March 9th

We leave for Brazil in about two hours! : )

Thank you to all of you who have supported me through prayer and financially. God has blessed greatly and I have exceeded my goal by $200.

Please continue to pray that God will work in a great way through us in Brazil. Please pray for one of our doctors. He had plans to come with us but his Visa is not in yet. Pray that it comes soon and for safety as he travels down the Amazon River to catch up with us.

Thanks again! I am looking forward to sharing with you all how it goes.

Feb. 10th

Please pray for Chris and I as his dad passed away on Monday night. We are thankful he is in heaven now and for the opportunity God gave us to spend the last five months with him.

Continue to pray for us as we prepare to travel to Brazil. Someone graciously donated $300 to our trip so we now only have $244 to go to reach our goal.

Feb. 5th

Tonight someone anonymously donated $101 to our mission trip! Totally a God thing! : )

Only $544 to go before February 22nd. Join me in praising God for how He will continue to provide.

Jan. 20th

Praise God! He has provided for me to reach my second deadline of $2,400. I have $2,455 as of now. That means there is only $645 left before I reach the final deadline on February 21st. Thank you all for your part in providing for this trip!

Continue to pray for the missionaries that serve in Brazil.

Rick and Kim came back to Southern California for furlough. Rick has had a sharp pain in his back. Pray for them as their insurance would not cover the cost of the procedure that is being done on Rick's back. They decided that for 2011 they would respond with "I trust you Jesus" in every situation that comes their way. They are growing and trusting as they hold on to Christ's words in John 16:33, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Pray for Rick's dad as he is in Brazil taking care of the mission camp while others are gone on furlough. Pray for rain as a drought has caused one of the camp's wells to become really dry. There also is a need for a new roof on their house. Sandy is going to the neurologist as she has had a twitching thumb. Pray Sandy's thumb is healed.

Greg and Annie are anticipating her citizenship interview. Annie is a native of Brazil and was saved as a part of the ministry. Greg and Annie met in Brazil and were married. They now are desiring to get Annie a U.S. citizenship so she can come to the U.S. with Greg to raise support and visit family. Pray that her interview on February 17th goes well.

Jan. 12th

Continue to diligently pray for the missionaries in Brazil that they will have many opportunities to clearly share the gospel with others, just as Paul asked the Colossians to pray for his ministry.

Colossians 4:2-6
"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak."

Dec. 31st

One year from the first time he asked me on a date, Chris Deitsch asked me to marry him and I said, "yes, totally!" I am super excited about marrying Chris and about what God has in store for our future. We are both looking forward to spending Spring Break together traveling down the Amazon River reaching out to the Brazilians.

Dec. 14th

Thank you for your part in supporting our medical mission trip to Brazil over Spring Break, March 9th - 20th. It will be a wonderful opportunity to reach out and share God's love with others.

While in Brazil the main focus of our ministry will be on . . .

-Medical clinics in river communities along tributaries of the Amazon River
-Evangelism and Discipleship
-Children's Ministry

I am getting really excited about what God will be doing in the lives of the people we minister too. It will be awesome not only to be able to meet a physical need for the people but also to share with them the great news of God's love for all people and the hope that Christ gives.

I will be blogging every once in a while to keep you all posted on the missions trip, prayer requests, photos, as well as how God is working in my life, our team's lives, and the lives of the people in Brazil. You can join me in praising God for laying it on the hearts of many to give and allowing me to make the Nov. 29th deadline of raising $1,350. Continue to pray as there is still a need for $1,050 to be given before the 3rd deadline, Jan. 19th. I have faith God will provide.

Pray also for the full-time missionaries that live in Brazil. Dick and Cleide Parker moved to Brazil and started the river ministry which reaches out to Brazilians who never heard the gospel before. Today there are still people in the villages along the Amazon River that have not had the the same opportunity we have had to know God. There are now three generations of Parkers that are missionaries in Brazil. The names of the couples are the following: Rick and Kim; Greg and Annie; and Gary and Sandie. Please remember to lift them up in prayer.

Thanks again! Stay warm and enjoy this Christmas Season celebrating Christ's birth!