18 Days, Zimbabwe Bound!!!!

Hello, Thank you for stopping by! There are only 18 days left until I head to Zimbabwe and I cannot be more excited. There is still plenty to preparation and fundraising to finalize prior to leaving, but I know the Lord is faithful and will work out every detail. I decide to make a Vlog (Video Blog) this week for a little change; I hope you enjoy seeing all of my silly faces.

In the newsletter that many of you received I stated that all funds for the trip were due by Aug 1^st, however, I was able to extend the due date. If you are able to donate I will be raising funds until I leave, please refer to the instruction on my newsletter for specific detail on how to donate.  Also, if you have any questions please send an e-mail my way at erin.k.herrera@gmail.com or give me a call.

I look forward to all that the Lord is going to do while the team and I are in Zimbabwe.
Please continue to pray with all of us! I am praying for the Lord to soften the hearts of all the people we will come across, that each of us have the words to speak and meet each person where they are at, that we can shine the light and Love of Jesus Christ, and that salvation will come to many of the Zimbabwean people.

I would  like to thank all of those who have offered their time, finances, and ears to bless me as I prepare to go on this life changing expedition. I pray for each of you daily and trust that the Lord will bless you for your sacrifices! Please know that many people will be blessed because of you! THANK YOU!

-Erin Kelly

Yard Sale, Passport, and.... Vaccinations... Oh my!

Hello Everyone!!!

I will be leaving for Zimbabwe in 47 days and I cannot be more excited and thankful for this opportunity!!! I could just shout with excitement!!!! I actually just did! J As the trip draws nearer, I will be updating the blog more frequently, allowing each of you to know all that is happening. I will be sharing interesting facts and statistics about the country of Zimbabwe as well as each step of progress in preparing for the trip!  

For the past few weeks I have been gathering, collecting, and pricing, item to sell; all preparing for this past weekend’s yard sale. I must say I was surprised by the outcome! I was very thankful for the lovely weather that came through on Saturday. The sunshine and beautiful breeze allowed for many happy and satisfied Saturday Shoppers, as well as a very happy and satisfied missions trip budget! Because of generous donations from many great friends I was able to raise $280.00! WOO HOO!!!! I would also like to thank my amazing friends who are willing to stay up late and rise early to help a sister out, Ruth and Caroline Motley; you are a huge blessing to me!

A picture of the table with all the baked goodies… I stayed close by! Yummy! J

Some more great news; I will be going to get my passport and vaccinations in the morning with the money raised from the yard sale! I am sure the day will pan out to be an interesting one! I cannot say I am very fond of needles, actually I am pretty sure I cried the last time I needed one. I was a big baby! But despite my grave dislike for sharp objects near my body, I will endure because I know it will be worth the pain in the end! I will keep everyone updated how it all turns out!

Me and my passport application. If all goes well, I hope to have the actual passport in by the second week of July. Yey!

Again, I offer a great BIG THANK YOU to all who have donated items to sell as well as to those who have blessed me financially and with many prayers! This could not be possible without you!

This empowering scripture has been on my heart all day, I pray you are blessed:

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9

The Beginning of a Journey....

So I sit here today with pen and pad in hand, as I have enjoyed doing so many times before. Usually I am writing out things that others may never read, however, today I struggle to write out the words that are on my heart. I sit here a little stressed, with my thoughts pulled in so many directions, finding it hard to share all that has been happening in my life with those I love.  So amongst the craziness and chaos going on inside, I hope to communicate all of the joy and excitement I truly feel in this season of life.

Let me start at the beginning….

At a time in my life when I found it hard to understand the love and kindness of the Lord, He opened my eyes and heart to show me how truly faithful He is. When I was 18 years old I remember having a clear word from the Lord, regarding my future in participating in different aspects of overseas mission’s work. At the time I was seriously struggling, as many 18 year olds do, to live a life of purity before the Lord. I was hung up on how severely each action that I took made me feel further and further away from the Lord and from the person I felt He was calling me to be. With each wave of temptation and struggle, I felt that I could never live up to the greatness that I knew was deep inside of my heart. Because of the many tests and trials… and poor decisions, I figured that God was certainly out of His mind and that He would never want to use this disobedient and lost child. Boy was I WRONG!!!! J

I have found that in life, when we are striving to find some sense of purpose and direction, that God, in His loving way will remind us that at the end of the day, it’s really not about us anyway. He calls us to a live a life of obedience because of His great Love for us! I learned, in the trials of that season, how truly deep and vast and unending the Love and forgiveness of the Father really is. Despite my attempt to push aside the call on my life to the mission field, it was always brought back to my heart and mind over and over throughout that time and the years to follow.

After almost ten years, and several failed attempts to actually go on some type of foreign mission’s trip, I have been truly blessed with an amazing and very timely opportunity. Through a series of several “not so common” events I found out about a ministry called Overland Missions. On August 1 – 14, 2011, I will be going on an expedition to Zimbabwe with Overland Missions. During this time we will be traveling all over the northern region of Zimbabwe, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as well as offering a helping and loving hand to the unreached people of this land.  I look forward with anticipation, knowing that the journey ahead is great and at the same time knowing that the Power that is behind me is even greater.

I am so grateful to be able to share this exciting time in my life with so many of you.  I look forward to the future and the chance to share the love of the Lord, which I have experienced in my own life, with the hurting and hungry around me.

Please consider supporting this mission prayerfully and financially, any amount would be appreciated. If you have yet to receive the monthly newsletter via E-mail or Parcel Post, please visit the “Newsletter” tab. Here you will find further information about the expedition as well as additional ways that you can contribute to this mission.

To subscribe to my newsletter and to receive e-mail updates, please contact me via e-mail at: erin.k.herrera@gmail.com

Thank you for reading my newsletter and blog, as well as allowing me to share my heart with you!