Going to Rwanda!



Just in case you haven’t heard, I am going on a short-term mission trip to Rwanda in May. Rwanda is a country in Africa that has been ravaged by genocide and HIV/AIDS. I know many people are trepidatious about me going on this trip. I have prayerfully considered this opportunity for months though, and I firmly believe that God wants me to go. On May 18^th, a team of approximately 20, under the leadership of Mike and Mary Wagner (http://hisgreatplan.com) of Huntsville, will leave for Kigali, Africa. We will then travel to the city of Gisenyi, in western Rwanda. Gisenyi borders Lake Kivu and is a sister-city to Goma in the Congo. We will return on May 29^th.

I will be going with e3 Partners Ministry. This will be the fifth year that e3 Partners Ministry has teamed up with local churches in Rwanda. The people there are so desperate for the hope that only comes from Jesus Christ! God is using short-term mission teams to spread the gospel to thousands of people. The goal is to see people accept Christ, to make disciples, and to plant churches within walking distance for every man, woman, and child.

I definitely want to ask all of you to pray for me, the team leaders, and the entire May team. There is actually a team in Rwanda right now. Please pray for them, as well! I was blessed to receive an email from Mike Wagner this morning that said that over 1,500 professions of faith have been made in just a few days! Wow, God is good! I cannot wait to see what he has in store for May!

The cost for this trip is $3895. The money will cover travel, lodging, and food while in Africa. The funds also go toward travel insurance, tracts, ground transportation, materials, EvangeCubes, Bibles, and translators for each American.  Remaining funds will be left behind to continue supporting the movement and meet some of the needs of the mission sites. Basically, we aren’t just raising money for me to go or for e3 Partners. We are raising money for the country and mission sites where we work. We are making an investment in the people and church in that country for the kingdom of God! Last year these community impact funds enabled 75 orphan children to attend school!

If you would like to join me in this, please make your check payable to e3 Partners Ministry. Also, please put Bridget Kelley/RW11B on the “For” section of your check. You can also go to http://www.e3partners.org/bkrwanda to make a donation.  All donations are tax deductible! E3 Partners will send you a tax receipt. The total funds for this trip are due April 18^th.

I will post more information about Rwanda and this trip in the upcoming weeks.

Below is a photo of a bench at a refugee camp in Rwanda. I love how personal it is. They didn't just carve that they love Jesus. They said "I Love My Jesus"! Amen!

By His Wounds

This is hard to watch... It's such a beautiful song and great reminder of what Christ did for us.

Why can't you just be like everyone else?

So the other day, I was challenged with a question. The question was, “Why can’t you just be like everyone else?” In my childhood and teenage years, I longed to be like everyone else. I wanted to wear the same clothes others wore, talk the way they talked, do the things they did, etc. That simply isn’t the case now. Why should I or any of us want to be like others when God created us to be uniquely different? Don’t get me wrong, I have a few people in my life who I admire more than you could imagine. I am drawn to them though because they understand what I’m about to write and because, as I recently told one, it permeates in everything they do.

First of all, we shouldn’t (just) strive to be like those around us.  We were created in His image; not the image of “everyone else”! Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”. Child of God, God doesn’t want you to be like everyone else. He wants you to be like Him.

Another scripture that is important to grasp is Romans 12:2. It says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. God wants us to be willing to let go of the strongholds of this world, so He can transform and use us for His glory.

To whomever is reading this… You don’t have to be like everybody else. You can be more! You were thought of and loved by God before you were ever conceived. Psalm 139:14 says, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. God made you uniquely special! I pray that each of you knows this. I also pray that if you are reading this and have children, that you will be sure to let them know just how special they are to you, but more importantly, how special they are to God. Remind yourself and others that we are unique and valuable.

I love the fact that God knows us better than we know ourselves. Luke 12:7 says, “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows”. Do you know how many hairs you have on your head? I sure don’t! God does though. He knows it all. He knows everything about you; your heart, your pain, your struggles, your past, your future, etc. He knows it all and He wants you to know that you are special, valuable, and that He loves you unconditionally!

One foot in front of the other

I did something I never do when I woke up this morning. You’ll never guess what it was! I woke up and walked on the treadmill. It’s something I know I need to do, but honestly can’t ever find (or make) the time to do. I didn’t have anything pressing today, so I did that before I got in the shower and got into anything else.

I took my IPOD with me and listened to Casting Crowns. I was having a good time walking and singing and lifting my hands to the Lord. At some point, I looked down. I watched my feet moving in perfect precision; one foot in front of the other. I got to thinking about this journey called life. As I was walking to a preset program, the treadmill increased. It almost felt too fast, but I was able to get back into a rhythm. When the treadmill sped up, I got to thinking about so many times in my life where I just wanted to hit the fast forward button. I’ve wanted to do it with school. I just want to be done and be in the career of my choosing. I’ve wanted to fast forward through painful and challenging times to a place and time where things can just be calm and peaceful. That just isn’t how life works though.

We can’t fast forward through things. We have to walk through them. Sometimes we can take great strides, while at other times we have to take baby steps. I couldn’t help but an email I got the other day. It said something like we weren’t promised that life with Christ would be easy. We were promised that it would be worth it though! Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”. I know it’s not always easy, but Hebrews 12:1 says, “..let us run with patience the race that is set before us”. I don’t know how long your race is. I don’t know the speed you’re traveling. What I do know is that from time to time, we are going to feel so tired and weak that we feel like we can’t go on. My message to you is to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. God is with you and he will not let you faint. You will win the race!

An Everlasting Love

My mind has been on love a lot lately. I see so many people around me (myself included) looking for love, struggling in current relationships, living in miserable marriages, and just simply seeking every day for someone to really love them like they yearn to be loved.

I can’t help but think about how so many times we rush into relationships. We become completely enamored and consumed. Oftentimes, we completely lose ourselves. We take our eyes off everything and everyone except for that person we are so desperately seeking; that includes us taking our eyes off of God. Sometimes we lose track of their hopes and dreams. Other times we throw out our morals, which ALWAYS create other problems.

I find myself daily seeking the mate that God prepared for me. I constantly have to remind myself that even if I find that person, they won’t be perfect. Their love may be one of the greatest things I’ll ever experience on this earth; still, their love will never compare to the Love God has for me… the love He has for you.

Jeremiah 31:3 says, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee”. God’s love is everlasting (eternal). It doesn’t wax and wane like the love of man. It is pure and steadfast. God and His love are always reliable and will never fail you. True peace and contentment can only found in His love and His ways; not in the ways and affections of man.