God-thing

I definitely know that God wants me going to Uganda. I love it when He gives me little confirmations along the way. I had two God-things happen this past week.

I have been forgetting for a couple weeks now to contact Kaiser's travel clinic. (For those that don't know, Kaiser is my insurance and they have their own network of clinics and hospitals.) I finally called last week, but was told that the clinic only has one secretary, so I would get a call back within 2 days' time. Ok, no biggie, it's still June.

I got a call the next day and told the lady what I needed. She then told me that the ONLY travel clinic dr would be on vacation for the month of July, but she would check to see if there were any openings left. She had that sound in her voice that made me think it wasn't going to happen. I immediately prayed the same one liner about 5 x's before she spoke again....and they had one more opening on July 2 before the dr left. Hallelujah!!! This was totally a God-thing!

Please pray with me that any shots or medication I need are covered by insurance. If not, thank you for those that have donated to me as that money will go towards this!

That was the first God-thing....now the second one. As of last week Thursday, I hadn't gotten my ticket to leave island. When I first got to island I got a Hawaiian Airlines visa card to help rack up miles. You know, for a rainy day when I would actually have the money to pay for hotel and car rental on another island. Yeah - never did use my miles to go anywhere. I've been planning on going to Phoenix to see some friends of mine and Hawaiian has a direct flight from here to there. 

It takes 30,000 Hawaiian miles to get there. I've been watching the sight to see if I could find a day around the day I wanted to go that would be cheaper. Well, the Sunday after I had planned on leaving ended up being only 17,500. I had 20,350 at the time. I really wanted to see my friends, but also didn't want to have to spend over $250 for my ticket (to buy the extra miles). I would have gotten in at midnight on Sunday and then flown out at 7 am on Monday. Not ideal at all, but it would save me money.

I thought this through and then asked someone if I could get some advice. I laid it all out for them and then thought they would take their time in giving me an answer...nope. They got up and said, "Problem solved. I'll give you 10,000 miles!" I was honestly speechless. After I composed myself I immediately said that I couldn't accept the miles and what would they do then without those miles. Of course, something I have said before came back to haunt me. They said that those miles were the Lord's, not theirs to give. Wow - completely humbled by it! I not only got a FREE TICKET to the mainland, but I also get to spend time with my friends. Yes - this was totally a God-thing!

I will be saying this to Hawaii soon!

And the Winner is

 Miss Jill Peterson 

(hailing all the way from Minnesota, eh)

Thank you all for donating for this drawing!!! I was able to raise one month's rent/living expenses in just one week!  That's $700!!!!

Overall I've raised $3,870 - I'm almost to my goal of $4500!!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!

RAFFLE TIME

This isn't all that will go in the box....gotta leave a few surprises!

These Hawaiian-made goodies could be yours for ONE easy payment of $99.95... 

If you call within the next 15 minutes we'll double your order.....

JUST KIDDING, that just popped into my head as I was writing the first few words and couldn't resist! In all seriousness, these Hawaiian-made goodies COULD BE YOURS. On the right side of this blog you'll find a donate button. For every $10 you give towards my missions trip, your name will be put into a drawing to WIN! If you aren't familiar with my story, you can click here to read all about it.

What: Hawaiian-made goodies raffle (worth more than $50)

Why: Help raise money for Karli's missions trip to Amani Baby Cottage in Uganda

How to enter: For every $10 up to $100 you donate (use the Paypal button to the right) your name will go in a drawing (that's up to 10 times your name gets put in!)

How long: From June 18 to June 24 at 4 pm Hawaii time

How many winners: JUST ONE - it could be you!

Tell all your friends! Tell your family members. Do it now!!!!!! Who doesn't want some Aloha goodness coming your way?!

For all of you that live on a Hawaiian island, unfortunately you are not eligible to enter. However, you can still donate! I will announce the winner here on my blog as well and will e-mail you as well. 

It's ready to ship!!!!

Almost time....

It's coming....

What's really coming out?

The first week of June is already gone....what?! The end of this school year was the busiest one I have ever gone through....and I'm so thankful it's over with. The Lord sent many trials my way that the only way I got through them were with His strength and grace alone. It was not me!!!! I finally got around to asking my doctor about vaccinations and stuff I'll need to get before I can go to Uganda and today I was supposed to call the traveling clinic...did I remember? Of course not. That's been my life lately. I am an organized person...but with the way this school year ended, I feel as if I've lost a little bit of my brain!

Psalm 34 has really become dear to me:

I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad. 
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

Everything that happens is for a reason - all things work for our good to make us more like Christ. Why then, when something doesn't go my way is my immediate reaction to complain or grumble? Sin, yes, I know....but how I wish that after how many years of being saved I would be over this stage. I've been noticing a lot lately when people complain....and not liking it. I have to keep asking myself, is that what I sound like? Am I turning others' hearts away from God? Oh man, heaven forbid!!! 

This Psalm almost became a mantra this past month and a half. I could tell when I wasn't meditating on it....my thoughts and words slipped back into the "old" me and my ways. Life isn't meant to be easy. If it was, then how would we grow closer to our ever loving God?! As a born again believer, I will suffer...whether at the hands of this world or at the hands of other Christians. It will happen. It's what I put into my heart and mind that will gauge my reactions to this suffering that is promised to come. 

As I finish my time here in Hawaii and look with great anticipation of going to Uganda, may this Psalm continue to be on my lips because I do want to bless the Lord at all times...having His praise come forth!!!

To give or not to give....

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So, it seems that there are several people who are trying to raise money for different reasons. I know some friends are trying to go to England and then Australia as missionaries. Another friend is going to Indonesia for close to a month. My dentist's office is raising money for children around the world. And then there's me. I too am trying to raise some money so I can head to Uganda and serve at Amani Baby Cottage. The question I'm posed with when someone has reached out to me and asked me to consider donating to them is to give or not to give financially. If God says give, who am I to say no.

I decided to give a little towards my friends going to England. I know God will provide my needs - in fact the money that I have in my bank account isn't actually mine, but His. Who am I to say that all of that is meant to be spent on me alone. I gave a little today and have received over 100% of that money back because a friend gave to my trip today. I stared at what she had placed in my hands and had no words. Tears immediately formed and I quickly breathed to try to get them to stop. I was so humbled that she would give so freely that amount. She knows me too well....as I was standing there not saying a word, she told me that she knew my immediate response was to give the money back to her. I had no words to that since it was absolutely true. I immediately thought of the now insignificant amount I had given earlier in the day and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord blessed me above and beyond what I thought possible today. 

God loves a cheerful giver....I am looking forward to seeing how God works in my friends' lives in England and then eventually in Australia. If I can be a part of spreading the gospel to the unreached people, count me in!!! When you feel the Spirit leading you to give, don't say no. Do it - you may not be blessed monetarily, but you will be blessed indeed.