One More Week!!

Hey Everyone!!

Just a few things to report. You will be glad to know that everything in Zimbabwe is set for me to arrive. I just got an email from Pastor Alan today updating me on a few things and letting me know how excited they are for me to get there in a few days!

I know that you have been praying for baby Kuda and I wanted you to know that I finally got some pictures of her......here they are. For those of you who don't know Pastor Alan and Dorothy....you can see them below as well. I was recently notified that Kuda's pediatricians don't expect her to ever walk, but we all know that God is bigger than that. He is our Healer and Provider. Let's bombard Heaven with prayers of healing and restoration for this precious child.

Also, Pastor Alan and Dorothy have another adopted child, Primrose (her picture is to the right). She is HIV positive and her blood levels are not good causing her to lose weight. They have put her on medication, which she will now be taking 6 times a day for the rest of her life. Please pray for her as well, she has been very tired lately.

All is well with me. I have embraced this extra time with my family...happy that I've gotten a little extra time to create a few more memories and reconnect with them. I've had fun laughing with my Dad and stepmom and hanging with my sister. My mom has spoiled me with her delicious home cooking and I've had some great talks with my stepdad. I got to say a proper goodbye to my church family and spend some time with a group of old friends my last weekend in Napa. It has been awesome.

The following quote is a portion of Pastor Alan's update I wanted to share with you so you will know about the growing work I will be involved in while in Zimbabwe...

"The work among the children continues to prosper, we are now teaching Gods word in 55 schools reaching over 50,000 children every month, also 13 orphanage/childrens homes with over 1,200 children, our team is experiencing great unity, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, we thank God for open doors and open hearts, we have received 50,000 Wonder Devotional Books from USA and we will be distributing them soon, pray we will have good wisdom and ability to place them in the right place with the right children. We have 2 training sessions planned this term and Christmas outreaches of course, we are grateful to Samaritans Purse who are supplying us with thousands of shoe boxes to distribute to the poor and needy. Its going to be awesome!
We purchased a house for our childrens home for abandoned babies called Jabulani meaning happy or rejoice, this is a 2.5 acre property, it has great potential but also its able to house many babies right now, we are having some renovations done but praise God all is going well, the borehole is finished, the dining room is being built now, the toilets and bathrooms are being extended, please pray that we will find favour with the social services, we are planning on our first babies coming to us in late January...wow exciting or what! READ MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED AT: buildanorphanageinaday.com and also on zimorphancare.net and you can go to youtube and type in alangraham zimbabwe and you can find links to other sites concerning us."

Alright family...that is all. My cell phone will be shut off the morning I leave on Oct. 6th, so if you want to chat, you can call me anytime before that. 707-815-9610. After that, I will only be available by email, myspace, or facebook. I love you all. Thanks so much for the encouragement you have given me. I continue to look forward to more of it in the future.

Riding in the passenger seat,

Gina :)

More Waiting...

Have you ever wished your life would be simpler at times? That's kinda how I'm feeling right now. I feel like my insides...my emotions...my spirit....are rolling around inside of me in this frenzy of activity and turmoil and I don't know how to stop it. I pray and declare peace over my life but sometimes I feel the oppression so strong that it is hard to breathe. I know Who I belong to and Who has control over my life so that oppression is broken in Jesus' name. I know God's promises and the promises that He has made me. I know where I'm going and the path I am to take. I understand that sometimes life is hard and I have to persevere, but sometimes I just feel like crying. Plain and simple. I know it sounds silly, but a good cry always makes me feel better. Random, I know, but I just wanted to share that.

I've cried a lot over the last week. More waiting will do that to you.....or to me for that matter. I was supposed to leave for Africa three days ago. Three days ago I would be where my life and my heart are right now.....where my future is....where my orphans are waiting for me....where my work is waiting for me....where I will make a difference for the Kingdom of God....where the new gifts God has given to me will produce fruit. There is a reason for everything and so I know that I am here for a reason. My good friend Manuel reminded me of that yesterday. He said that if I'm here to make a difference in one person by smiling at them, then it is all worth it. A hard thing to swallow for a girl who has been waiting 9 months to get to her mission field. Waiting for me has meant saying goodbye to one of the best friends I have ever had....it has meant making some hard decisions that I wish I never would have had to make....it has meant saying goodbye to my youth group students all over again....it has meant having to see some really good old friends that I have to say goodbye to all over again....it has meant preparing myself to watch my other best friend drive away to start her new season in life....

I haven't asked why because that would be pointless....there is always a reason and sometimes we don't see it until later on down the road. I just wasn't prepared for waiting and all that entailed. My strength will rise as I wait on the Lord....and I can tell you for sure that I'm being strengthened A LOT every day that I wait.

Holding on a little longer,
Gina :)