Encouragement from Portland

Two weeks ago I got to spend the week in Portland meeting with different people about Portugal. It was a whirlwind trip of meetings with old and new friends. I started my week by meeting with a missionary kid from Portugal, who is now the librarian at Multnomah. This was a great time of talking about our common love for Portugal and the ministry currently going on in the villages and towns. Monday evening, I also spoke with a fundraising coach from TEAM and it was great to get his opinion on my talk and his encouragement to trust God while I am in the fundraising phase.

One of my favorite evenings during the whole trip was when I got to meet with 7 individuals that worked on the mission field in Portugal. It was an amazing time of hearing their stories of what God did in Portugal while they were there. It was also a great time of encouragement for me also, at one point my hand could not write as fast as they were giving me ideas for support raising. They were giving me ideas for churches to reach out to and communities I should target for support. I hope that I can meet with all of them again in February when I, hopefully, head back to Portland for some more support and relationship building.

The following day I got to meet one-on-one with a couple from the night before, the Wootens. The Wootens have been mentors to me since I met them back in 2009. We began with just writing letters because they lived about 6 hours away but when they moved to Portland I was able to meet with them weekly. Our weekly meetings included a cup of Portuguese coffee, talking about the mission field, and lessons in Portuguese. Sharon would get her notes out from when she learned Portuguese and would go through each lesson teaching me a new skill in Portuguese. I loved hearing all of the different stories from their time on the mission field. During my time with the Wootens, 2 weeks ago, things were much the same however the Portuguese lesson was replaced with them encouraging me in my support raising and journey to the mission field.

Overall, my trip to Portland was filled with encouragement from friends and retired missionaries. It was just what I needed as I strive for my upcoming goals. I needed the reminders that God is in control and will get me to the mission field when He wants me there. I needed the reminder to trust God! It is a concept that has always been in the back of my mind and I would remind myself of from time to time but it was exactly what I needed to hear from other people. Sometimes you need others to remind you of the simplest things about your faith.

As I look ahead here are some of my goals and prayer requests...

Goals:
1. To get very close to or at 60% by mid-September...that's two weeks away!

2. To attend Pre-Departure Orientation in October (I need the 60% to attend)
3. To prepare to leave well, even though it is not anytime soon.

Prayer:

1. I remember and hold fast to trusting God during this time.

2. Meetings with potential supporters go well.

3. I am able to attend Pre-departure Orientation in October.

4. The missionaries currently working in Braga start out the university school year well.

5. The hearts of the university students are prepared to hear and receive the gospel.

My Current Support Status:

365-14 days till Portugal....

My wonderful mentor, given to me by TEAM, has worked out an amazing timeline for me. On this amazing timeline my mentor has given me a departure date (God willing). April 18, 2016. 351 days. Before I met my coach, I had a great departure date, sometime in June 2016. I figured June would give me enough time to get situated and ready for an intensive summer Portuguese program, but I guess April is better.

I was going to write this post 2 weeks ago when it would have been 365 days but I got overwhelmed. I started thinking about the things that I would be missing when I was gone. I will be missing birthdays, milestones, and good old fun with my family and friends. I started thinking about what time would be best for me to leave, but I could think of a reason to stay for just about every month. I had to realize that although I will be missing some great memories, I will also be making some amazing memories, great friends, and an adoptive family. Most importantly, though, I will be doing what God has called me to do.

God called me to the mission field 12 years ago (That is just crazy!!!) and I have been preparing to go ever since. I went to Multnomah for the purpose of preparing myself for ministry overseas, ministry in Portugal. I have had times of extreme excitement and extreme sadness on my road to Portugal, but I wouldn't trade a moment for anything. In each of those moments, both happy and sad, God was teaching me and growing me into the person I am today and preparing me for ministry. And I can't WAIT!!!! I am beyond excited to finally be so close to heading to Portugal to work in ministry! A calling that I have had for so long!

Before I head to Portugal, though, there are many things that I have to do to prepare for life overseas. First, I have to prepare myself for life overseas and family life via Skype. I have to network and fundraise, sharing my story with many people. I have to go to Chicago for pre-diparture orientation, hopefully in October! I am so excited for the next 351 days and for the adventures God will be taking me on! Here's to Portugal April 18, 2016!!!