believe.


Psalms 56:3-4 - What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 



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The Art of Waiting: 5 Ways to Wait Patiently

The Art of Waiting: 5 Ways to Wait Patiently

Most of us are in a waiting period regarding some aspect of our life; whether it’s a job, or a spouse, or children, or an acceptance letter for college, or an answer from the Lord. In some aspect most are waiting for something. But how can we wait patiently? Here are 3 steps to waiting patiently.

         1.       Relax

   Psalm 37:7 says,”Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” God knows that we are frail beings in  and of ourselves, and we can grow faint in the area of waiting, but it’s very important to just relax  and breathe and allow the Lord to move on our behalf in His timing. God will make everything  beautiful in his timing (Ecclesiastes 3:11). And "to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

         2.      Pray

    So often we go about our daily lives forgetting to pray when anxious feelings attempt to overwhelm     us but Phillipians 4:6 says, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God . And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." When we find ourselves     growing restless, prayer is the key to waiting patiently. When we present our anxious feelings to         God in prayer, we no longer have to carry the weight of those feelings around. 

      
        3.      Trust in the Lord

    When we have been waiting for a while, the temptation arises to allow our intellect to reason why we   haven’t received an answer. But His ways are not our ways and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts.   (Isaiah 55:8) We cannot see the beginning from the end, but God can and he has a plan for our lives.   For 1 Corinthians 2:19 reads, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart  of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."Therefore we need to Trust in the   LORD with all our heart; and lean not to our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Even when we don’t understand. God will always open doors in the right timing that no man can close. For Lamentations 3:25-26 says, "The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."   

     "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5

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A Single's Place

Diaries of a Single Girl Entry 1

Are you single? Do you feel lost among your friends,family and peers?Being single can be an awkward place sometimes. When everyone else seems sure and settled you're still searching. Where can a single person be found? Let's look at two common options.

Career
Many single women think their place is at their job. They believe a job will substitute for the empty spot beside them. The empty chair at the table. The empty passenger's seat. The empty bench at a game.  In that place they shove  their career and say this will be my companion. But can a job really fulfill, does it do overtime when you're out to eat by yourself?When you're alone at the movies is your career beside you? Howbeit when a bad snow storm hits and you're trapped in doors,what good is your job then? (Aside from the fortunate woman who can work from home of course) A career will not make you found,because it's not 100% reliable. People lose their jobs everyday and with it their hope. A career is not the answer to a lost single,because career does not make a single a double.

Constant Dating
 Dating the fun,awesome popular trend among singles. Dating is often  like a game of hide and seek. Dating offers you a shoulder to cry on ,a person to think on,a partner to hang with,that is  for the moment. Dating like a career is not steady it can end and begin at anytime,anywhere and for any reason. If you put your stability into a relationship that is not committed you get nothing in return. Constant and mindless dating is often  used as a crutch for the lonely,lost single.Truly if you believe God has a soul mate for you, you'd believe that he will find you wherever you are. Dating has one purpose to me and that is to find someone you can marry. I don't believe you should date if that's not your purpose.Dating is not a substitute for the unmarried single gal.Neither  is it the answer to become whole or validated. We were made for one and that one will find us when the time is right.When you use dating as a substitute instead of a permanent, the void often gets deeper. With each breakup you're lost again searching with an even greater need. To heal the wounds made by your previous relationship and to be found. Dating will not make the lost single lady found.Instead it will drag her through the dirt and all around.


Today you can be found. You can be found in Jesus he said I came to seek and save that which is lost. Any single woman  must know her place in God,before she can know herself in a romantic relationship. Single ladies you're not alone, if you're saved you have God. If you're not saved you are alone and only one can truly complete you and that's God. You might say but I need a physical body here with me. Someone I can cling to and know. God is more than enough and he made us with a greater need for him than a physical or romantic  need for a male.Put things into perspective seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you. As God found you and sought after you, your future spouse will seek you and find you in the perfect time.



Written & Photography by :Yours Truly!

5 Ways to Stay Full of the Spirit of God

         
                                                 5 Ways to Stay Full of the Spirit of God

 When you eat breakfast has the thought ever occurred to you that it will keep you full until the next day? Probably not. Personally, I’ve more often than not heard my stomach grumbling if I don’t feed it at least three times a day. Or if you’re like me, you snack in between breakfast, lunch and dinner. The same principle applies to being full of the Spirit of God. If we spend time with Him in the morning it is definitely a great start but if we want to remain full of the Spirit we can utilize 5 simple steps to stay in the Spirit all throughout the day.

1.       Sing to God

One way to stay full of the Spirit is to sing spiritual songs.  We can sing to God all throughout the day. Whether you’re taking a shower, driving to work, waiting at the bus stop, or preparing dinner. Instead of turning on the radio, you can take some time to tune into heaven and sing from your heart to the Lord. Ephesians 5:19 reads, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”

2.       Be Thankful

Another way to stay full of the Spirit of God is to give thanks to God. One thing that I find myself doing is praising God throughout the day. Not only can you thank God verbally but you can thank God inwardly by having a thankful heart. When you wake up in the morning, is your heart thankful or are you constantly thinking about what is not right in the world. Phillipians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true; whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” If this verse is put into practice then nothing but praiseworthy thoughts will take precedence in our minds. If we remain thankful, we can stay full of the Spirit of God. A negative spirit can suck the joy out of your day and leave you feeling empty inside. Romans 5:20 captures this thought very well which says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

3.       Serve One Another

Ephesians 5:21 reads, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” If we serve one another out of fear of God we will stay full of the Spirit. In the morning, we can ask God to show us ways in which to serve one another. It can be as simple as committing to pray for a fellow believer or running an errand to ease someone else’s burden.  1 John 3:16 reads, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Sometimes we have our own agenda for the day, but we must stay open to assist our brethren when and if the time arises.

4.       Walk in Love

1 Peter 4:8 commands us to love one another deeply. Walking in love is an all-day affair. From the time we get up until the time we go to bed at night, we are to walk in love. We are to forgive, we are to ignore a suffered wrong, and we are to avoid being easily angered. We are to love the unlovable. We are to love in word and deed. We are to speak well of one another no matter what. We are to love others even if they don’t return our sentiments. We are to strive to love one another in the home, and if we offend we are to be quick to ask our brother or sister to forgive us. For when we walk in love we dwell in God for 1 John 4:16 reads, “…and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

5.       Acknowledge God in All Your Ways

Acknowledge God throughout your day. Remain aware of his abounding presence in your life. Meditate on God’s word throughout the day. Remain close to Him in prayer and fastings. Love him wholeheartedly and ask for his guidance throughout the day. If you draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to you and you will stay full of his Spirit. (James 4:8)

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit;” Romans 5:18

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