Dear Friends and Family,This March God called me to go back to Africa. So I applied to and was accepted to join an incredible summer of outreach with MBMS (Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service) International’s ACTION: Winnipeg program. I feel that this trip is an important next step in my journey of discipleship with God.
ACTION is a discipleship training program offered by MBMS International. The purpose of the program is to expose participants to a creative medium for sharing their faith with those around them and to learn from other cultures and people groups. Through training in various forms of compassion ministry I hope to grow in intimacy with God, know God’s heart for the world and go and join in God’s mission.
I will be travelling in a team with other participants from around North America to the Democratic Republic of Congo during July and August 2009. Long term missionaries and the local church will be hosting our team throughout our assignment. Our group will be hosted by Jean Baptiste, a local pastor and his family. Please pray for them in their long-term ministry to the DRC.
Leve Toi (Stand You or Rise up you) - A school for visually, hearing, and physically challenged children. Our team will be involved in some small building projects and will run a carnival and kid's program for children from the school and the community.
Rama Elohim Mission – a ministry to local artists. Relationship building is an important part of this ministry - our team will spend a day getting to know the artists and hear about their passion for their ministry. We will also lead a Bible study with this group and any local artists that come.
Bon Berger - A local Kinshasa medical clinic initiative. All the clinic staff are Christians and they view the clinic as a ministry to the community. Our team may be involved in distributing medications for parasites or infections to homes and running a carnival day for the children in the area.
Bomoyi ya Sika (New Life) - An orphanage for both boys and girls. Our team will be involved in a combination of work projects - painting, cleaning, cementing, etc. and the rest of the time they will concentrate on loving the kids - playing games, etc.
Sango Malamu - This is a radio/television ministry that reaches a large audience in Kinshasa. Our team will share our testimonies and discuss topics with the host on both radio and television.
Christian Sportsman -). Our team will play sports together with their team, share testimonies and have Bible studies together.
Shalom – joining a team of local church planters in their ministry of Shalom.
Over the past year I have sensed a shift in my life from being a very goal oriented achiever to a far more relaxed holistic life-style. Within this shift has been an increasing call to Africa. Right now this is the next step in following God’s call to Africa on my life. This past year God has been teaching me to hold material objects, dreams, people, and all things lightly before Him with open hands. Willing to receive them but equally willing to lay them down. God has also been showing me that my spiritual gift is love and that I just need to get out there and love all people but especially African people.
Among other things, I anticipate learning humility on this mission as I once again realize just how small I am and how big God is. I expect to have my heart broken and restored as I meet beautiful people in a hurting country. Earlier today I was talking to a friend about missions and we were remarking on how God keeps widening our focus in mission. Just when we think we know what we are supposed to do God shows us another layer. God calls us to continue to trust Him and delve into each new layer/project/people group He shows us.
Please join me in praying for: health, team unity, God’s continued direction in what we do in the DRC and for the next step in my life, safety, financial support, wisdom, discernment, and an ability to serve. Pray also For The DRC, the people we will work with, the places we go, and each of my team members as we prepare are hearts and minds to grow and minister in a true spirit of love to each person we come in contact with.
Thank you for standing with me as I step out in faith. I will keep you informed as to how the trip has gone.
I have included a support form, which I invite you to fill out if God is calling you to support the outreach of MBMSI that I will be involved with this summer.
Thank you so much for caring.
Brittany
You can find me (although while I’m there we will have very limited access to communication):
On my blog: http://followingthewindingroad.blogspot.com
On Facebook
Or email britt.abrahamson@gmail.com
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