3 crazy reasons to come with me
Check it out… Big Nanny goes on Visiting Orphans Mission trip– she’s officially part of the craziness! BIG CRAZY NEWS- We have 2 more slots open to fill! If you are feeling a passion about this trip, please continue to pray and fill out the application when the time is right! Spots are filling up fast!
My personal journey to missions- I want to challenge you to come with me on this mission trip! I waited 41 years before I went on my first mission trip. I had to really go! I love kids and love traveling… why did it take me so long to go on missions. I hate to 
admit this, but I was intimidated and it was never convenient for me to go. I’m a stay at home mom and the timing just never seemed right for me.
My hubby was supportive, but not in a “do it now” kind of way. I always had an excuse. The money was usually my down fall. I had no idea you could fundraise for a mission trip. I assumed I needed to do it all on my own. I felt responsible to raise the money or not go. Why would anyone want to help me go on a “vacation.” I never dreamed my family and friends would rally together and help me make my mission trip dreams come true. Last summer, I was asked to go to Haiti with my church family. I asked Roger to let me go. This was it… I was determined to make it work. Zoie was only 1 year old and my kids were starting school several days after the trip started. I could feel the guilt seeping up in my heart, but I moved forward. I knew I needed to go, but I had to raise $1,500 in two weeks. I prayed and prayed that God would give me a creative idea. I pushed my old fears down and moved forward with a plan.
Family and friends embraced my project and I raised $2,200 for Haiti! I was able to purchase donations with the overflow and hand deliver the items personally. It was a lot of work organizing the fundraiser, but once things got rolling, it was so much fun! Please don’t make the same excuses I made for so many years: pray, move forward and allow God to do the rest. If the door is slammed shut in your face, well that’s OK. Stand in line again, and move forward in a different direction. I challenge you to call or email Visiting Orphans today and request an application. If your heart is stirring, don’t wait – start the ball rolling, especially if you feel excitement and joy and yearning when you read our itinerary.
Here’s 3 Reasons why you should come with me to Ethiopia & Uganda:
- Orphans desperately need you to come and simply love them– BASICALLY Haiti is happening to children all over this world….the media is just not covering it. They lose their parents suddenly to HIV, malaria, malnutrition, starvation and other horrific ends to a life. Or, they are traumatized as they are just abandoned and left with a feeling of worthlessness, feeling forgotten and not knowing the consistent love of a parent or anyone else. Some orphans never even get to see outside of the building of their orphanage. Orphans in this world, unless visited by God’s people, will not know their Savior as their Abba Daddy. He is their Father and He is the only one who in our absence can give them the consistent love they were created to receive. If we don’t go…who will go for us? (thank you Amanda)
- Lose some weight with me- Are you loaded down with the weight of mommyhood? The busyness of your life as a mom- the comfortable, conveniences of structure, playdates, Target runs, carpools, sports events… well, mission trips do a great job at shaking things up and forcing you to let go and serve out of your comfort zone. Traveling to a foreign country can be really scary, but being immersed in a different culture allows you to see and smell and touch and taste and hear things that will literally change your life. Leave your busyness at home (it will be there when you return) and open your hearts wide to crazy love orphans.
- Be part of a God-Adventure- this means doing something radical, out of the normal, daily routine we get stuck in as moms. You get to see God work in others lives and in your own life on a mission trip. Plan on something going really crazy- this is all part of the adventure. I encourage you to super-size your joy and patience and understanding and compassion and affection on a mission trip. If you have set expectations, I guarantee you will be turned upside down. Leave your expectations at home and allow God to guide your steps through Uganda and Ethiopia.
Here’s what one mom shared- “as an adopting Mom I first thought, I’m already doing my part, I’m adopting an orphan! While talking to my husband, I couldn’t stop crying because I was thinking about our baby. I kept asking, what if an American Mom was able to be in the orphanages everyday? What if we knew there were always volunteers through Visiting Orphans there to hold, feed and love our baby E? I know that my 14 days in Uganda and Ethiopia isn’t going to change the world BUT if Mom’s across our country would go and be present 365 days a year, it would change the lives of all the orphaned children.
July 19th isn’t really a “good time” for me to go on a Mission Trip. Who knows where we will be in the adoption, if we will have the
money, or if I can emotionally handle it. However, we pray, someone is there right now, regardless of the “right time” to hold our baby.” (Ashlie, mom to be)
If you are on the fence, trying to make every mommy detail perfect before you make the decision to go, I challenge you to jump down and pray forward. Most of my readers are crazy moms, life will never be perfect for us to go on a mission trip, but I promise you that this trip will change your life. Your family will benefit from you doing something so radical… you’ll be a crazier mom!
I want to know what you’re thinking? Does anyone else have a story to encourage each other to go on a mission trip… please share in comments. Next week, I’ll share some crazy ideas to help you fundraise for a mission trip.
Kari, you hit the nail on the head. My story is slightly different in that I did go on a few missions trips as a teen, but I've always wanted to go again and all the excuses you had… yep, they were mine! When this opportunity came I had to jump at it even if it isn't completely ideal timing (like Ashlie, I have no idea where we'll be with our Ethiopian adoption).
I'm so excited to have answered God's call to go, though! I am a MOM and there are kids who need MOMS. Even if I can only be a mom figure to them for 2 weeks, it's something.
I look forward to your fundraising ideas because that part really does intimidate me! (Even though I've done it before. Why, oh why do I doubt God?)
Jenn.. I will help my crazy team fundraise!! This is the hardest part- signing up when you don't have the full amount$. It's very scary, I know. You have time to really have fun & do several projects to raise the costs. It will happen!!
We're in this together!
xoxo
I'm so happy your part of my crazy team:)
Kari, I am sitting here once again, so moved by God because He has used you to speak truth into my heart. Yes I am one of those women who has put it off for so long but I just knew that God was calling me to this when I first read about this trip! I love what you say about having no expectations because so often we can have so many and I have learned to try and leave these behind through our years of ministry! I know that the enemy can put negative expectations into our minds also…. like all the things we expect to wrong when we leave our families…… and all the things that we expect to go wrong when we travel!! But these thought ARE NOT FROM GOD but from the enemy who wants to discourage us from going!!!
If any one is having these fears, (like I have) then I say, let PERFECT LOVE (JESUS) cast out that fear and lets rest in Him. It is one thing if we have no peace about going, then that is the Lord…. but if it's fear…. then it's not from God!!!
I am praying for the remaining 10 to receive the confirmation from God and take that step out of the boat!
IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO?
IF NOT NOW, THEN WHEN?
And I am so excited to go!!! And like Jenn, somewhat intimidated about the fundraising part and look forward to reading about your ideas!!!
Great post!!!
Naomi, I think what I'm most excited about is meeting my bloggy friends in real life!! We are going to have the craziest adventure together. Thanks for posting and your cheers for other to join our team.
xoxo
Kari-
I am so so so excited for you and this trip! I only wish I could join you this summer, but I know that the Lord is telling me to wait right now.
I'll be praying about those last few spots to fill up!
Sarah
So excited our friends will be joining you on this journey! I am a mess watching that video, will be stealing it today for sure.
Kari, thaks for this post and for that video, . I have seen it at a couple of places and every time I am in tears!! I just got all my paperwork, letters of reccomendation and my first deposit sent to Visiting Orphans. Even so, I am still finding myself saying to the Lord, " Lord if it is really not your will for me to go please shut the doors." After reading your post I am asking Him to keep the doors open. You will probably have to share posts like this every couple of days. LOL or I should probably say GAL ( Some of you Beth Moore fans will know what I am talking about. ;0) ) Here is my story….. My heart aches for the orphan and I have a deep longing to adopt but unfortuneately my husband does not share in my longing. He has a love for children and his heart breaks as well so this is very frustrating to me!! It has led me to depression, anger,amnipulating in any way I can to put him in a situation that could help change his heart and it has also led to marriage troubles. It makes me very sad and sorry to share this. "Confess your sins one to another" W/ in the past year I decided that I needed to start praying definetely and started asking the Lord to show me what fits in my hand right here, right now. He obviously put this in my heart for a reason and if it was not to adopt I needed to know for what. So when I saw Karis blog post or when my friend told me about this Crazy Missions Trip ( not sure what came first), my heart began to stir. I just flew for the first time ever this past Fall and it was from Pa to Florida. I had vowed that I would never get on a plane . And then it happened …. We wona Cruise to the Bahammas ( Well sort of … you know how those things work.) My husband really wanted to go. So unless i wanted him to go w/ someone else, I had no choice!! I cried from the moment we arrived until we were in the air and above the clouds. And then I was blown away by the beauty!! What would I have done w/out my husband??? So to get on a plane and fly to Africa all by myself is CRAZY!!!! I hope it is because I am crazy in love w/ my God and His children and not because I belong in an institution. Some of my family members think the latter. LOL As much as I am anxious and fearful I am that if not more excited!!! If your heart is stirring do not let your fears stop you!!!
Jen, you are definitely an official member of my CRAZY Club:)) I love your comment… it speaks to sooo many of us that hold back due to fear. I know we have chatted about waiting for God to change your hubbys heart- believe me, He will do it miraculously. In the meantime, you wait well & go on lots of mission trips loving on orphans. Remind me to slip benedryl in your beverage before we take off for Africa. LOL Thanks for sharing your heart and your struggles and your courage to get up and move forward!!!
love ya
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this post. I think my pal Laura is on your team for Uganda/Ethiopia! I can't remember her dates though.
I am headed to Zimbabwe in April. SO excited!
I just went on my big crazy mission trip with VO. You're going to be forever changed!