Answered prayers!

So... in the last two days there has been some major prayers answered that I have to share with all of you. After I wrote my last post I got an email telling me that I was receiving $5000 from a church that I went to in high school! :) You have to understand that when you are trying to raise $15000 in three to four months life can get a little stressful. But the amazing thing is, when your life is in the Lord's hands he provides in every way possible. But you also have to realize that he provides in His timing and not yours. It is amazing because every time I start to stress or freak out about not having any money the Lord sends someone in my life that randomly decides to give me $1000! Talk about a blessing! I have also been trying to figure out where Shelby and I are going to live for the next 9 months. I have emailed about 15 people in SA about their apartment and no one has written back. BUT yesterday I got an email from a man I have been working with that works for Living Hope, the organization I am working for, and he told me of two places that could be a possibility. So after a few hours of oohing and aahing with Shelby over a beautiful place to live we now have a place to live! Exciting! And get this, it is a 2 minute walk from the beach! YAY! That's right, be jealous! :) So, now I have a place to live and I have been blessed with receiving $9000 from the Lord. I would like to ask you for some help! I ask you to pray and ask God if he wants you to support me in my mission to South Africa. I know without a doubt that the Lord is going to provide but he might want to use you to do that. I ask you to pray and ask him! Every little bit helps! Yes, I ask for you to consider donating but I know that not everyone can give so I truly ask you to keep this in your prayers. If I have learned anything in this last year and through this journey is that prayer is extremely important and is life changing. I ask you keep my trip and funding in your prayers! The information to donate is on the right side under "Every bits counts". Thanks!

Why South Africa?

Well, since I now have a blog I was thinking that maybe I better start using it, so here I am writing another post. Shocking! I thought that maybe you would all like to know how I came to this point in my life. How did South Africa happen? My last semester at ACU was so hard but also an amazing blessing! There were so many days that I was scared and worried about the future. I hated that question, "What are you doing after graduation?" Of course my answer was always, "Ummmmmmm!" There was a specific week where I was broken and in complete need of the Lord's guidance. One Saturday I cracked and kind of had a nervous break down. But the next day a door opened for missions and then the next day and the next. During that week there were 3 open doors that God was showing me. I had an interview for a church internship and had set up another for missions in the US and although I didn't walk through any of them God revealed His spirit to me and taught me something I will never forget. He taught me that my life is in the best hands it possibly could be. My life is in the hands of the one who loves me more than anything in existence ever could. My life has a plan and it is divine and crafted by the Lord! Who am I to fear about something that has already been taken care of? Who am I to fear the Lord's plan? When I graduated from college of course there was still fear and anxiety about the future but there was also an awareness that God was planning something. I spent months trying to figure out what I wanted, what God wanted for me. I don't know exactly how it happened but it came to me that I really wanted to go somewhere for a year. I had no clue where that was but I definitely starting looking. Singapore became an option and I was getting so excited about the upcoming year. The day that I was starting to commit to Singapore, Thailand opened up. Now you have to understand, ever since I came back from Thailand in the summer of 2010, I told God, "Lord, if you want me to go to Thailand for a year you have to provide a partner for me!" This was the one thing I had to have to got for a year otherwise I could not go back. I prayed this prayer for a year and that day when I was committed to Singapore the Lord provided a partner for me. The moment I heard this I wept. I knew this was where God wanted me to go! He was finally calling me back to a place that I loved and making it very clear. But... then I started to plan for this and my partner fell through and then I was back to square one. During the next few weeks I was looking at different countries and trying to figure out where I was supposed to go. Also, during that time miss Shelby Dunlap joined in on the adventure. We talked and searched about different places to go then I was talking to a friend and South Africa opened up. A few weeks before this I had a vision about living in South Africa long term and doing a ministry with young women but the idea of going there now was just not entering my mind. The crazy thing was that my friend had the same vision. After this, while every other door was closing the door to South Africa was only getting larger. Within the week, I was committed! :) After looking into Australia, several places in Europe and in Africa, South Africa was the only place that brought either of us excitement. So, South Africa it is! Now, I am leaving for Cape Town on February 16th! Although I still need about $10,000, my visa, an apartment, and a car, I could not be happier! There is zero question that this is where the Lord wants me. Yes, I am so excited about living in this new place and what the Lord has in store but honestly, the one thing that makes me smile almost constantly every single day is that I know the Lord has a plan for me! He wants to use me! He wants to use Jennifer Lynn Lewis! No kidding! It is mind boggling to me to know that the Lord has called me, a 23 year old college grad, to move to Africa to spread the truth! Can you all please just sit back and acknowledge how incredible it is that the Lord, the creator of the universe, actually wants to use you! I have no idea what this year holds and what my awesome God has planned for me but I do know that I serve an amazing and beautiful Lord! I pray that you know that too! ;) Oh and if you happen to feel called to help me financially you are always welcome to donate. ;) The info for that is on the right directly under "Every bit counts!"

So it Begins...

Hello friends! Well, it is official, I bought my tickets yesterday. Looks like I will be in Cape Town, South Africa from February 16th to October 29th! EEEKKKK I am so excited! I am in the process of finding an apartment and getting all the visa requirements done but in the meantime let me introduce you to my dear friend, Shelby Dunlap, who has agreed to embark on this adventure with me. How we became friends is actually kind of interesting. Shelby and I lived across the hall from each other at ACU our freshmen year and never said a single word to each other. Then, sophomore year we found ourselves living together in Oxford, England. It took a little while for us to become great friends but once we traveling to Greece together it was permanent; we were going to be great friends! We continued to be friends through the rest of school. After I graduated in May 2011 I went to see her in Abilene and told her that I was in search of a partner for my next adventure to anywhere. It turns out that the Lord has a plan for her to be that partner. So, here we are now moving to Cape Town, South Africa for the next 9 months of our lives! I am so excited to see where the Lord takes us and what he has in store for 2012. Seems to me that the year is starting off pretty wonderfully! :)