Servanthood

This past week the idea of servanthood specifically in the form of feet washing, has been brought up multiple times. I usually figure that if something is repeated in a bunch of different settings in a short time, I should be paying attention! Just a thought...

Jesus was and is God but it talks about in Philipians that He didn't consider equality with God something to be grasped. So often I want what I deserve, or what as an American, I think is my right. But I am reminded that first I must be a servant and empty myself just and Christ did for us. When Jesus talks to His disciples He tells them to follow His example, that He came to serve and that no servant is greater than his master. Too often I am caught up in how 'great' I am or the praise I think I deserve, when in reality, all the praise and all the greatness should be directed back to my Savior.

My prayer is that I will be a servant who follows in the heart of my Master, my wonderful, kind and loving Father. Jesus does the will of the Father and has asked me to do it too. My serving Father doesn't make me great, it proclaims His greatness. And if all I ever do in going to Guinea and serving the Maninka is show just how awesome and wonderful my Father is then I have accomplished all that I can.

It is because of His wonderful love and greatness, through the Holy Spirit, that people are transformed. I am in the ministry of living for Jesus; Jesus is in the ministry of transforming lives! What an awesome thing to be a part of!

Missions Training

Well my time in Denver is almost at the end, just part of Friday left. It has been a wonderful time, getting to know other mid-term missionaries as well as all of the fantastic staff at WorldVenture. There is a lot of information to retain and act upon. But it is also encouraging to know that Jesus is enough and that He is helping me get through this crazy time in my life! Please keep praying for me as I start sharing with everyone what God is doing in Guinea and in me and as I discover who it is that God would have partner with Him in the work He is doing in Guinea. He is faithful
Bethany

Also please note the links that are now on my blog, thanks to the wonderful support of the WorldVenture staff!

Denver

On Sunday I head off to Denver for a week of training. I am excited to see all the people I have been working with in the flesh and to have face-to-face conversations about different topics regarding my trip and all that comes between now and going. I head out at 6am on Sunday morning (March 1st) and get back at around 8pm on Friday night (March 6th).

Brenda, from Guinea, called on Saturday and talked to me about what I will be doing and what it is like to live in Guinea. It makes me so excited. She said they do about three health clinics a year, the first I will be a part of will be in October or November. I also am going to be going to a health conference in Burkina Faso (I think that is where she said). In my defense, she called from thousands of miles away and the reception is only so good and my memory is even worse! I will be living in the Guest House, which means I get to host those who come through, which includes a medical team from Minnesota that will be helping with the health clinic.

Please continue to pray for me as I slowly mark off things from my to do list and have more going onto it then coming off!

I am starting to work on what I will be sending out to all my friends and family and of course that includes all of you! So hopefully in a few weeks after I get back my video will be ready to be emailed or sent to everyone as well as a letter!

Please keep praying that I will use my time wisely and that I will be falling more and more in love with Jesus!
Also for French, the Maninka and Guinea.
With lots of love
Bethany

Finances

I have finally received my financial breakdown for WorldVenture. It will change as new things are added and a few things will cost less or more than budgeted. But it is nice to know a rough estimate of how much everything is going to cost me!
So it looks like it will be about $1300 a month that I will need and around $7000 in one time costs.

I bought my plane ticket for Denver; I will be there March 1-6 for training. Please be praying for me as I soak in all the information.

And be praying for me as I start to raise support.

And for my French!!

In Christ alone,
Bethany

Jesus is so good and faithful! In Ephesians 3 it says “Now to Him who is able to do more exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (vs20,21). It is a rue statement that He does so much more than we could ever ask!

I have been praying for an internship for quite a few months and I thank you for all your faithful prayers for one as well. When I found out that I would not be doing my internship in Guinea I was slightly confused and frustrated, but I knew that God is bigger than my small understanding and that He has an amazing plan. So it looks like I will be doing and internship with CompassionConnect, a grassroots, non-profit organization that partner’s local churches with the community to set up health clinics in the Portland area. I will be working as the Follow-up coordinator for the South East clinic as well as assisting the director of CompassionConnect. This is an exciting opportunity to be behind the scenes on a project like this as well as be a blessing to the organization, the churches and the community I live in as a whole. Please be praying for me as I start this up. Between my internship and the time and travel it will take to raise support I am going to be one busy girl!

This afternoon I had a phone orientation on more information for WorldVenture and all the papers I need to sign and send in and the order that it goes in. Soon I will be having another phone meeting on my finances. It will be so nice to finally know how much I need to be raising.

I need to start getting people together who would like to be a prayer team for me, committing to pray for me and the ministry God has called me to. If you are interested please let me know!

I have started back up with French. Bonjour! It is a hard language to remember how to spell so even though there are a few things I can say, I don’t remember how to write it!

Thanks for all your prayer and interest in what God is doing in my life!
Blessings,
Bethany

Accepted

As of 10:08am this morning I am officially with World Venture!!!! I am really excited! I cried after they said that I was accepted and then I called my dad who thought that I hadn't been due to the fact that I was crying. But no, I was so overcome by joy and some sort of chemical imbalance ( I am sure) that the tears just came.

So now on to actually finding out what I have gotten myself into. WV should be sending me information within the next couple of days and giving me access to even more information online. So I can hardly wait to know all the new stuff and I will post it as soon as I know anything. Because I am sure everyone is waiting to hear their dating policy! Ha, just kidding.
In our wonderful Savior and friend,
Bethany

New Year

Well I have been poor on keeping this thing updated so here is all the new information from the last month or so.

My application was accepted by World Venture and my final hoop (a phone interview) will be taking place on Wednesday morning at 9am. The 14th I guess. And I have a meeting with a World Venture coach, I have no idea what that means... sometime on Monday the 12th. After that I can officially start begging. No, no I am excited to watch as God provides in crazy ways and brings people I would never have expected to come and partner with me in this adventure for Jesus!

I actually already have $350 promised by my two home churches and I haven't even started yet. So I know God will bring it all in in due time.

Tyler Walsh a friend from Camp Tadmor and I sort of had a meeting to discuss my news letter which will actually be a viewletter. I think I just made that up. Anyway it will be a video news letter, which I am really excited about. So right now I am waiting on a green light from World Venture as well as all the details they will give me after I am in and some pictures from people who have been to Guinea. Pictures from Nepal just wont quite do it, I have a feeling.

Over the Christmas break, actually just days before Christmas the president of 24 or so odd years in Guinea died. The Military took over and it seems so far to have been a peaceful transition. Please pray that it will stay calm and that the gospel will not be hindered because of this.

Next on the list of things to do include:
finding an internship (please pray for this one)
going to Colorado for training
graduating from PSU
taking the Community Health Evangelism course in June (in Portland)

May Christ bless you as you serve Him and remember to live for Him in all you do.
Blessings,
Bethany