Conglomeration of SD Travels

it's been a whirlwind visit so far.
thursday: after the plane landed in sioux falls, we visited the humane society. my little nephew, jaden, thought that was pretty cool. then we ate at panera bread - always good food. then a visit to the local Christian books store. then a stop at the beauty supply store for my mom. oh, and somewhere in there we stopped at the grocery store and 2 goodwill stores. then home to see derrick and skylar. we had a great dinner, then hung out.

friday: left about 8 am to drive to hartford to visit the swiers. laura was the only one up when i arrived, so we had fun chatting and catching up on life. it was really great to see her and the rest of the family again. dave has been diagnosed with cancer cells in his lymphnodes, so he's going for treatment. friday was his first day of this treatment. the highlight for this day was when we all gather togethered and prayed for dave and me. in the afternoon, we all packed up and headed into sioux falls to help sheri with her new house. laura and i helped to paint one wall in nolen's room. it's a great house, and working together with one of my adopted families was great. those kids are like my siblings. on the way back to colman, it started to freeze and the roads were a bit slippery. after being gone from SD for 5 years, driving on slippery roads is a bit tricky. i arrived to discover my mom had brought my cousin, lexi, home with her. so lexi and i got to hang out and play cards all night. it was pretty fun. she's growing up to be a great kid.

Saturday: took all morning to prepare for the Christmas fandango at 4 pm in madison. about 2, my uncle ron brought 2 of his boys by our house. i hadn't seen eric in about 15 years, and i still remembered him. it was great to see him again. we laughed about spending so much time having fun doing nothing. and matt is now 5'10". last time i saw him he was about 5'. guess it's been too long.

before the party, we had to make a quick stop at pamida so i could buy lexi her first watch. she was so excited about it, and i loved getting to buy it for her. i remember my uncle ron bought me my first watch when i was about her age. and it was pink like lexi's.

ron and the boys were for the first ones to arrive for the party, so we all set up the decorations and silverware. the turkey was late arriving, but nobody cared. being late is pretty regular in my family. we had a great Christmas. family and food, fellowship and re-connecting with people i've not seen in a long time. the highlight for this day was when my cousin, tatia, leaned over to me and asked, "what's your favorite Bible verse?" it was very random, but it was really cool to get the opportunity to share this with my 19 year old cousin. btw, my favorite verse is Romans 13.14 "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." she shared that she really enjoys 1 cor. 13... a reminder of how she is to love.

sunday: got up early and went to church. got to meet several of my parent's friends. i'm so glad that God led them to the church where they call 'home'. they are connected to this church, and their lives are changed because of it. the message was about moving from your comfort zone. seemed quite fitting. ;) after church we went to eat at the rollin' pin with Cheryl and Lynn. they are a neat couple from the Church at the Gate. then, of course we had to do some more shopping. we returned to hyvee, and ran into my uncle ron. he bought me a tazo chai from starbucks. good times! then a trip to wal-mart and menards. now we are finally back in colman.

i have mixed feelings about tonight - new year's eve. staying here with my parents just doesn't seem like the most fun thing to do - since they'll be sleeping by 10.30. guess bringing in the new year, just me and Jesus, isn't such a bad thing.

so, that's the run down so far.

Less than 2 months

so yesterday was the 2 month marker. that's amazing to me and i have 10% of my financial support raised. this is reason to celebrate! (see me dancing like an idiot!) each day i can feel the momentum speeding up, like when you begin the initial climb on a rollercoaster, with the clang-clang-clang noise while rising higher and higher - knowing full well that your breath will be taken away the moment you reach the top!

i've not had much time lately to read my Bible. well, to be honest, i've not made it a priority. excuses: having company for a week, celebrating Christmas, starting to pack for a trip, sudoku, etc. ... all excuses with no weight. since i leave for south dakota tomorrow, there's not much time for relaxing. when visiting SD, seldom do i get to sleep, let alone have time to relax. another factor is that my nephews are visiting, and since i've not seen them for several years, i'm sure that i'll be spending most of my time with them. but again, those are all excuses. so i'm trying to prepare myself to make time to hang out with Jesus. lack of time with Jesus equals a cluttered mind.

it's a beautiful day today. i have glittery snowflakes hung on my window, and the light reflecting from the snowflakes looks like diamonds. makes me think of the sea of glass which John saw.

And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:

"Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the ages.
Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."
revalation 15.2-4

Merry Christmas and Promoters

Merry Christmas! it's already the 25th of December - 2 months from tomorrow i begin class in Africa. hooray!

the word is getting out among church people and family members. yesterday several people asked me about this beautiful adventure that i'm about to embark upon. it's great telling them about who i'm going with and what i'll be doing.

2 guys approached me yesterday in church. one implied that he would like to help out financially if we can work it out for the donation to be tax-exempt through the church. the other one said that i have a great promoter, and she is telling everyone about this beautiful adventure. (and this certain someone is one those 'connector' type people who knows nearly everyone in a 3 county area. both of those guys pretty much made my day!

i've sent most of my Christmas letters out, but i still have a few left. the ones i have left are people who have come to mind after the fact, but would be great prayer support people.

my prayer for you: may You know the Christ Child as your best friend, and be effective in sharing the Good News of Great Joy to others.

67 Days

just came across this post from Jason Boucher.

Mark Batterson, author of In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day came up with this "lion manifesto"...

Grab life by the mane.

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Grab life by the mane. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion!

also found this interesting article by ben arment about big goals are made up of smaller goals. so i'm breaking down the financial goal of $6,000 which i need before i leave for this beautiful adventure:

1 gift of $6000
6 gifts of $1000
60 gifts of $100
120 gifts of $50
240 gifts of $25
600 gifts of $10
6000 gifts of $1

after some figure, it's going to cost about $30/day to live in Tanzania. so i guess if it could get 200 people to sponsor me for a day ($30), i would be set.

68 Days

good news! my passport should be on the way soon. i went online and checked it's status. it's estimated to arrive on the 26th. (remind me how we survived without the internet?) once i get it, let the visa application process begin!

things at work have been slower lately- makes the clock move slower and slower. i think i've looked at the clock twelve times in the last half hour. that's not a good thing.

plans for tonight: cleaning, laundry and a visit to the gym

i talked to kimberly today and she mentioned that a friend of hers recently had to get shots. for some reason the shots from the health clinic in las vegas were quite lower than the cost of the health clinic around here. so i'm thinking that when i go to SD in a few weeks, i'm gonna try to schedule some shots. i'm hoping they have yellow fever for less than $125, and perhaps some hep a+b shots too. (my dilemma is that hep a+b come in doses - the second dose should be administered 6 months after the first dose. and since i'm leaving the States in 2 months, this will mean that i will need to have my second set of shots in africa.) not sure about you, but getting shots in africa seems like the most dangerous thing i could do. i might need to ask a friend of mine to arrange for me to take some clean needles along with me to africa.

oh the little things in life!

70 Days

someone asked me, 'so what do you know about Tanzania?' good question. i don't know a whole lot about this country. so i've been investigating, trying to learn some facts about the country of Tanzania and specifically about Kilimanjaro. this link has helped some. some interesting facts about Tanzania:

• it touches the India Ocean
• the country is slightly larger than twice the size of California
• the average life expectancy is 45.64 years
• not only is Mt. Kilimanjaro the highest point in Tanzania, it's the highest point in Africa

oh man, i'm looking forward to being there!

my biggest concern/prayer need: my passport seems to be lost in the mail. i put it in the mail 2 weeks ago with a check for speedy processing, and the check has not cleared the bank, nor have i received my passport. and because of this, i can't begin the visa application process, which really needs to begin soon. so that's my biggest prayer concern - for the passport to miraculously arrive at our house.

i was talking w/ juanita tonight about my beautiful adventure. she just burst into tears... and i got all choked up. it was a pretty cool moment. she knows it's my heart's desire to live in Afrika. i've grown to love juanita; she's one of those people who i instantly loved the moment we met. i love the way she lights up with a smile when she sees me. i love the way she cares for the little children and how she can express her concerns with people. as we say in the south, 'she's good people'.

today was caroling with the youth. i had a carload of 6 and 7th grade giggly girls. they are amazing. we sang our hearts out at the nursing home and some other places too. this cute little old lady at the nursing home brightened my day. she wanted to give us a gift - since we had shared a gift of singing with her. so she had each of us sit on her bed as she messaged our backs with this little electronic messagers. the girls thought is tickled, but that was the kindest thing this little old lady could have ever done for us. it was evident that she is filled with love, and she's still able to give it, even in her frail and feeble age.

gracious Father,
it amazes me how You shine Your love onto me thru others: from this little old lady, from juanita, from the young girls in the youth group. my heart is rejoicing tonight that You've shared Yourself with me today. those were sacred moments. may You bless these ladies with Your love and kindness. may Your abounding love radiate from me in the same way Your love radiates from them. use me as an instrument of Your love. as i prayed in sunday school this morning, may Your grace abide in our hearts. let me recognize where You are moving. and about this passport issue. You know that i'm concerned about it, but i'm trusting You to do a miracle. may You in Your amazing way have the envelope containing my passport arrive. don't let me be short-sighted, but let the eyes of my heart be opened to see past what i can see. i know faith abides in the unseen. who hopes in what they already have, right? may Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You. (ps. 33.22)

71 Days

it's 12.15 am on the 16th of december. Christmas is a little over a week away. Denise's mom will be here on the 22nd and stay for a week. it's always a good time with cheryl is in town.

i had the night to myself tonight. i had one goal on the agenda: to finish 'a prayer for owen meany'. that was accomplished about 8.30. i'm a sucker for books. i could live w/o a tv if i had plenty of good reading material. in the middle of finishing the book, i thought that it would be a cool thing to build a fire. the wood didn't want to burn, so i had to tear myself away from reading about every 5 minutes to go and stoke the fire. eventually the coals started building in the bottom, so less maintainence was required. even as i sit here, the fire is still radiating light and heat. as i thought about the fire earlier this evening, my thoughts focused on Jesus. he said,'I am the light of the world'. it fascinates me how when i allow the Word to penetrate my mind it will transform how i see reality. like looking into a fire, and thinking of Jesus, the 4 guys in the fire in ezekiel, moses and the burning bush, the end times when the world will burn up and a new world will be formed. the Truth has a way of prevailing.

last night i had a dream about living at the base camp in kilimanjaro. i was hanging out with 9 ladies and 4 guys. we were in a large room, just chilly - talking and enjoying each other's company. no one was in a hurry - there wasn't a tv in the room. in my dream i started thinking about community - and how i was living in community. in my dream i was thinking, 'denise and shottie are the ones who are always talking about community and their desire to live in a commune... why is it that i'm the one living it out?' it was a weird dream, but it was the first dream i've had of living in Africa. it was wonderful to wake up, realizing that i was dreaming of living in Tanzania.

sometimes when i'm alone i get very introspective. tonight was one of those nights. i got to thinking about how i don't like being lonely. i've always had roommates - i've never lived alone - and i'm not sure that i ever want to live alone. there is comfort in knowing someone else is around, even if they are not around all the time. and yet i see the need to have moments to get away and have those alone times. and the older i get, i know i'm not really ever alone. there is great comfort in that.

so in preparing for the move to Africa, i can sense God drawing me nearer to Him. there's a calling to cling/cleave/seek/abide more and more unto Him. right now i'm comfortable. life is overall pretty simple - there's not much risk involved in any area of life. but ask me that in 4 months and i can only imagine that my answer will be different. this is what i'm looking forward to: being challenged/stretched/pulled/torn/hurt/forgiven/beloved.

75 Days

I put the first Christmas/Support letters in the mail today. just pushing those 5 letters into the mailbox gave me a feeling of delight/anxiety. it was pretty wild. the reality that i could be living in Tanzania in 75 days is pretty overwhelming. most of the time 75 days seems like forever, but for some reason this 75 days seems like it's tomorrow. perhaps the reason is because i know i'm not ready. or maybe it's because God needs time to prepare me for what's to come. whatever the reason, i'm grateful for this time.

strange happening: last night some lady from church, who i don't know, randomly asked me, 'when are you leaving?'. without much thought i said, 'the end of february'. that was pretty much the end of the conversation. but then i looked at denise and she gave me this look like, 'how does she know?'. perhaps she wasn't referring to this beautiful adventure? perhaps she has me confused with someone else? or maybe she does know. it's weird that i just blurted out that i'm leaving in february. it was natural... (but not.)

tricia and i had a good talk last night. i hadn't had time to talk with her lately, so reconnecting with her was good. she asked me about the plans for Africa. it was good to share with her; she has an amazing skill of listening. and not just listening, but asking the right questions. that's a gift. i'm hoping it's a gift/skill i can learn.

another happening: i found a deal on a bike through the internet. it arrived today so i put it together. i like putting things together and building things. furniture is always fun. wonder what i can fix in Tanzania? i read a missionary's blog who lives in Tanzania. he fixes computers. tho i don't know much about fixing computer, i'm sure i could learn.

tonights's to-do's:
~laundry
~get more letters in the mail
~update this blog
~update prayer calendar
~put bike together
~study some of my Bible
~go to the store with Denise

80 Days

denise introduced me to this song this morning:

God Come by Shane & Shane

Come meet us
King Jesus
Oh wind of change
Blow through the temple

Sweet Spirit of God
Come mend our hearts
For all we have are songs
Unless You come

Awaken what's inside of me
Tune my heart to all You are in me
Even though You're here
God come

May the vision of You be the death of me
And even though You've given everything
Jesus come

Here we are, Lord
In this place
Crying out for
Your embrace

To hear Your voice, God
More than songs
Please come...

if you want to listen to a rough draft, you can open this page:
rough draft. The line about 'awaken what's inside of me' gets me. far too often i fail to recognize that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. and the Christ, who abides in me, desires for me to abide in Him. again i'm reminded of my favorite Christmas song:

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

81 Days

i had lunch today w/ my manager. we got on the subject of giving blood, which led to her mentioning that she can't give blood because she had hepatitis a, which led to me say i have to get hep a + b shots because i'm planning a trip to Africa. then she got really curious about it... and i had to quickly switch subjects because i'm not sure that it's time yet for me to tell my boss that i'm planning on moving to Africa in 3 months. so when do i tell them? i've mentioned to them in the past that my life's ambition is to be a missionary in east Africa.

so today i'm praying for the right time to tell them. I've been telling others about my beautiful adventure. it's still odd to me that i'm telling others about moving to Africa in 3 months, when the reality hasn't quite settled into me yet. it's still foreign, as tho i'm dreaming this up. there are some people whom I need tell before they receive my Christmas/support letter. so i'm gonna try to get ahold of them tonight before my daily trip to the gym. Lacey is keeping me accountable to the gym. that's a good thing.

denise and shottie both have acquired new kids from Compassion Int'l. Shottie has a little girl named Furaha (which means 'joy' or 'rejoicing' in swahili), and denise has a little girl named Miriam. both of these adopted kiddos live in Tanzania, not far from dodoma. Dodoma is a bit south of kilimanjaro, but there may be opportunity for me to go and see these kids. What a treat that would be! Also, after speaking w/ 2 friends, i'm convinced that i'm supposed to continue to have Flora as my little girl. I'm really looking forward to getting to meet her.

some useful links:

YWAM Kilimanjaro

Map of my adventure

83 Days

Sent email to folks @ ywam - kilimanjaro, giving them an update about the passport, and asking them if it is possible for my references to email their forms instead of snail mail.

steven asked last night what i wanted for Christmas - 'cash' was my answer. and then i told him about wanting to be in Africa in three months. he said, 'wow, that's soon.' then after some more conversation he said, 'if God wants you there, tanya, He's gonna get you there.' that's was cool the hear.

i've been thinking about my things - all my stuff which i've collected over the years. in some ways, i've tried throughout my life to not collect a whole bunch of 'things', because i've always known that i can't take that stuff w/ me to Africa. so i've been thinking of what i'm going to do w/ my stuff. denise can have most of it, but there are some items which i'm trying to return to the giver. so in thinking of all these things, i've called kimberly and asked her if she would hold onto a quilt which she made for me. of course, she said 'yes', because only she and i can appreciate how much effort went into making this quilt; it's quite an amazing quilt. (almost everything i own has been given to me.) examples: my bed is from valerie, my bookshelf is from denise and steven, my computer is from my parents. i own the dresser and small desk, some books and clothes, a few knick-knacks and a nativity set (which denise already has dibs on). so overall, it's not much stuff.... oh, there are a few scrapbooks, which i'm not sure what to do w/. but the one things i'm most concerned about, whom i'm hoping someone will step up the plate and take care of for me, is Flora Elia Kitomari. she just turned nine on november 29th. she the sweetest little Tanzanian that i know. i'm praying the i'll get a chance to meet her sometime during my adventure.

Most Gracious Father
You've overflowed my cup with blessings of grace and mercy. my heart is flooding with praise to You. You've granted peace to my heart. As i think through all that needs to happen, i can hear you say, 'my grace is sufficient for even you, tanya.' those words speak volumes of grace and truth and peace to this trembling heart. even i think about someone else caring for Flora, i begin to tear up. i've grown to love that little girl who lives 10,000 miles away and speaks swahili. i'm trusting You, her Father, to supply for her needs. You know what she needs more than i ever could. and You know what i need.... and You care for me the same.

You hear the cries of the people in the phillipines who have lost everything due to this typhoon. may You, Jesus, send forth Your salvation to these people. You promise to bind up the broken-hearted, to heal those who seek You. May these people come before You, humbled by Your great power and majesty. Have them turn from their idolatry. May You raise up believers from among these ruins. may their hearts fear You, that they may gain Your salvation. grant them wisdom and knowledge to know Your will and abide in You. break their hearts of stone.

i'm clinging to these verses today and always, "We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." {ps. 33:20-22}

85 days

today's accomplishments:
passport photos $40
passport application in the mail $127 (speedy processing charge)
knit a scarf and started a second one
finished and printed my Christmas letter
read Colossians and some Owen Meany

we made a decision in our house that we're not gonna watch tv until after Christmas. today has been the hardest, because i've been home most of the day. the radio is ok, but it doesn't pass the time like watching tv. i get tired of playing on the 'net. it's now 7.42 pm. it's about time to transfer a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer.

It hit me yesterday like a two-by-four: I'm supposed to go to ywam-kilimanjaro. I'm convinced of this; I'm not doubting which organization to go through anymore. But then the reality of this started kicking in and now I'm nearly overwhelmed. I reviewed the information which I've been sent from YWAM - the info about all that needs to happen before i get on a plane on february 24, 2007.

Here's a list:
A.) Shots
i called yesterday to a local clinic and these are what has been suggested:
...1.) Yellow Fever $125 (required)
...2.) Hepatitus A $92
...3.) Hepatitus B $342 (3 sessions of $114)
...4.) Tetanus $41
for a grand total of $741

B.) Passport Renewal with photo shoot $130

C.) Compiling info so i can complete the application, and get info to my references

D.) Finish Christmas letter which i started last night, but it quickly turned into a letter requesting support.

E.) Calculate how much money i'll need for the next 9 months, with a focus particularly on the next 3.

so for now, those items are on the immediate list of to-do's, with the #1 priority being the passport. gonnna try to get some passport photos in the morning, after or before Breakfast With Santa.

Another thing i'm doing in preparation is make time everyday for studying my Bible and praying specifically for this trip. last night during my study time, i ran across this verse, "He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure." (isaiah 33.6) Jesus is the only sure foundation for our time. He is a rich store of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. in my mind i can see Him standing outside His store, calling to people, 'come, all you who are thirsty and you who don't have any money. come to my store and i'll give you my most treasured gifts. they are free and i'm generous.' how can anyone refuse? and fearing Him by submitting to His authority which isn't burdensome is the key to accepting these gifts. James says, 'if anyone is without wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault.' so i've been asking for His answer and He has responded. my gratitude arises because of His generosity.

Father, as i think about all that has to happen in 86 days, my heart gets overwhelmed. You have laid out for me this plan, and I'm trusting that You have a way of making all these things fall together in perfect order. You are a God of order. so i'm asking You to open ways for me to get the photos tomorrow, so the passport application can be returned swiftly. and i continue to pray of finances, for the shots, for the fees and travel expenses. i trust that it's Your plan to get me there, and You'll supply all my needs and expand my harvest of righteousness.
in Jesus' Name ~ Amina