All Systems are a Go

Ladies and Gentleman,

     I am pleased to announce that I am ready to hit the skies. It was 6 months ago today that I got an email from my family in Ethiopia sharing their interest in me joining their work with The Forsaken Children. It blows my mind to think that 6 months and 1 day ago I had NO earthly idea of where God would send me. What is even harder to believe is how quickly God got the ball rolling when He was ready to show me His plan. My story (here) can give you a deeper look into how things came about, but here is the super short version: I have spent 6 solid years desiring to go to Africa--2 1/2 of those years I had my "perfect Hannah plan". God called me to give up that plan just about a year ago leaving me clueless as to where He might send me. It was this time in my life when I was called to unconditionally put my trust in Him, which included faith in His timing, His location, and His plan! God did not let me down. From July until December 25th I was handed a blank canvas that was my opportunity to exibit trust without borders. A trust that was not conditional on a plan, not dependent on an opportunity I could connect to, and not wavering because of a lack of both.

      Friends, it was 6 months ago today that God blessed me with the most amazing opportunity for service. It seems only fitting that on the same day 6 months later I get the final items necessary for me to leave--my Visa and finances.

      What an affirming reminder of the amazing power and faithfulness of our God! I had no idea what all went in to leaving the country when this journey to Ethiopia began (which is probably a good thing, finding out once piece at a time worked for me). I am here to share with you that my God is so much bigger than the long list of details, He is so much in control of each and every item that had to come together.

      What a joy it is to be able to post that I am READY TO GO! I have my passport, plane ticket, shots, training, and as of this week I have my visa and have reached the $14,000 mark. The only thing keeping me away from my dream come true of serving in Africa is the date on the calendar.

      What a journey it has been--but to know that my all of my legal needs are met brings such joy. Likewise, I find joy in knowing that he has given me all I need financially to meet my basic needs while on the field, but I cannot wait to see how far above and beyond He goes in order for me to do all that He has in store for me and His children.

      I am sitting here with butterflies in my stomach. What a blessing these past few months have been, watching God lead my fragile heart to depths that we have never plunged to before. God called me to trust Him with things far beyond what I could handle on my own. Just looking back on how much my relationship with my Heavenly Father has been strengthned through this process overwhelmes me. Taking it a step further, looking at how far God and I have come in the planning process, I cannot even fathom how much my time on the field will deepen and strengthen my connection with God. Wow: that is all I can say. Just... WOW! We serve an amazing God, it is as simple and yet as complex as that.

      I have 41 days until I take off. That is 41 more days for God to blow me away with how He provides. We're talking 41 days for God to prepare me emotionally and spiritually to head off while simultaneously forming the depths of who I am to further His kingdom in a rural village in Ethiopia.

      God's timing is amazing--sometimes early but never late. To think, 6 months ago today this journey literally just began for me, and now, 6 months to the day later I have reached my fundraising goal and received the last of the necessary paperwork items. I have been blessed!

Take a moment to praise God with me today for these blessings. Now, think about how He has been at work in your life over the past 6 months, and praise Him for the journey.

I'm All About Africa

       Let's face it y'all, I'm obsessed with Africa. There is no way around it. I have a passion for the continent, would happily talk about it until I'm blue in the face, and desire nothing more than to serve the people of a place I know only in my heart. That's the key though, it's in my heart, it is ingrained in me as deeply as it can get.

       Friends, I am only fifty-one days away from setting foot on warm African soil, filling my lungs with air from the place that has filled my heart for years now. Fifty-one days away from living out my dream. Fifty-one days away from the faces of the precious children that are so a part of my zest for service. Fifty-one days...

        Over the past few weeks in preparation to go:  

• I tried Ethiopian food for the first time. Yumm-O!
• I traveled to Mississippi for a week to go through Global Outreach International's training program: a week of intense mission field prep. From 8am-6pm, a trainer, myself, and 8 other missionaries covered everything from how to best use the abilities that God has given us to dealing with medical issues that may arise. We worshiped and prayed together, we talked about our hopes and fears, and we went through the ins and outs of being a GO missionary. What a blessing the week was.
• I BOUGHT MY PLANE TICKET! Enough said.
• I sent off my Visa paperwork--please pray that everything goes through the system without a hitch.

       As it seems like over the past month my life has oozed conversation about Africa, I am beginning to realize that this mission trip is no longer a long ways off in the distance. It is well on its way. I have less than two months until take-off, and as these short weeks close one after another, I will only share more and more about my passion. A window into my heart... That is what these conversations are. Luke 6:45 describes this portion of my life to a tea.

"Her mouth speaks from that which fills her heart."

It is quite obvious what fills my heart.... A not so little place called Africa.



Announcing a New Partnership

        I am so excited to be sharing with you that I have a new sending organization: Global Outreach International.  After completing a week of training at their home office in Mississippi, I feel even more confident than ever in going onto the mission field. Global Outreach (GO) will be taking care of many of my administrative details so that I can focus on the job that God has called me to. One of the items that GO will handle is my budget and finances: Let me share with you a few changes to donation opportunities...


How to Donate*:

• By mail: (Put Acct # 4260 in memo)

Global Outreach

PO Box 1

Tupelo, Mississippi 38802

• Online: Click here to go to GO's missionary page. Click "donate" by my picture.

     *Global Outreach is accredited by the ECFA, and 100% of all donations made to my account go straight to my mission. 

Not Your Normal Graduate

    This past Saturday, I graduated from college. The whole day was beyond exciting as up until this point my goal and purpose in life was to graduate. I'll tell you though, even as I celebrated with my friends and family the success of all those years of hard work, my mind was far from my small-town school... far from the orange and black that I've grown accustomed to sporting... far from the ceremony that honored our accomplishments. My mind was on my future. As the speakers talked about the people that were leaving the university and going out to become doctors, lawyers, film directors, teachers,  athletic trainers, and so many more great jobs, I found myself feeling like I was against the odds. You see, my destination won't make me big bucks (or any bucks for that matter), I won't have a wardrobe filled with "work clothes", I won't even have a flushing toilet come to think of it, but I will be filled. I will be happier than a bird with a french fry. I will be full of life, love, and purpose.

     Sunday morning my mom greeted me with words that ring true in my heart, "You did it Hannah. You graduated. Now nothing stands between you and your dreams, you and your purpose. Welcome to the rest of your life." Mom somehow put into words everything that I had been feeling the day before--Graduation day.

     I am now only 80 days away from flying off. I have confirmed my date and found my ticket. Later this week I'll make it official by making the big purchase. I have a feeling butterflies will be a'flyin when I confirm my seat. In other exciting news, I'm 75% funded. That could be a post in and of itself. My prayers have shifted now to praying that I have enough to go, to praying that God will continue to call people to give above and beyond allowing me to serve longer.

This week, please keep these things in your prayers:

• Mission Training: I am heading to Mississippi for training the first week in June. Please pray for energy for the trip and safe travels as it will take about 12 hours to get there. Pray that God will use that time to fill me with the knowledge that I need to enter the mission field of Ethiopia. Pray that the fellowship with other missionaries will be impacting and meaningful. While in Mississippi I'll get to train alongside the co-founders of The Forsaken Children (the brother and sister-in law of the family I'll be living with) as they are preparing to return to Ethiopia full time later this year. I'm very excited to spend time with them and get to hear many of their experiences.  

• Pray that fundraising continues to go swimmingly. God has blown me away with the generosity of His people. I have no doubt in my mind that I will be fully funded in the coming weeks. My prayer now, as mentioned before, is that God will far exceed my fundraising goal and allow me the opportunity to stay in service longer. I am so excited to see how far above $14,000 we can get. Please pray that people continue to give generously.

     Thank you for your continued support. As always, I thank God for each of you and your prayers daily. This experience has been a blessing beyond any I could have imagined. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good! Join with me in praising Him for the post-graduation adventure He has called me to.

Travel with Me: 99 to Go!

         We have made it to the double digits. I cannot believe it! Was it not just yesterday that I was in awe of making it to the150 day mark? So, with 99 days until I take off, I thought I would give you all a photo tour of the life I am stepping into--a life that is my dream come true.

Here is just a small peak into Ethiopia. 

This is what my work will look like in Ethiopia. Here, my host Jess is working with the village kids. When I say "teaching the kids of the village" this is a very realistic view of what I mean. 

This is where I'll be living. Welcome to my home!

Here is a peak into the kitchen area. And below..... Bathroom anybody?

For now, this is what we're looking at for water... However, I believe I heard word that there may be a pump that works during the rainy season. 

       

          From what I understand, this is a shot from my back yard (or close to it). Talk about a view! This is the farm I will be living at. The Forsaken Children, the organization I am working with, is working to establish sustainability for their street children mission project. They do this through teaching the people of Ethiopia about agriculture. Between their orchard and chicken hatchery, they've got it going on. 

       These are pictures of the place that holds my heart. I have not yet been there, and all I have shared is what I have gathered from e-mails with my amazing host family... but somehow, in some unexplainable way, I feel like I know this place. Like it is already home.

Please continue to pray for everybody involved as this journey of life continues.


(All pictures are property of J & J Bridges---jrb428@wordpress.com) 

Power in Prayer

Hopefully you`ve been able to check out the prayer tab at the top of the page, but it is my goal to periodically post seperate prayer requests here just to keep things fresh and on your mind. This week, I have quite a few things you can keep on your heart as you go to the Father in prayer...

Pray for my spiritual life: I feel closer to God now more than ever before as He is so evident in my life. I have been blessed by His closeness, but it does not just happen. Please continue to pray that I seek first the Savior and continue to grow closer to Him. Of all the things that need to be in good order before I leave, my continally growing relationship with God needs to be first. After all, how can I passionately share the Gospel if I am not thirsting for it in my everyday life?

Pray for the details: Things are coming together better than I ever could have dreamed of! While on spring break I was able to share at a local church, get my shots, work on finding a flight, and send off the final paperwork necessary to team up with Global Outreach. In the coming weeks I plan to book a flight, head to training in Mississippi for a week, and work on getting my Visa. Oh, and did I mention that we have my brother's wedding and my graduation thrown in that mix, too? :) Please continue to pray that the details come together smoothly. 

Pray for my family: Conversation about Ethiopia has pretty much worked its way into every aspect of my social life. I cannot tell you the last time I had a conversation that did not, at least at some point, work its way back to my trip. I see this especially with my family. Please pray for them as they continue to get used to the idea of being appart for a while. They are incredibly supportive and excited about how real this calling is in my life, but that doesn't make the realities of a year or more appart any easier. 

To those of you that have committed to supporting me through prayer, know that I thank The Lord for you daily! Prayer makes all things possible, and I am ever-so-grateful to have yours. 

Check back in soon for a support update! 

Camels and Kingdoms

     It seems like all aspects of my life recently have pointed my focus towards one thing: my purpose. I have asked myself quite a few times this week, if my life were to end tomorrow, would I have made a difference on this world for Christ? In about 127 days I could quite easily say YES, but what about now? It seems odd that it took until about two weeks ago for me to realize that my ministry doesn't start when I set foot on African soil, but rather, my ministry is now. I have had the opportunity to speak at about four different churches with two more in the near future--that is my mission. As I share with people what God is doing in my life--that is my mission. As I spend my prayer time lifting up the sweet faces I will be in community with in the coming months--that is my mission. When I fly out, I will be continuing the mission that God has placed before me, not beginning it. I have been challenged with the reality that my mission is now.

     In church we are working through the book of Mark, and this past week studied the passage on the rich entering the Kingdom of God. I encourage you to read Mark 10:17-31, but for now I'll give you the abridged version. A man asks Jesus what it would take to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus responds telling the man that he must sell all he owns and give it to the poor, then turn and follow Jesus. He proceeds to say that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom.

     Before I get into what Jesus is saying here, let me first tell you what he is NOT saying. Jesus is not saying that people who are blessed with a good paying job will not get into heaven. Jesus is not saying that if you have a solid savings account you are out of luck when it comes to eternity with Him. Jesus is not saying that if you want to have an hope of getting into the gates of glory you have to drop what you are doing, sell each and every item that you have, and call it a leap of faith. Rather, what I get from this is that Jesus is calling us to put our trust in Him fully, and be willing to make sacrifices to keep our focus and trust in Him alone. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Jesus didn't want the man to really sell all that he had, but He wanted him to be willing, especially because his wealth was something that he could rest in without needing to put his faith in Jesus.

     One of the questions that we spent time talking about in my small group was, what is God calling us to give up to further His kingdom?

     Think about that... What is holding you back from fulfilling God's purpose for your life?

     This is a time in my life when I can very realistically relate to what Jesus is calling the man to do in Mark 10. God has called me to give up a lot in the name of spreading the gospel, and yet I have been blessed in the ways that God has turned a calling in my life into a dream of mine, a passion. Giving up things doesn't seem like a sacrifice, but rather part of living out my dream.

      As I temporarily leave my family, God opened the doors in Ethiopia and blessed me with a great family to welcome me. He asked me to leave my town, and yet the family that I am living with come from the town I currently call home. He has called me to leave 21st century America, and yet He has given me a joy and excitement in embracing the rustic lifestyle on the other side of the world--7,425 miles away to be exact. I have seen God's faithfulness in peace, and yet He didn't stop there. Right along with the peace is excitement, joy, passion, and purpose. God has been transforming my heart these past few months and I watch in amazement as He continues to pave the way for me. Simply blessed beyond words!