Praying for September 2009!
I have an exciting announcement. While our prayers are reaching those hurting in Ghana, personally, my heart aches being 7,500 miles from those God has called me to express His love and care. So, I am very pleased to announce that my oversight team (Sr. Pastor Bevan Unrau and Jim Marmion with Rev.’s input) has approved my departure to Ghana at end of September!
The oversight team established a mission budget, based on needs in Ghana and for my support, of $4,052 a month. The team set a threshold for me to leave of $3,242 a month (80% of $4,052) committed for 3 years. Currently, 18 families have made an annual or monthly commitment that is equivalent to almost $1000 a month and another fourteen families have made one-time donations! To date, the mission has received in donations and commitments totaling $20,920–Thanks Again Partners!!
However at the current rate of annual and monthly commitments, I would not have left until at least May 2010. Prayerfully, I have decided that God wants me to give from my life savings to provide for personal expenses that current giving will not cover. After prayer and consultation, my oversight team has agreed to send me earlier because it will help the work in Ghana and reflects the same measure of faith my mission partners now display by giving sacrificially above their current church giving.
Our goal of $4,052 a month has not changed; we hope that amount will be raised in the near term. In these tough economic times, we realized that it is difficult for many people to commit to a project for three years. So donors will have the opportunity to decide to continue or end the relationship annually. Of course during a year, personal circumstances may lead to stopping, lowering or even increasing a commitment.
Your prayers are vital for this mission to thrive! Now that I have a departure time, a number of critical actions must occur and be completed in this order, please pray: Rev. confirms departure date and letter of service is written; for reasonably priced airfare; the Ghana Embassy approves a long time visa; and that $35,700 additional is committed to fully fund the mission this coming year (includes cost of car for Ghana). On a more personal note, pray for good health for my daughter, Megan and my first grandchild, Scarlet, due August 6th.
Thanks again for all your encouragement, prayers and tangible support!