Thursday, May 22, 2008
From the Global Missions Commitee
I finally got an email from the missons committe today, but it was a lot more discouraging than I imagined it would be. In short, they will not be able to support me. I need a lot of prayer right now. I am so discouraged from this and the deadline is coming up so very quickly! It's only 23 days until I'm supposed to leave and I don't even have 1/2 of the money raised. I don't know what to do anymore and I'm so confused. I want to trust God in everything but it gets more difficult every day. Please, please, please, keep praying.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Update
Yesterday I was asked the quesiton, "Why are you going now?" The obvious answer is that I am just out of high school so it just makes sense because I don't have any big responsibilities. But that's not really why I want to go now. The honest answer is even more simple: I love missions. But along with that, I want my life to be filled with service to my Savior. Why wait? There is no better time than right now to live my life for Christ. I don't want to wait for a two week trip out of the country or a time that is convenient. Jesus said to pick up our cross and follow him. He said to let the dead bury their own dead. There is nothing that is telling me to wait a little while and then go. I want to live my life on a mission for Christ, so why not start now?
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19-20
When did they follow Jesus? AT ONCE. They did not wait. And neither shall I.
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19-20
When did they follow Jesus? AT ONCE. They did not wait. And neither shall I.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Africa Support Letter
Dear Friends,
God has been tugging at my heart lately. If you have ever been tugged by God, you know that it is no escapable thing. I have known for a while now that I am supposed to be involved in missions but until recently only God knew where I was going. A few months ago, I began to pray, seeking whatever was God’s plan for my life, and more steadfastly, this summer. A friend told me about an organization called Thrive Africa, and I decided to check it out. When I got on the website and started reading, my heart leapt. I knew immediately that going to Africa was God’s plan for my summer.
In the days following, though, I began to doubt. I felt called to a 2 month internship in South Africa which is a very long time to be so far away from home with people I have yet to meet, not to mention, a rather large financial need. Throughout the following weeks God made it clear, as I had prayed for, that Africa was the right thing for me. There were countless references to Africa on a daily basis. My history class began studying Africa a couple days later, and the topic of traveling to Africa came up in my French class on that day as well. Pastor Boone even talked about a girl who was planning to serve in Africa in one of his sermons. And today, as I was talking to a woman while getting my tire fixed, and watching Oprah in the waiting room, she said to me, “Maybe they should just go to Africa.” It seemed like an ordinary comment, but to me, it was another nudge. Throughout the whole experience of seeking and applying for this internship, I have been assured by God in every way that this is where He wants me.
From June 16 – August 8, 2008 I will be staying at the Thrive Africa base, Eagle Mountain, near Harrismith, South Africa. The base is located on a 2,500 acre game reserve, which is shared with zebras, wildebeest, and African antelope. While in Africa, I will be helping to host mission teams, working with kids in an after-school program, evangelizing through relationships with the nationals, growing in my own relationship with Christ, and learning and experiencing a very different culture. I am excited to see how God will strengthen my faith and my trust in Him as well as teach me through the lives of other missionaries.
This will be a great experience but I cannot do it alone. I greatly need your support as I work to raise money for the trip. Please pray that I am able to trust God in every circumstance, that I may continue to grow in my relationship with Christ, and that my heart will remain open and ready no matter what direction God leads me. I need God’s strength as I will be far from home, becoming completely vulnerable to God’s plan and action. I also need financial support to participate in this trip. I need to raise $3850 for travel and provisions while in Africa, plus the cost of other necessities for preparing to go to Africa, traveling out of the country, and spending two months of my life living in Africa. I am doing service projects through the church and working part time to help fund the trip, but most of the money will come from donations and God’s faithful miracles. Whatever gift you have to offer will be greatly appreciated.
If you would like more information about the internship, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail, so.human@hotmail.com, call me, 425.218.7433, or visit www.ThriveAfrica.org to check out the Outreach Staff Internship. If you wish to help me financially, please know that all donations are tax-deductible and checks may be written to Thrive Africa (for tax deduction) or Hannah Borcherdt and sent to [23806 53rd Ave W, Mountlake Terrace, WA, 98043].Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for your prayers and consideration.
In the Family of Christ,
Hannah Borcherdt
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him. _Matthew 4:19-20
God has been tugging at my heart lately. If you have ever been tugged by God, you know that it is no escapable thing. I have known for a while now that I am supposed to be involved in missions but until recently only God knew where I was going. A few months ago, I began to pray, seeking whatever was God’s plan for my life, and more steadfastly, this summer. A friend told me about an organization called Thrive Africa, and I decided to check it out. When I got on the website and started reading, my heart leapt. I knew immediately that going to Africa was God’s plan for my summer.
In the days following, though, I began to doubt. I felt called to a 2 month internship in South Africa which is a very long time to be so far away from home with people I have yet to meet, not to mention, a rather large financial need. Throughout the following weeks God made it clear, as I had prayed for, that Africa was the right thing for me. There were countless references to Africa on a daily basis. My history class began studying Africa a couple days later, and the topic of traveling to Africa came up in my French class on that day as well. Pastor Boone even talked about a girl who was planning to serve in Africa in one of his sermons. And today, as I was talking to a woman while getting my tire fixed, and watching Oprah in the waiting room, she said to me, “Maybe they should just go to Africa.” It seemed like an ordinary comment, but to me, it was another nudge. Throughout the whole experience of seeking and applying for this internship, I have been assured by God in every way that this is where He wants me.
From June 16 – August 8, 2008 I will be staying at the Thrive Africa base, Eagle Mountain, near Harrismith, South Africa. The base is located on a 2,500 acre game reserve, which is shared with zebras, wildebeest, and African antelope. While in Africa, I will be helping to host mission teams, working with kids in an after-school program, evangelizing through relationships with the nationals, growing in my own relationship with Christ, and learning and experiencing a very different culture. I am excited to see how God will strengthen my faith and my trust in Him as well as teach me through the lives of other missionaries.
This will be a great experience but I cannot do it alone. I greatly need your support as I work to raise money for the trip. Please pray that I am able to trust God in every circumstance, that I may continue to grow in my relationship with Christ, and that my heart will remain open and ready no matter what direction God leads me. I need God’s strength as I will be far from home, becoming completely vulnerable to God’s plan and action. I also need financial support to participate in this trip. I need to raise $3850 for travel and provisions while in Africa, plus the cost of other necessities for preparing to go to Africa, traveling out of the country, and spending two months of my life living in Africa. I am doing service projects through the church and working part time to help fund the trip, but most of the money will come from donations and God’s faithful miracles. Whatever gift you have to offer will be greatly appreciated.
If you would like more information about the internship, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail, so.human@hotmail.com, call me, 425.218.7433, or visit www.ThriveAfrica.org to check out the Outreach Staff Internship. If you wish to help me financially, please know that all donations are tax-deductible and checks may be written to Thrive Africa (for tax deduction) or Hannah Borcherdt and sent to [23806 53rd Ave W, Mountlake Terrace, WA, 98043].Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for your prayers and consideration.
In the Family of Christ,
Hannah Borcherdt
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him. _Matthew 4:19-20
Thursday, May 08, 2008
The Mission
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19-20
I read a quote on the bottom of a bunkbed at Jr. High Retreat this year about God equipping the called, not calling the equipped. My simple thoughts were this:
I once heard that God doesn’t call the equipped but equips the called which is great since I am so incredibly unequipped and God is immensely faithful.
How ironic that this is Thrive Africa's missions statement:
It is the mission of Thrive Africa to equip and mobilize indigenous leaders to become effective, valuable, and projective influences in their cultural communities through evangelism, discipleship, leadership training, and mercy outreaches.
Finally, here is my personal missions statement that I created for my trip:
This summer, I will venture into God’s calling in order that I may know Jesus more, grow in Him ever longingly, and live out in the Love which I have so graciously been given.
I read a quote on the bottom of a bunkbed at Jr. High Retreat this year about God equipping the called, not calling the equipped. My simple thoughts were this:
I once heard that God doesn’t call the equipped but equips the called which is great since I am so incredibly unequipped and God is immensely faithful.
How ironic that this is Thrive Africa's missions statement:
It is the mission of Thrive Africa to equip and mobilize indigenous leaders to become effective, valuable, and projective influences in their cultural communities through evangelism, discipleship, leadership training, and mercy outreaches.
Finally, here is my personal missions statement that I created for my trip:
This summer, I will venture into God’s calling in order that I may know Jesus more, grow in Him ever longingly, and live out in the Love which I have so graciously been given.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Myspace Post
I've been going through a long process of God calling on my heart and me doubting that it's really Him at the door. But through His strength and steps..or bounds rather... of faith, I found myself applying to an internship with an organization in South Africa called Thrive Africa. It was exhilarating just to talk about it. Then, just yesteday, everything changed. It became a different story, no longer the one about me wanting to go to Africa, but rather, a new story about how I'm saving up to go to Africa. Yeah, I definitely got accepted to go to South Africa. When? June 16, 2008. How long? 2 months. It's really scary, but it's happening and I have complete faith that God will carry me through this and that He alone can be my everlasting strength during this time. I need your prayers and a lot of support as I'm about to go to another CONTINENT this summer.
Anyway, much love to you all, and I thank you in advance for your support and prayers. I will post more later as I get more details and such.
PS In less than two months I'll be living with elephants and lions and giraffes (Oh my!) in my backyard!
Anyway, much love to you all, and I thank you in advance for your support and prayers. I will post more later as I get more details and such.
PS In less than two months I'll be living with elephants and lions and giraffes (Oh my!) in my backyard!
Friday, May 02, 2008
It's Official
I got the official email today letting me know that I have been accepted to the Outreach Staff Internship with Thrive Africa. I'm going to Africa?? I'm going to Africa. It's very scary and really really overwhelming because there is so much to do!!! Please pray for me A LOT as I need so much support and know that the only way that I'll be able to go is by the miracle of God's faithfulness. There is so much more to do that I had expected and it's starting to set in, and I don't even know where to begin to start! I'm trying to breath deeply but I'm nearly crying because I'm so excited and so thankful for God's faithfulness thus far.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Testimony for Africa Application
I grew up in the church, living the epitome of the “church kid” life. I went to church nearly every Sunday of my life until my sophomore year of high school, when I transferred from the small private Christian school that I had gone to since kindergarten, to a big public school, a world of unknowns and great temptations.
Growing up in the church I knew a lot of facts about Christianity but I didn’t really get the personal relationship aspect of being a Christian. I can specifically remember a time in 8th grade during a chapel on Wednesday morning at my Christian school. We were supposed to find a prayer partner to pray for my friend’s mom who was dying of cancer. I turned to my other friend and asked, in much too perky of a tone, “Want to be my prayer buddy?” She looked at me with a confused and concerned look and said, “Don’t you know this is serious?” Up until that moment I thought my faith was serious. But it was then that I realized that I didn’t know how to talk to God. Prayer was a mechanical nuisance that I found myself repeating every morning at school, every day before meals, and every night before bed. I don’t think I really grasped the concept of prayer or understood that God was God. He was more of an idea that I had grown accustomed to believing rather than my Savior and my Best Friend.
Before freshman year had a chance to begin, I was part of the girl’s swim team at the public high school while I was still enrolled in and attending private school. I made friends on the team, perhaps the first people I ever knew who were not Christians. I was not very close to many people at the private school and so the public school was very enticing as I found myself growing in my relationships there. I began to hang out with my public school friends more and began to reject everything that was at the private school. I rejected what my parents and my teachers and administrators had to say and turned against them. I said that they were oppressing me and didn’t understand me. And in the middle of my sophomore year, I switched schools. I was scared and I thought it was wrong, but I told everyone it was what I wanted and that as of that moment, I believed it was what God wanted for me. But I never prayed about it. I didn’t know what God wanted with me. I stopped going to church and doubted God’s very existence more than I ever had before.I lived a worldly life, succumbing to the traits of people around me, picking up the bad habit of swearing, and living ever so selfishly in my own world of pleasing myself, lying if I had to, to keep everyone, including myself, believing the lie that I was doing just fine on my own.
By the grace of God and a lot of prayer from my church family, by the end of my junior year, I found my own faith that didn’t depend on my parents or my siblings or my friends. Around December-January of that year, I started struggling. I had fallen out of three or four really strong friendships, life wasn't going as I planned and everything was all messed up: friendships, church life, school life, I was no longer involved, I was no longer motivated, and I wasn't portraying myself as the person that I wanted to be. I really wanted to be walking with God, but I still couldn't make myself believe any of the things that I'd been taught for the first 16 years of my life, and I didn't have a clue how I was supposed to believe. I remember being on the track team and running with one of my friends. She is not a Christian and says she doesn’t believe in God but she did pray once and what she prayed for came true. And so she thought that if there was a God he must have answered her. I was frustrated about her hearing from God because I wanted so badly to hear from him and couldn’t. So, I did the one thing that had always worked for everyone else. I prayed. I remembered that he who seeks after God with all his heart will find God. So, whenever I felt alone or afraid, I prayed that God would let me see Him and not doubt and know that He is my Savior. Then one day I woke up and I believed. I don't know how or what happened, I just had this overwhelming feeling of desire to learn everything I could about Jesus Christ my Living Savior. Soon after I went up to my youth leader, Katie, and said that I wanted to be involved in the church again. I now attend her small group on Tuesday nights which keeps me going every week. I also attend church every Sunday morning and youth group on Sunday nights. I went on to be a part of a mission’s trip to Rocky Boy Indian Reservation near Box Elder, Montana last summer. I faced a lot of spiritual warfare while on the trip which greatly strengthened my relationship with God, especially during the ‘winter seasons’ of our relationship when it just seems hard. After the trip I felt called to be involved in a Bible study at my public high school. I am now an active member of the Bible study which meets after school.
One of my favorite aspects of my faith is learning to see God at work in places that seem impossible. For example, my high school, my work place (I work at a city pool.), and in other people’s lives. I have a friend at work who is Mormon and I had prayed for opportunities to share my faith with Him. As I was just about to leave work one day, the fire alarm went off and we all had to evacuate. We were waiting outside for the firemen to come and my friend asked me what I was planning to do after high school. I told him that at that time I didn’t know what I was going to do but that it would be ok because one thing that I had learned on the mission trip over the summer is that God already has it all worked out, and all I have to do is trust Him. Since then, he has asked me more questions about my faith and been open to discussions of faith and religion.
Over the summer, while on the mission’s trip in Rocky Boy, I felt a very strong call to be involved in a Bible study at school. I began to attend the Bible study after school, but it was very superficial. We hardly talked about God and our faith and the struggles of knowing Christ while being in a public high school. And so I prayed that for change in the group. I wanted to have a book to help the group stay focused, I wanted other people to join the group who had the same passion as me, and I wanted our group to pray together. For the longest time, there was no change and I began to get really discouraged. One day, the leader of the group said that she didn’t know what to do because she felt that the things we were going over in the group weren’t really satisfying. She asked for any ideas and I proposed the idea of the book. God gave me a perfect opportunity. He also brought two other people, Olivia and Nick, to the group who are strong Christians and Olivia told me later that she had also been praying that God would do something wonderful in the Bible study. Finally, that day, after we had discussed book topics, the leader of the group, asked if anyone would like to pray. No one said anything, so I got the opportunity to lead us in prayer. It was so wonderful to see God working in the Bible study and answering my prayer!
Through this experience in Africa, I hope to strengthen my trust in God through whatever circumstances I am given. It has already been a huge step of faith for me to become vulnerable to God’s plan for my life by applying for this internship. It’s really scary because I don’t know where God is taking me and I feel so very out of control of my life, more so than I have ever felt before. I also want to learn from other missionaries. I would love to learn from their lives, their prayer, their faith, and be able to see God work through them, and in my life. This summer I would like to strengthen my prayer life and my leadership abilities. I hope to become a better evangelist, learning how to be a witness for Christ. I feel that I could be a benefit to the program with the use of my photography skills, my love for kids, my creativity, and my service. I am more excited to see how God will use me, find out the new ways he chooses to mold me to be more like Him, and discover what he has been planning for my in Africa, my purpose for being there and what I will learn.
Growing up in the church I knew a lot of facts about Christianity but I didn’t really get the personal relationship aspect of being a Christian. I can specifically remember a time in 8th grade during a chapel on Wednesday morning at my Christian school. We were supposed to find a prayer partner to pray for my friend’s mom who was dying of cancer. I turned to my other friend and asked, in much too perky of a tone, “Want to be my prayer buddy?” She looked at me with a confused and concerned look and said, “Don’t you know this is serious?” Up until that moment I thought my faith was serious. But it was then that I realized that I didn’t know how to talk to God. Prayer was a mechanical nuisance that I found myself repeating every morning at school, every day before meals, and every night before bed. I don’t think I really grasped the concept of prayer or understood that God was God. He was more of an idea that I had grown accustomed to believing rather than my Savior and my Best Friend.
Before freshman year had a chance to begin, I was part of the girl’s swim team at the public high school while I was still enrolled in and attending private school. I made friends on the team, perhaps the first people I ever knew who were not Christians. I was not very close to many people at the private school and so the public school was very enticing as I found myself growing in my relationships there. I began to hang out with my public school friends more and began to reject everything that was at the private school. I rejected what my parents and my teachers and administrators had to say and turned against them. I said that they were oppressing me and didn’t understand me. And in the middle of my sophomore year, I switched schools. I was scared and I thought it was wrong, but I told everyone it was what I wanted and that as of that moment, I believed it was what God wanted for me. But I never prayed about it. I didn’t know what God wanted with me. I stopped going to church and doubted God’s very existence more than I ever had before.I lived a worldly life, succumbing to the traits of people around me, picking up the bad habit of swearing, and living ever so selfishly in my own world of pleasing myself, lying if I had to, to keep everyone, including myself, believing the lie that I was doing just fine on my own.
By the grace of God and a lot of prayer from my church family, by the end of my junior year, I found my own faith that didn’t depend on my parents or my siblings or my friends. Around December-January of that year, I started struggling. I had fallen out of three or four really strong friendships, life wasn't going as I planned and everything was all messed up: friendships, church life, school life, I was no longer involved, I was no longer motivated, and I wasn't portraying myself as the person that I wanted to be. I really wanted to be walking with God, but I still couldn't make myself believe any of the things that I'd been taught for the first 16 years of my life, and I didn't have a clue how I was supposed to believe. I remember being on the track team and running with one of my friends. She is not a Christian and says she doesn’t believe in God but she did pray once and what she prayed for came true. And so she thought that if there was a God he must have answered her. I was frustrated about her hearing from God because I wanted so badly to hear from him and couldn’t. So, I did the one thing that had always worked for everyone else. I prayed. I remembered that he who seeks after God with all his heart will find God. So, whenever I felt alone or afraid, I prayed that God would let me see Him and not doubt and know that He is my Savior. Then one day I woke up and I believed. I don't know how or what happened, I just had this overwhelming feeling of desire to learn everything I could about Jesus Christ my Living Savior. Soon after I went up to my youth leader, Katie, and said that I wanted to be involved in the church again. I now attend her small group on Tuesday nights which keeps me going every week. I also attend church every Sunday morning and youth group on Sunday nights. I went on to be a part of a mission’s trip to Rocky Boy Indian Reservation near Box Elder, Montana last summer. I faced a lot of spiritual warfare while on the trip which greatly strengthened my relationship with God, especially during the ‘winter seasons’ of our relationship when it just seems hard. After the trip I felt called to be involved in a Bible study at my public high school. I am now an active member of the Bible study which meets after school.
One of my favorite aspects of my faith is learning to see God at work in places that seem impossible. For example, my high school, my work place (I work at a city pool.), and in other people’s lives. I have a friend at work who is Mormon and I had prayed for opportunities to share my faith with Him. As I was just about to leave work one day, the fire alarm went off and we all had to evacuate. We were waiting outside for the firemen to come and my friend asked me what I was planning to do after high school. I told him that at that time I didn’t know what I was going to do but that it would be ok because one thing that I had learned on the mission trip over the summer is that God already has it all worked out, and all I have to do is trust Him. Since then, he has asked me more questions about my faith and been open to discussions of faith and religion.
Over the summer, while on the mission’s trip in Rocky Boy, I felt a very strong call to be involved in a Bible study at school. I began to attend the Bible study after school, but it was very superficial. We hardly talked about God and our faith and the struggles of knowing Christ while being in a public high school. And so I prayed that for change in the group. I wanted to have a book to help the group stay focused, I wanted other people to join the group who had the same passion as me, and I wanted our group to pray together. For the longest time, there was no change and I began to get really discouraged. One day, the leader of the group said that she didn’t know what to do because she felt that the things we were going over in the group weren’t really satisfying. She asked for any ideas and I proposed the idea of the book. God gave me a perfect opportunity. He also brought two other people, Olivia and Nick, to the group who are strong Christians and Olivia told me later that she had also been praying that God would do something wonderful in the Bible study. Finally, that day, after we had discussed book topics, the leader of the group, asked if anyone would like to pray. No one said anything, so I got the opportunity to lead us in prayer. It was so wonderful to see God working in the Bible study and answering my prayer!
Through this experience in Africa, I hope to strengthen my trust in God through whatever circumstances I am given. It has already been a huge step of faith for me to become vulnerable to God’s plan for my life by applying for this internship. It’s really scary because I don’t know where God is taking me and I feel so very out of control of my life, more so than I have ever felt before. I also want to learn from other missionaries. I would love to learn from their lives, their prayer, their faith, and be able to see God work through them, and in my life. This summer I would like to strengthen my prayer life and my leadership abilities. I hope to become a better evangelist, learning how to be a witness for Christ. I feel that I could be a benefit to the program with the use of my photography skills, my love for kids, my creativity, and my service. I am more excited to see how God will use me, find out the new ways he chooses to mold me to be more like Him, and discover what he has been planning for my in Africa, my purpose for being there and what I will learn.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
