Trip update!!

Hey, so I just want to thank everyone who's taken the time to follow me on my trip through my blog! Here's just a quick update. Firstly, the above picture is a picture of our team (starting from top left) Josiah, Tiffany, Amanda, Cody, Erika, Beatrice (me), Megan, Andrea, and Naomi! I'm so blessed to have such an amazing, God-centred, community of unique people to have as a team! I am so grateful for each one of them!

We're heading off to Cameroon on May 9th with stops in Brussels, Belgium and Zurich, Switzerland! So far we've created big sunday school style picture books of Bible stories that can be used in the Oku culture to promote reading and the Bible to children, and we are in the process of highly interactive Bible studies specific to Oku culture to promote studying and reading the Bible in unity within the Oku groups since their New Testament has now been translated!! So exciting!

oh p.s. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but you will be able to somewhat follow me on my trip through video! We're not sure about all the details yet but I'll let you know when I do! Also, pray for our videographer named Michael!

Prayer requests:
- preparation
- finances
- our focus - God's glory
- spiritual transformation
- host families
- spiritual warfare
- literacy & Scripture use in the Oku
- health
- group dynamics
- culture shock
- CABTAL (Cameroon Association for Bible Translation and Literacy)

My Strength, My Motivation, My God.

I've been reading Phillipians lately, and I have decided to focus on chapter 4 for today's blog. I noticed that this chapter is one of encouragement, and it is really helpful since it's crunch time, exams are coming up, and I am just simply exhausted and unmotivated. Paul begins in verse 1 by saying, "stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved." This part of the passage reassures me that 1. I need to stand firm in my faith, and 2. I can only get the strength I need to pull through, through God. Verse 5-6 goes on to say, "The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." This is such a refreshing thought. To know that God desires to know the wants of my heart, and that he is here, even when I do not depend on Him when I'm anxious. I have a God who can handle anything, and if my faith and strength is in Him, what is going to stop me from getting through obstacles and troubles? Paul goes on to confirm this in verse 13: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." And once again in verse 19, Paul further confirms the Lord's Sovereignty: "And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Despite my anxious thoughts and doubts about getting through obstacles, I am reaffirmed through this passage that God will be my strength, my motivation, and will supply exactly what I need, for His glory. Goodnight!

(All verses are taken from the ESV Bible)