Generous Hearts

So Evangelical church in Beach gave me the opportunity to come present my mission to them yesterday. It was an absolutely amazing opportunity, and I was given in total over $750, which absolutely blew me away.

This whole journey has shown me exactly how generous people are, and I find it really inspiring. Some of these people didn't have a clue who I was, and yet they gave so freely of themselves, not just of their time, in allowing me to even come and present my mission, but of their money, of themselves. It has made me realize how important giving is. You never know how that gift is going to affect someone else, or how deeply it will touch a life. That gift could mean the world to someone and you wouldn't even know it.

It has encouraged me to give more freely of myself and my resources, because now I understand how the gifts that somebody else gives can impact my life, how deeply it touches me, and speaks to my heart. I guess the moral of the story is generous; I know sometimes it's hard to give, but do it anyway, because number one, you never know the blessings that will be given to someone else through your gift. And I also believe very strongly that giving blesses the giver as much or more than the receiver. I know that personally, I have asked God most sincerely to bless these people who have given so freely, and I think those are prayers that God is more than happy to answer. You never know what kind of blessings might be received when you give. So when you give, give freely and without thought to the cost, because I promise that you will be repaid in full and then some.

In Christ,
Erika Rose

Floored All Over Again

The donation came in from the church on the "Wrong side of the tracks" ;] (Thanks for that, btw, Andy, it made me giggle!) I'm currently up to almost $1,200. I only need $730 by June 14, and the rest of the $3,500 by the time the trip starts in July. So I'm just like...wow. God is providing so...fantastically and amazingly and this whole experience has just been...wow. Like the title says...I'm just so floored. By people's generosity and God's goodness and His obvious desire to get me on this trip. Like, I'm feeling so good right now.

If I haven't gotten an official thank you out yet, I just wanna thank everybody and I promise that I'll get real thank you's out eventually.

Love you guys!
xoxo,
Erika Rose

I Stand in Awe

Wow. I'm just floored right now. I had the opportunity to speak at another church in my hometown today, and I was met with so much support. I couldn't believe the checks I saw coming in, so much more than I had anticipated. I almost cried, and for those of you who know me, you know it generally takes a lot to make me cry. These people were so loving and supportive and I was jut floored. It was the kind of support you really expect to get from your home church, from the people who really know you well, and maybe not so much from other churches who are just sorta like "Yeah, who's she?" You know what I mean?

I'm just feeling so blessed, and more than that so affirmed is really the only word I can think of. I've been really worried, honestly, about getting my funds raised, and this just kind of hit me between the eyes that God is so good, and more than that, that this really is where God wants me next summer. I've been pretty confident of that, that I was called to Australia, but this just made me even more confident. God wants me there, and God will get me there, and if I'm praying and working for it, God's gonna meet me and make it happen.

Thank you so much to the Calvary Temple Church, for giving me the opportunity to come worship and fellowship with you today, and for the love and support you have shown me. God bless you guys, fabulously and abundantly.

xoxo,
Erika Rose <3

And P.S. check this awesome worship song that was the inspiration for this post. :)

Prayer Requests

Wow, so I can't believe that it's already here. Tomorrow is the 29th, which means that I'm speaking at the Assembly of God church tomorrow here in Wibaux. I also sent a letter to the ECNA (I think) Church in Beach, and if I can speak there in the next couple weeks, hopefully I'll be doing a concert here in Wibaux with my cousin Devin. So just pray really hard that I would have the words to speak at the Assembly church tomorrow and that they'd be really open and receptive to what I have to say and to my mission. Pray the slideshow works, because I think we all know how fickle technology is. (lol)

And beyond that, pray that the church in Beach would be willing to let me come and speak and sing a song and that things for the concert would come together, because it's going to be tricky trying to schedule so many different people. So yeah, that's kind of what's going on at the moment and those are the things it'd be really awesome if you'd be praying for.

Thanks guys, and God bless!
xoxo,
Erika Rose <3

We in Business!

So it's official. I will be speaking at the Assembly of God Church here in Wibaux on the 29th. So that's definitely something you could be praying about. Pastor Lam was really gracious about letting me come and offering me use of the projector so I can do a slideshow presentation and what have you. So just be praying that God gives me wisdom and the words to speak and that HIS will might be done in the end.

The other thing is that I sent letters to those churches in Dickinson yesterday, so you could be praying about that--just pray that they receive them with open hearts and are willing to let me come and speak.

God bless you guys,
Erika Rose

WHOO!

Kay, so I just talked to the pastor of one of the churches here in Wibaux.He was super gracious and I didn't even have to ask if I could come talk, he was just like, "So you wanna come ask for support and stuff?" and I was like, "yeah, that would be awesome!!" So on the 29th, I will be speaking at the Assembly of God church. SO amazing. I was so nervous about it, and all for nothing. I'm still kinda shaking and coming down off this totally awesome high. Sooo, basically God is so good and now I'm off to work on my presentation.

And hopefully there will be good news from the Dickinson churches, as well!

xoxo,
Erika <3

Letters

Okay, my envelopes are addressed. I'm getting ready to proof read the letters one last time, and then print them out and fold them up so I can send them tomorrow on my way to school. Letters going to EBC and The Living Word Fellowship in Dickinson. So just be praying for me, please? Totally bathing these letters in prayer, because it would be a HUGE opportunity if I could speak at both of these churches to ask for support, because they're both pretty big congregations. So yeah, praying hard.

love you guys,
Erika