I hope you all are doing well as this year is drawing to a close; it seems as if 2007 has been a very big year for many of us. This past year has been a whirlwind for me, and it seems as if everyday God has a new adventure waiting around the corner for me, but the bulk of the ride that has been my life began this past summer, and it is this adventure that is the reason for this letter.
Overview
As many of you may know, this past summer I went to Jinja, Uganda on a short-term mission trip with Calvary of Albuquerque.. Preparing for this trip, it seemed as if Satan was trying to discourage me from going in every way possible, it was because of this that I had a feeling that God must have something fairly big planned for me on this trip if I was getting hit so hard, little did I know that God was planning to use this trip to change my life.
While I was on this trip, I soon felt a love and passion for the people, the culture, and the ministry that was taking place around me. The kids at the compound where we stayed quickly took a hold of my heart, as well as the missionary team, and the vast majority of ministries this church facilitated were such a blessing to be a part of for that brief time. I began to feel a sadness not from missing home, but from the idea of knowing I was to be leaving Africa, which after all of the mission trips I had been on in the past had never really happened to me, it was then that I honestly began to feel that I wouldn’t be away for long and began praying about whether or not I was to return to Africa and permanently be a part of the missionary team.
After much prayer and asking counsel of pastors, friends, and most importantly my parents, it became clear that I was to pursue this desire that I felt God had given me to be a missionary in Africa. I met with the missions pastor at Calvary, Neil Ortiz, who encouraged me to continue praying about the matter to be sure that this was something I felt God wanted me to pursue, and after another month or so, my desire to go not only remained, but intensified, it was then that Neil gave me the go ahead to take the next step of submitting my application to be a Global Adventures Missionary to Jinja, Uganda and after a a period of waiting, I'm now officially approved as a GA Missionary.
Now, as I am writing this letter, I am in shock as to how God works as I now have officially been approved to be a missionary, and plan to move to Africa next summer. Throughout this process, I have come to relate to Abraham and the disciples who were called to forsake and all and follow Him no matter where He led them, and it is now time for me to go where He leads.
Ministry Description
As I plan to move to Africa, there are a couple main areas where I am to be focusing my ministry: the youth and assisting with the administrative duties of the church. With the youth, I will be leading Bible studies in hostiles of girls who are unable to attend the youth group, I will also be assisting with mentoring the youth group girls who attend the primary or secondary schools. Along with serving with the youth, I will also plan to serve as the administrative assistant to Bev Rich who runs all of the administrative aspects of the church including child sponsorship programs and the general logistics of running a church. During my first year there I will also attend their School of Ministry.
My vision for the ministry I will be doing is centered on Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” My heart for my work in Africa is to truly make disciples by consistently pouring into the lives of the students and showing them the love of Christ by building relationships with them and for them to experience the faithfulness of God in a world full of chaos and disappointment. I am especially looking forward to working alongside the missionary team that is in Uganda. The team is made up of Jess and Bev Rich, Keith and Ellen Carpenter, Megan Brown, and Ryan McCabe. Each one of these people is being used so greatly by God and their faithfulness and passion astound me, and I am so humbled that I am given this opportunity to work with them.
Ways You Can Help
Now that you know what I will be doing, now, is when you are able to hear of how you could be involved in this work and what my needs are if you feel so led to fulfill them.
1. PRAY PRAY PRAY
Prayer is THE most important thing you can do for a missionary and here are some prayer requests I have as I am preparing to go to the field:
- Preparation for me spiritually, physically, and mentally.
- Focus as I prepare to graduate from the University of New Mexico in May.
- Preparation for my family as we are very close
- For the missionary team and for God to give them wisdom in how to prepare for me to become a part of the team.
- For God to raise up individuals to support me financially and/or to be a part of my care team (see below)
2. Become a care team member
Having a care team is a necessity for a missionary as the care team plays a major role in supporting the work the missionary is doing out on the field from helping with finances to preparing care packages. As a care team member, there are a number of needs that you may fulfill: Care Team Leader, Financial Coordinator, Logistics, Prayer Warriors
3. Financial Support
- Becoming a missionary is a full-time job where my income will come from supporters of the ministry.
- I am responsible for funding all of my living expenses, ministry expenses, personal needs/wants, savings, and taxes
- If you feel led to support me financially, included with this letter is a support envelope for your convenience
- You can also log onto http://www.globaladventures.org/ and under missionaries select my name and click “support this missionary”
For more information on the missionary team as well as the church in Uganda, please feel free to look at the sites listed below:
http://www.globaladventures.org/
http://www.calvarychapeljinja.org/
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. My desire is to be faithful in keeping you updated through this process as well as the developments and news while I’m out in the field. If you have any questions or concerns, I would be happy to have coffee with you and share with you more of my heart for this new ministry. My contact information is listed below.
His Servant,
Kelli O’Hea
(505)250-0198
Krohea@gmail.com
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