Wow - less than a week now! Suitcases are getting FULL! It is a challenge to know what to bring and what to leave home. We will have a commissioning time in our church service tomorrow and then eat together for lunch and meet afterwards.

One week from tomorrow we will be flying to Bolivia! In many ways it is hard to believe the time is upon us already! We met as a team last night to work on soccer drills for the soccer camps, but the weather nixed those plans for last night. Instead we discussed crafts & skits for the VBS and divided up preparation for those crafts. We need to have all the supplies ready and in baggies for 160 children for each day! We also divided up the Wordless Book colored soccer balls to put in our suitcases. Our suitcases are filling up fast without any clothing! Bob shared schedules with us last night which gives us an idea of what to expect for each day while we are there. Excitement is mounting as the final details are being worked out!

Praise the Lord our visas & passports arrived back yesterday! We are officially ready to go!

Please continue to pray for the final plans & details as we pack our suitcases. Trying to figure out what to bring and what to leave home is a challenge! Also continue to pray for health for the team.

Two weeks from right now we will be arriving in Bolivia! Hard to believe the time is already so closely upon us! Suitcases are being pulled out as the final preparations take place. There is a mix of excitement and anxiety as we embark on this venture as a team!

Praise the Lord!
Our visas & passports should be returned to us very soon. The last word was that our travel agent was receiving them soon!
We have exceeded our fund raising goal of $35,000!

Please continue to pray for the team as these final weeks of preparation bring reality and a certain amount of anxiety in various forms to each team member. Pray for health and strength as we pack and prepare. Also pray that all the details and schedules would come together smoothly as our team leader, Bob, works with the NC team leader, Donnie, and they work together with Heidi from Talita Cumi. It takes much coordination to plan for 40 people.

Thanks for your support and prayers. Please keep it up!

Fly Like an Eagle

Last week, Darren and I were at a Pastor's Retreat in Illinois. I probably got the most out of the workshops I went to for Pastor's Wives. The first one really spoke to me about our trip to Bolivia.

I have a fear of flying and that has been creating anxiety in me for this trip. The speaker talked about fear and how the Bible calls us to "Be strong and courageous. Don't be frightened or dismayed." To be strong means to be robust, firm and solid. We tell ourselves things over and over and begin to believe it (ie "I am a chicken.") The speaker even used the example of her fear of flying alone - finding her gate at the airport, etc. These are lies and we need to be free from lies. We need to look for verses of truth and not live in fear. "What ifs" aren't true and we make ourselves sick and afraid over things that most likely will never happen. This causes us to be dismayed and to lose courage. (This sounds a bit like psychology, too!) We need to be courageous and conquer fear and despair. His presence is with me wherever I go (even to Bolivia!).

So I have looked up a bunch of verses on "Do not be afraid" and "Do not fear" to put my focus on in the coming days. In Isaiah 40:31 it says "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." So my new focus in the coming days is to fly to Bolivia as an eagle and NOT a chicken!
Sherry Rempel

Awana Games Concessions Fundraiser

Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser

Only 2 months to go - WOW! Hard to believe it is getting so close. Lots to do yet!

Plane Tickets - Purchased!

Passports/Visas - We are waiting on 2 passports to arrive so we can send off for our visas. Please pray that the passports will arrive quickly and all will go smoothly with getting our visas back in a timely manner.

Fund Raising - Our goal is to raise $35,000. We are currently at $24,173. We are getting there! On April 10 we are running the concessions for the AWANA Games that will be held here in Cimarron. Most of the supplies have or are being donated, so pretty much all the money brought in that day should be profit. Thanks to all who donated!

Talita Cumi has a new website. The address is the same but it is updated and revised. Check it out! www.talitacumi.org