The Lord is my Rock!

So it is finally here. I will leave this afternoon to go out with my family to spend the afternoon and evening in Louisville, where I will fly out tomorrow morning.
I wanted to let you all know about a passage that I read last night...Psalm 18. This is the passage where David is pleading with God to deliver him from the hand of Saul. Even within the chaos of what David must of been feeling, he begins the passage with "I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge." (vs. 1-2).

I am clinging to the promise laid out in this verse. It has been a crazy ride the last couple of weeks home. I have been able to spend time with family and friends and get completely packed. Please join with me in praising God for the time off and the time of preparation before I head down to the Dominican Republic.

I also come with some requests to be brought before our Rock and Refuge. I have had a bit of a reaction to the malaria medicine over the past couple of weeks. Please pray that the medicines that I am on now will solve the problem and that I will be able to carry out whatever is asked of me when I get to the DR. Also pray for safety traveling tomorrow, for me and many of my other team members. Finally, I ask you to pray for calm nerves, for both me and my family.

I will be leaving from Louisville at 10:50am (4287) flying to Chicago, then leaving there at 12:45 (1896) and flying to Miami, then leaving there at 6:45p (749) and arriving in the DR by 8:45pm.
When I get there safely, I will be required to call home within 24 hours. I will call my mom, and she will notify Brad, Becky, Susan, Rena and Emily.

I know that God has called me on this trip for a reason, and I will cling to the promise that He is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer. Join me in celebrating God's goodness and blessings! I am so thankful for each one of you. Know that I am praying for you this summer.

Monica

He Never Lets Go

So the countdown is down to less than two weeks, and I have a lot of things to do... but this morning I had an unique opportunity to enjoy getting up and not really having anywhere particular that I needed to be. I was able to get up and go for a short run and then able to come out on my back deck and dig into a bit of God's Word, while listening to a little Shane and Shane. I have been so blessed with such a sense of God's peace right now... exactly what I needed. I just finished up finals and moving (two of the most stressful things for me.. and together are a bear to handle)... but God is good and over the last several days since school let out for the semester I have been able to spend time with some special people and I have had some time to relax. The passage that I read today was the passage in Psalm 51, when David is talking to God about the sin with Bathsheba. I feel like I have not made time with God a priority, especially within the past month, and so verse 10-12 spoke close to my heart. David pleads to God to "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me... restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me" This is a passage that inevitably I have heard countless times before, but God used it this morning to remind me of why I am going down to the DR and to confirm that He has never let go. I have been called to share the joy of his salvation (something that I never want to become mundane and taken advantage of). Through God's grace I have been able to get through the preparation process so far, and by His sustaining grace I will make it through these next two weeks... and on to the summer. Please be in prayer as I make my final preparations. Thank you so much for your prayers, support and encouragement. You are a blessing.
Because of Him,
Monica

Less than a month...

So it is officially less than a month that I will be headed for the Dominican Republic. A lot has happened since I last talked to you all. On Wednesday afternoon I received my t-shirt from Orphanage Outreach that I will wear on May 30th.. the day that I travel to the DR. Also, God continues to bless me with financial support from friends and family. Praise God! I feel so incredibly blessed by everyone who has invested prayer, finances and encouragement up until this point. Also, my original plane ticket was canceled, but God had control of the situation from the beginning. We were able to get a flight with the other girl that is going to the DR at the same time as me, that is from JBC. It puts my heart at ease to know that she has gone down to the DR a few times before and I won't have to deal with as many new things at the same time. God is good. For the next two weeks I will be finishing up school work and then heading home for a couple of weeks before leaving on May 30th. I would appreciate your continued support and encouragement. You are such a blessing!
In Him alone,
Monica