New Year, New Adventures!

Happy New Year everyone! First, I apologize for not posting for such a long time, but I have been so SWAMPED with school and all of my activities I haven't had much time to blog :(

So here's a good list of the changes that are happening in my life right now, and maybe even a good reason behind it....but not always! ;)

I'm FOR SURE going BACK to AFRICA this summer. All summer. Ohhhh I wish I could meet with all of my faithful followers and prayer warriors and tell them how God made it so clear to me in 3 ways, and maybe I can, but until then here's a little nibble of HIS INSANELY WONDERFUL LOVE AND PLAN!! :)

~~ On the weekend of Halloween, I went on singles retreat with FUEL, and they were talking about making commitments to God. I made a promise to God when I graduated from ISU that if after two years of teaching that if I wasn't "tied down"- aka married-, that I would go to Africa for longer than 3 weeks.
When I arrived at the retreat I was so consumed by satan's attacks on my heart, and it seemed no matter how much asking my Father to remove the darkness and pain I had felt about being single, I had not been able to find relief. On the second night, after they called us to make a commitment, I realized that I had been "under the radar" trying to dodge my commitment to go back for a longer term. The moment that I totally surrendered to God and said "I will go", I literally felt the weight lifted from my heart, and I was able to feel joy. Real pure joy. It was one of the most powerful experiences I've had.
During the weekend, during a financial meeting, the speaker looked DIRECTLY at ME and said "You can't be a missionary in Africa with car debt". In that moment, I realized I needed to move home and get rid of my nice car so that I can put as much money towards getting rid of my debt so I can be with my "babies" in Africa. It was CRAZY!!
A few weeks later, a friend randomly showed up on my door, and said, "I was just praying for you and God told me to come ask you why you aren't in Africa right now?" UGH! - We had an incredible conversation and that night I totally surrendered the fears and doubts that I have and gave them all up to God.
GOD IS SO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!

So- in the new year, I have moved back in with my parents- which has it's ups and downs, but it has had serious benefits. My grandma has moved in with us for awhile and so being here with her and helping out with her has been a total blessing.

People ask how long I'm going. Honestly, I don't know. My heart says "GO for a year", but my mind says "You have debt, so you can't just take off for a year!". All I know is that I'm going to obey, because I don't want to lose the peace I still have from October and I don't want to miss out on an opportunity to be with my babies again.

I miss them everyday. I think about them all the time. I don't think a day has gone by that I haven't thought about them.

I'm in the process of getting details worked out. There are 3 other young girls that want to go with me, but we are trying to work out details. I will be working with a new organization, Agape, the preschools that have classes for kids with special needs.....duh...right up my alley!!! :)

Prayer Requests:
* That every woman that is supposed to go on this journey will be put to peac about whole situation and will have the faith to trust
*Pray that as I'm playing a different role, ,kinda like the leader of the team, that I can really get the ball movie to get everything ready for thing thing.

I have SOOOOO much more to share, but I'm so tired!! I will try to post more so please support us with your prayers!!

Breaking my heart for what breaks His~ Megan

PTL!!!!

Thank you to all who have been praying not only for my dearest Assi, but for my grandmother as well!!! Yesterday Gma was able to come "home" from the hospital to stay with my aunt for a while.:) Thank you Lord!

Assi is doing incredibly well- considering the circumstances. He was up moving around the hospital with no oxygen help earlier this week--- PTL!!! They are hoping that he will be able to return home, to the Village of Hope, sometime next week! Please keep praying for healing and restoration for this precious child.

I found this video for Thembalitsha, the organization that I have worked with on my trips to SA. You should check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXByLkZXUoc

As for me....

School has kept me VERY busy. I also have had something going on everyday after school since the school year has started. Please pray for my endurance, strength, and most importantly SLEEP!! I've had a difficult time getting a good night's sleep. Pray that I can rest in my Father's arms, but that if He wishes to speak to me in the middle of the night again that He will do so accordingly.

Satan has been at work trying to tear Cindy and I both down in many different venues, but God has blessed us with each other. We have talked to each other in some way almost everyday since returning from the trip. I'm SOOO THANKFUL that God placed her in my life!!! Pray for strength against the evil one. Our God is stronger!!!

I have also been missing Africa- my babies, my friends, the people- a great deal lately. Pray that I can be open to God's voice in my life and direction.

At the Jr. High Youth group that I help teach at on Wed. two girls accepted Christ in my small group. Please pray that God will move in their hearts and minds and that if needed He will use me to help them.

Exciting news: I've found a loophole to adopting from South Africa. I want to dance with JOY every time I think about it!!! I'm not saying I'm bringing home a baby tomorrow (but I TOTALLY WOULD if I could!!) but to have this knowledge after thinking all these years that it was impossible is just such an incredible feeling!!!! ahhhhhh!!!! :) :) :) :) To top this news off, twin girls that come to the Bible Study that I lead at my house on Tuesday nights are adopted from Russia. I have been talking a great deal with their mother about the adoption process and she has been such an encouragement!! She is full of knowledge and compassion- it's so cool that God has brought together two women who have a heart for orphans!! :)

I'm going to continue to post on here as much as I can, so please continue to check!!! :)

Much LOVE sent to ALL!!!! :)

Big Prayers Needed!!!

Hello all- Sorry about the time that has passed since I have posted. I have tried to put up the videos, but for some strange reason they won't load. I will continue to try though!

Prayers are needed as I just received this report from The Village of Hope (the kids clinic we worked at) : "Please be praying for Assi, one of the kids from the clinic in Grabouw, South Africa. He was taken to the hospital and is not doing well at all. He is an HIV/Aids patient and is now suffering from renal failure. They are trying to exhaust all possible options and treatments. If there is nothing left to do then they... are looking at bringing him back to the clinic where he can be around friends and familiar faces. He is such a blessing and a joy, so full of life. Please join with me and others and pray for God's will to be done. Pray for peace and comfort in Assi's life that he would be feel the warmth of God's love all around him."



Keep fighting my big boy!!!!


Praise: Cindy, the girl who was on my team this year, came to stay the weekend with me!!! It was such an incredible blessing for the both of us, and all who were able to meet her!! We were able to spend some quality time together at the World's Fair aka El Paso CornFest! :) Thank you Lord for such a blessing---- Pics to come!!!! :)

New Pics to share!

Here is a gorgeous picture of my beloved Abigail. She rarely smiled, but stay tuned!



Here she is smiling her beautiful smile. It took lots of effort and didn't happen often, but it was worth it!



Here's a pic of all the kiddies (minus the babes) riding their bikes! :)




Here is my Shannon. She is so beautiful. I just want to squeeze her!



Zizi- the "go-go" or grandma of the group of kids. She was the oldest girly there.

Blessings and Prayers

Blessings:

This video is precious of one of my dearest little kiddes, Nici. She has such a contagious laugh!!




This is a video of the kids praying before they eat. What precious angels they are.

I miss them all very much.

Prayers:
~ Please pray for Asi, the eldest boy @ VOH. He is in the hospital with a lung infection. They think the problem may be more serious. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors and that he can be miraculously healed.

~ Please pray for me. I am very frustrated with some situations that relate directly to the trip. I know it is satan trying to find a way to put out the fire that this trip lit inside me. Pray that smoothly and calmly I can deal with these situations.

More pictures and videos to come!!!

Sweet memories...

Thanks again to all who have been following this incredible journey that I have been on these past 3 weeks. I can hardly believe that I have been home for almost a week now. I think I may have left my heart there. I feel myself thinking about the kiddies alot. :( But there are amazing stories to share!

I'm not sure why I didn't post this on my first blog, but God has had His hand on this trip from the VERY start. When we arrived at O'Hare airport to leave for SA we had 19 bags for 6 people. Each person is only allowed 2 checked bags, and so we were way over our limit. We knew this and had talked to our travel agents about it and they told us it would be $55 for each extra bag. Not so bad right?

Well, when we got to the counter the lady told us that each extra bag was going to cost $200 dollars, which would make our total $1,400. Not cool. So a couple of us started praying, while the others talked with the woman. After a few minutes she suddenly said "This is what we're gonna do. You each take an extra checked bag and Tim you take the leftover one as your carry on."

AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING FOR ANY OF THE EXTRA LUGGAGE!!!!!! GOD IS SOOOOOO GOOD!!!!

On the way home, Cindy and I had to sit for 9 hours behind a couple who was very rude and kept their seats back the entire time, even though they weren't sleeping. We wanted to complain, but we knew it would do no good. So we just endured it. God blessed us by switching us to first class seats on the plane ride from NY to Chicago! Thanks God!!

I will be putting up videos and pictures soon. But for now here are some of the pics that I have so far. You don't have to have Facebook to view these photos just click on the link.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2452150&id=22918975&l=516d4d06d0

Again thank you so much for the love and the support... you have all truly been a blessing to me!

Me and all of the VOH kids, not all are looking and not all are smiling, but they are with me in my last moments there! :( Missing you babies!!!

Greater things are yet to come

Hello from the states! We are all back safe and sound. This post will probably not be very long, but greater things are yet to come! I will be getting on here and putting up more stories, pictures and even some video (if I can figure it out!).

I want to thank all of you who supported me on this trip, whether that was through prayers, finances or simply following my incredible God journey on my blog. I hope to see everyone soon so that I may share with you the fantabulous things my God is doing in person!

Please continue to pray for our team. Adjusting back to life in the states is one of the hardest parts of missionary work I think. We are so blessed and so spoiled and so wasteful. I know that I am personally suffering from "my baby withdrawal". I miss all of my kids and I wish that I could just step out the back door of my house and run to them and hug them and love on them like I have the past 3 weeks. I know Cindy feels the same. We also all have to return to work which is a hard adjustment. I am heading over to PC for a meeting for school stuff and I'm feeling overwhelmed. I don't think I'm quite ready to process school information yet, but I have to do it. Pray my brain will be open to all of the new information.

Two babies in the clinic: Noli and Zanu- I REALLY wanted to bring them home with me!

PTL:

~ We made it home safely and we even got to fly first class on the way from NY to Chicago. This is a story which I will share more about at a later time!! Look for it! God is good!

~ All of our bags made it back in one piece as well, with all of our African goodies. :)

~I have gone on a heart wrenching journey, but I have made an everlasting friend in my liefy Cindy Ellis. I am so blessed to have met this incredible young woman, whom I am sure was my twin separated from me at birth. We are so alike in so many ways that God's humor in it is just fantabulous!

~ Steve, one of the guys on the trip, gave his life to Christ on this trip. This was his third trip with his brother Tim, the leader of our pack, and he finally realized what was missing. It was so awesome to watch, knowing that Tim has been praying for this moment for 10 years. I can't wait to see what God is going to do with Steve. He is an incredible guy!

I hope to be on more this weekend with pics and stories. Continue to comment please! I don't think I can explain to you how very important that was to me. When I was able to get on the blog and read all of the encouraging things you all wrote I felt so much love from the states. I know that God used this blog to help me explain what I was seeing and experiencing to all of you, but He also used it as a tool to encourage me on my journey. What a blessing!! Thanks Daddy!!!

Team America: Me, Chris, Steve, Tim, Aaron and Cindy - On top of Paarl Mountain