Spring's seduction

Phlox thriving in the back yard.

Front yard foliage.

One of the things I absolutely love about my adopted region is her clear delight with rebirth.  During the ten springs I spent in Michigan, I felt that the season would stealthily spring upon us and if you didn't pay careful attention, you might miss it altogether.  W I N T E R, spring, SUMMER & F A L L.  Not so here in the South.  Here we delight in a slow seduction of warmer temps, sunny days, welcomed and pollen cleansing rains.  It's brilliant!

Wow.

Financial support is starting to come my way! I am 1/5 of the way to my goal.  Praise God!

Encouragement

Our God is so amazing!  Twelve hours after posting my anxiety about leaving the children for a week I've had two offers from friends to spring the children early from daycare that week for playdates and three offers to cover my family with dinners while I'm gone.  Wow.  None of these friends had read my blog post, either!  They were just unsolicited offers to help out while I'm away. This gives me a great deal of peace.

Interested in partnering with me financially?

There are two ways to partner with me financially on this trip.  You can write a check made payable to North Point Community Church and send it to me at home.  OR you can give online.  Here are the instructions:
Go to http://www.goglobalx.org/
Click on "give."
Fill in your contact information.
Under globalX Trip information:
Select: -X Trip (admin use)
Select: -X Trip (admin use) Brazil Groups Retreat June 3-12.
Type: Rebecca Johnson
Provide VISA or MasterCard information.
Click "Review Donation Information."
A confirmation email will be sent for tax purposes!

It was pretty easy for me to use for our giving!
If you do feel prompted to give,  THANK YOU!

Anxious

Greetings, Friends!
With my first and second mission trip experiences (to Bolivia) my biggest concern was raising the support, this time I'm confident that God's got that covered.  I know that He's already prompted folks to have open hearts to this kingdom building experience and  raised up financial partners.  I just have to be obedient and share my letter and request.  THIS time what rears up in anxiety is around leaving my family for a week.

$2,7000 to fund this expedition?  No problem.  God's got that covered.
Airplane trip?  No, I can't explain why airplanes work, I just trust that they do.
Traveling abroad?  Bring it on! I'm so excited about seeing a new place.
Not being able to understand Portuguese? Ah, we share a common love language...Jesus!
Foreign foods?  Cool. I'm already salivating over the anticipation of mornings sipping Brazilian coffee!
Speaking in front of a crowd?  I do that ever day.  Plus see #4; certainly the translator will cover my inadequacies.
Leaving my family for a week? Quinn won't even be one yet.  She'll barely be weaned.  What if I cause them some psychological damage from being gone for so long?!  A week isn't long to me but in child time it's HUGE.  How's Jess going to manage two without me?  Who is going to feed them? What if someone gets sick? Yeah, Lord.  I'm gonna need some help on this one.  And so I keep offering up this fear/anxiety.  In my head I know that God's in control.  He's more invested in my family's welfare and well being than I am.  He knows their needs. Since I know that I am being obedient to HIS will, I need to TRUST that He'll meet the needs of my family while I'm away, just like He does while I'm here!

Brazil

In the fall the Spirit prompted me to apply for a GlobalX mission trip.  At the time I didn't feel strongly called to a particular destination, just to obedience of an application.  I perused the many destinations and picked two trips that fit into my summer schedule...Haiti & Venezuela.  Two weeks ago I received a phone call from Heather, a woman who works in GlobalX.  She said that they were building a small team by invite only to go to Brazil and minister to their small group leaders, would I be interested in becoming a part of their team?!  Immediately the Spirit confirmed that this is where God wanted me to go. 

We had our first meeting on Thursday.  It was run like a first time small group, building unity through testimonies, though we got a couple of details on the overview of the trip.  We'll fly into Sao Paulo on a red eye June 3.  We'll be able to attend KidStuf-Brazilian style Sunday morning and then worship at their evening service.  Our main mission starts mid-week...ministering to their small groups with a multi-evening retreat.  Since community group life has been such  huge part of my faith walk, I'm SO excited to share how small groups can make an impact on life. 

Several years ago Jess and I went on a mission trip to Bolivia.  That experience transformed us in ways that still show today! I wonder what God has in store for me in Brazil...

Keep tracking with me!  I hope to post several times prior to our departure, during our mission and after we return!  Thanks for checking in!