God is always faithful

Sunday started quite well, everything was falling into place and the plans were working out just fine. The team worked together like a finely tuned engine being run for the first time. The Sunday service had a smaller than usual crowed. After the service was over a large portion of people left leaving an even smaller group. There were some murmurs of disappointment, but altogether we kept moving as planned.
The plan was to have the people eat while the team set up the silent auction. A week before we had only 12 people signed up to bring food. If we were planning for 200 people, which we really wanted, we would need more food. The team did it's part, the millers brought hot dogs for the kids, Steve Sparks bringing sausage, Dawson's brought P&J, and we brought potato salad. God has a way of making everything work out perfectly, and we had food to spare (we even had food to take the the soup kitchen).
The auction crowed was lower than expected, the tables were covered with deals of all kinds. In the end there were lots of winners. People got great deals, and the team actually raised more money than we raised last year! Our total was $7500 raised!
Our Auction plus other funds raised minus expenses leaves us with a total need of $5677. God is always faithful. Please continue to pray for us during this month of preparation, as we get ready to go. It's been a hard year of planning and executing, please pray that we have the strength to continue the journey. Keep praying for the unity of the team and pray that we add extended team members (people like you!) who can support us financially and to continue to pray for us.

Count down for Fundraiser

Only three days until the big project fundraiser.  This fundraiser usually funds about 1/3 of the project overall cost which this year is about $30k.  Thanks to everyone for their words of encouragement.  Please send back your response even if you can't send funds, we need to hear that you are willing to keep us in your prayers during the trip.  You are part of our team, and we need you to pray for us.  God will take care of the money, and He was always come thru for providing. 

Here is how we currently need prayer:

• Help our team work well together, this weekend will be the first big test.  Working under stress and under 'flexible' conditions can cause people to get upset and agitated.  Please pray that peace will be given during these times.
• Pray that God will open the hearts of the students.
• Pray that we have a servants heart, help us to be humble.
• Help us to be adaptable, moldable, and usable in the hands of God.

More letters...

Last night we sent more letters out to family and friends, funds are needed! This year we are really strapped for extra money. There was no bonus this year (from Dell), and my stock purchase plan was canceled by the company. We know that if God wants us to go He, and only He will provide the way. Also please visit this link for the Silominksy Presbterian Reformed Church in Ukraine. They are a great group of people, really trying to reach out into the city of Kiev.

Getting ready for the Fund Raiser

It seems that over the last few months our team has been under some major spiritual attack. One of our team had a family member in a major accident while vacationing in Mexico. He was evacuated back to Austin, and underwent surgery which saved his life. Other members have had problems with work. Things which could cause people to second think their interaction with this trip, but thanks to God, he has kept us together. Besides getting our curriculum together, we've had collect items for our fund raiser which will be an auction and BBQ dinner on Fathers day (17th of June). As a team we've all worked hard. This year we've added to the fundraiser a raffle of gift baskets. Kimberly took items donated by members of the church and put together beautiful theme related baskets which we will raffle off during the auction. Please keep us in prayer of the next week, we will be doing a lot of work trying to get ready for the Auction. Also as many of you heard in the news Dell will be reducing it's workforce by 10% over the next 12 months. Currently no one really knows what that means, other than Dell will be laying off around 6000 people around the world. I thank God that I currently have a Job. Please keep us in your prayers that we will know Gods will in this matter, its really hard to wait day by day wondering if the next day I will be without a job. It's also hard to keep a positive attitude under these working conditions. We will try to update often.