Ladies and Gentlemen..
T-minus one week and counting until I find myself standing on the continent of Africa, with a giant backpack stuffed to the seams with 5 months of adventure worthy clothes (and yes, of course, my ‘adventure pants!’), 25 weeks of malaria pills, and a passport with blank pages eagerly awaiting pretty new stamps.
Words fail to express two very distinct feelings I have at this moment.
When people ask me ‘are you excited?’ I just want to grab them & be like ‘yessssss!!!!’
excited. thrilled. elated. flippin’ stoked - just a bit. ;)
But I wouldn’t be able to experience these emotions if it wasn’t for the people who have invested in me these past years, months, weeks, and days. And for that, I have to say thank you. Thank you for the constant encouragement and inspiring me to embrace a life of unlimited opportunities. Thank you to those who have just simply spoken truth about how big God is and how the dreams I have of doing this or that are tangible because OUR God is the God who created the Universe and who breathed life into man. Nothing is impossible. It was God who put this calling on my life, and it was God who revealed the path, but I am forever thankful to the helping hands who have molded me into the person I am today.
And to my FUMCC family and the youthies, these past few months have been some of the best of my life. You all have become my family and have radically changed my idea as to what the body of Christ looks like as a church. I feel as if I have 10 sets of surrogate parents, some pretty awesome aunts & uncles and a ridiculous amount of brothers & sisters. I love you with all of my heart. Thank you for taking me in this summer and giving me the opportunity to be the youth intern.
And if you have read down this far, then congrats! You’re officially on the update list! I was told that we will have access to the internet 2-4 hours a week, so I will do my best to send out a report of how the Spirit is moving on the field and also provide specific prayer requests for the continent of Africa, the country of Zambia, Overland Missions, the AMT team, and myself.
At this time, please pray..
- that God starts moving in the hearts of individuals and villages we will be visiting in the next 3 months and preparing them to hear the truth.
- for the members of the AMT team (currently, there are 10 of us - 6 gents & 4 ladies.) We are spread out from Washington to New York to Florida and even Canada & New Zealand.
- for the country of Zambia. I woke up this morning and learned that the President of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa, passed away yesterday from a stroke at the age of 59. According to Zambia’s Constitution, a new election is to take place in the next 90 days. Africa’s ‘democratic’ elections are conducted in a bit different manner than those in the States (ie. look at the recent reelection of Robert Mugabe in Zambia’s neighboring country to the south, Zimbabwe. Or the election that took place in Kenya earlier in the year.) So pray for a peaceful election run off and that the new President of Zambia continues to direct the country in a civilized, progressive manner.
[ for more information, here is a link to the report in the Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/world/africa/20mwanawasa.html?_r=1&ref=africa&oref=slogin ]
These next few days are going to be filled with storage boxes, a lot of mexican food (gotta get my fill for the next 5 months!), last minute errands, breakfasts with beloved friends, and.. hugs.
Thank you, again.. and again. and again.
With Joy,
Liz DeZeeuw
T-minus one week and counting until I find myself standing on the continent of Africa, with a giant backpack stuffed to the seams with 5 months of adventure worthy clothes (and yes, of course, my ‘adventure pants!’), 25 weeks of malaria pills, and a passport with blank pages eagerly awaiting pretty new stamps.
Words fail to express two very distinct feelings I have at this moment.
When people ask me ‘are you excited?’ I just want to grab them & be like ‘yessssss!!!!’
excited. thrilled. elated. flippin’ stoked - just a bit. ;)
But I wouldn’t be able to experience these emotions if it wasn’t for the people who have invested in me these past years, months, weeks, and days. And for that, I have to say thank you. Thank you for the constant encouragement and inspiring me to embrace a life of unlimited opportunities. Thank you to those who have just simply spoken truth about how big God is and how the dreams I have of doing this or that are tangible because OUR God is the God who created the Universe and who breathed life into man. Nothing is impossible. It was God who put this calling on my life, and it was God who revealed the path, but I am forever thankful to the helping hands who have molded me into the person I am today.
And to my FUMCC family and the youthies, these past few months have been some of the best of my life. You all have become my family and have radically changed my idea as to what the body of Christ looks like as a church. I feel as if I have 10 sets of surrogate parents, some pretty awesome aunts & uncles and a ridiculous amount of brothers & sisters. I love you with all of my heart. Thank you for taking me in this summer and giving me the opportunity to be the youth intern.
And if you have read down this far, then congrats! You’re officially on the update list! I was told that we will have access to the internet 2-4 hours a week, so I will do my best to send out a report of how the Spirit is moving on the field and also provide specific prayer requests for the continent of Africa, the country of Zambia, Overland Missions, the AMT team, and myself.
At this time, please pray..
- that God starts moving in the hearts of individuals and villages we will be visiting in the next 3 months and preparing them to hear the truth.
- for the members of the AMT team (currently, there are 10 of us - 6 gents & 4 ladies.) We are spread out from Washington to New York to Florida and even Canada & New Zealand.
- for the country of Zambia. I woke up this morning and learned that the President of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa, passed away yesterday from a stroke at the age of 59. According to Zambia’s Constitution, a new election is to take place in the next 90 days. Africa’s ‘democratic’ elections are conducted in a bit different manner than those in the States (ie. look at the recent reelection of Robert Mugabe in Zambia’s neighboring country to the south, Zimbabwe. Or the election that took place in Kenya earlier in the year.) So pray for a peaceful election run off and that the new President of Zambia continues to direct the country in a civilized, progressive manner.
[ for more information, here is a link to the report in the Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/world/africa/20mwanawasa.html?_r=1&ref=africa&oref=slogin ]
These next few days are going to be filled with storage boxes, a lot of mexican food (gotta get my fill for the next 5 months!), last minute errands, breakfasts with beloved friends, and.. hugs.
Thank you, again.. and again. and again.
With Joy,
Liz DeZeeuw
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