Support Update and Christmas

Thank you to everyone who has supported me financially and prayerfully thus far. At about 5 weeks out I am little over $1200. This is so great-- but there is still a long way to go. I am looking forward to what God has in store for the next several weeks. It is going to be exciting to watch. Please continue to pray for me as I try to make sure I have everything in order and don't stress out too much!

I hope everyone is enjoying time with loved ones and hopefully (unlike me) is getting to enjoy some snow!!

God Bless and Merry Christmas!

-Bekah
http://www.btea.org/

Support Letter

Dear friends,

I have been so blessed to have each and every one of you in my life.  I cannot ever thank you properly for the impact you have had in me thus far.  For those of you who have known me over the past 5 years, you have been a source of encouragement and support as you have walked with me on my trips to the Philippines. Both financially and prayerfully, you have been a huge reason why those missions have been successful. Whether you have been a constant companion or you are new in my life, I am asking you to take that walk with me again. This time, however, the road is looking a little different.

At age 15 I took my first trip to the Philippines with the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association (BTEA) and in 2009 I went on my fourth trip.  Each has been unique and an undeniable evidence of God’s grace, love and provision in my life and the lives of the other missionaries and the Filipinos. So much of who I am has been shaped by these experiences.  In particular, some of my best memories are of Uncle Dick’s Home, the BTEA orphanage on the island of Mindanao.  My visits there have been extremely brief but so enriching.  I have always thought it would be a privilege to spend an extended time there getting to know the children individually, and to serve with those who have dedicated their lives to the kids.  Now, what was once just a thought is becoming a reality.  This coming spring I will take my first extended trip to the orphanage.  I will leave in February and work there for 4 months.  While there, my primary goal is to pour all of my energy into the kids.  I will be playing with them, teaching Bible studies, and basically following their lead on everything.  I will also help with cooking, cleaning, laundry, odd jobs, teaching in the elementary school and absolutely anything that the caretakers need.  I hope more than anything that I can be an empty vessel ready for God to fill and willing to serve in any way that I can.

Thinking about this trip thrills me and makes me eager to get going.  The excitement of having an entirely new experience and to have this long to spend with those wonderful children is exhilarating.  However, every reason I have to be eager also makes me nervous.  This is by far the longest mission trip I have ever gone on, and will be the longest time I have spent away from home, family and friends.  While I know God can and will use this time to teach me and bring me closer to Him, I am not going into this process without some trepidation.  More than anything in this time I need your prayers!  My preparations for this trip can easily become stressful and nerve-wracking as I try to ensure that I have all of the things that I will need for 4 months—and it can be very easy to get my focus off of my purpose and onto myself and my own comforts. Please pray for me to have peace and rational thinking during this time.  I do not want to lose my focus and make this trip about me rather than Christ.

Also, as is always the case, this trip needs financial support to become a reality.  The final numbers are not yet completed, but it is looking to cost approximately $6,000.  This is the largest amount of support I have ever had to raise – and in the shortest amount of time!  I have learned from the past, however, through so many of you, that God always, always provides, and I know he will in this case as well.  I am aware of the economic situation and the extra burden of Christmas being right around the corner, and if right now it is not possible for you to contribute to this trip, please do not make this a point of worry.  If this mission trip is God’s will, he will bring in the support, as long as I choose to get out of the way and put my own worrying aside.  If you are able to help me financially now, you can give directly online at www.btea.org (click on “Short Term Missionaries”).  All financial gifts are tax deductible.

I cannot wait until I can share my experiences and blessings from this upcoming trip with you all.  Your prayers and support will make an eternal difference.  Thank you, thank you, and God bless you!

-Bekah







“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27