You and I have an average of about seventy or eighty years on this earth. During these years we are bombarded with the temporary. Make money. Get stuff. Be comfortable. Live well. Have fun. In the middle of it all, we get blinded to the eternal. But it’s there. You and I stand on the porch of eternity. Both of us will soon stand before God to give an account for our stewardship of the time, the resources, the gifts, and ultimately the gospel he has entrusted to us. When that day comes, we are convinced we will not wish we had given more of ourselves to living the American Dream. We will not wish we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortably, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of this world. Instead we will wish we had given more of ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will bow around the throne and sing the praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship. Are you ready to live for that dream? Let’s not waver any longer…
I hope that this blog post finds you well. I can not believe that I leave in less than 100 days. Since the
last update, Team Tanzania has had a few ups and downs. We lost a team member due to financial reasons (our other male), had conflict, and felt stress. This was all to be expected, but it is sad that the "honeymoon stage" is over. However, we survived through
it and came out a stronger team.
We just returned from a 3 day retreat up in the mountains,
where we received culture training. It was a great retreat that united the entire team, but also gave us a break from the "school grind". At this retreat we did a simulation/ dramatization that left me near tears. It is hard to explain, but the entire group (which was about 150 people all made up of mission teams that are going around the world this summer) split up into separate teams. We were led one by one into the dining room. Upon arrival, I noticed that the entire dining room had been emptied except for one table. This table had fine china and was the picture of eloquence. I was given a cup full of brown water and a bowl of mush. We then sat on the floor around cardboard tables and ate our mush.
As I watched different
groups file in,they sat around the different cardboard in the dining
room. When everyone was seated, they
brought the last group in. This group sat at the center table, where they
served steak and chocolate cake. All of us had to watch as this group enjoyed
this luxurious meal. One of the groups on the floor, tried to grab food of the table but
that quickly started a "riot". At that moment, my heart almost broke because I
understood what they were trying to convey. WE (as in the 1st world) are the people at the table. We
do not purposely deny people food, but world hunger is a thing and it is a
happening. I have been to Uganda and seen hunger, but I had never been on the other side and "lived" in the 3rd world. I then found out the “mush” is actually from the food packages we
are giving out in Tanzania. Those packages contain soy protein and the nutrients
needed for survival. Those packages go a long way in Tanzania and one box fed
everyone at the retreat. This is what caused me to have a break down. At that moment, I realized how truly blessed I am and what a privileged individual I am.
Here is my honest moment: For some reason, I was feeling slightly jealous of the other mission teams, because they get to play with kids, cook with locals, medical
outreach, or surf with natives etc… I felt that perhaps that this trip would not
make a relational impact, because I will be installing water filters and handing out food. But during this simulation, the Lord brought this passage to my mind:
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40)
After this, I fully understand the importance of clean water and food. It doesn't matter if no one will ever notices that I am
there or I make close friendship with the locals. What matter is if I feed someone and give them something to drink. The water filters that we are installing will last 150
years. That will make a lasting impact on a village and many lives. That is enough for me.
Finances
Thanks to many of you I have reached the halfway point of fundraising. That's right, I am halfway to my goal. I am only $1,972.00 away from being fully funded for Tanzania. I am completely amazed with everyone's generosity. My heart is so overwhelmed. At school, I have started Tanzania Tuesdays. This is the day where I carry around an empty can and ask for spare change. In Tanzania, 25 cents can feed 5 people and $2 dollars can feed 40 people. So the image above is from that. I have been asking that people give me 2 dollars on Tuesdays. (pretty simple) If you would like a support letter please send me an email with your address or download it here.
If you would like to make a donation you can give online: Click Here. When filling out the form, Make sure to select Team Tanzania and fill out name: Danielle Ernest.
Fundraising
One of the things I am doing to raise money for Tanzania is offering my photography skills. In lieu of payment, I would like you to make a donation to my trip. I have done family portraits, senior photos, headshots, and engagement pictures. If you would like to schedule a photo session or get more information please click here.
Prayer Requests
For Tanzania and the people we will meet this summer.
My team- that God will bless them for their obedience and that he will provide for them.
Team Unity
Pray that God will provide a bike expert somewhere in our path and that we will be able to put all the bikes together. (see previous post if confused about the bikes)
Continue to pray that our funds will come in and that the floodgates will open up. We have a few "fundraising" ideas planned. Pray that God will provide.
Pray that we will be able to bless and minister to all different types of people, especially when sharing about our trip.
Continue to pray for strength and that we will be encouraged.
Thank you all for you prayers and support. They have meant the world to me. Your words of encouragement have kept me going on those hard days.
If any of you would like to grab a cup of coffee and discuss any of these things above or life, my schedule is always open to you!
Hujambo Rafiki (Hello Friends), What a crazy past few weeks it has been. In fact, to say that my mind has been blown would be putting it lightly. Ever had an experience where you had the lowest expectations possible, but then out of nowhere things start coming together and the impossible started to happen? Well that has been this week. What a lot of people don’t realize is the Team Tanzania was not supposed to happen-- it was the rookie team. Which what makes what I am about to say even more impactful, as of this week Team Tanzania is completely full! There is only one other team from Azusa Pacific University that is completely full and we got another boy on our team! (huge answer to prayer!) ….Out of the 30 some action teams that are going on different mission trips, we are one of the only teams that are completely full. So this is great news right? … but wait there is more.. a company in Long Beach has donated bikes. BIKES. So along with water, filters, and feeding people, we will be assembling bikes. A bike in Africa is a game changer. It can make a huge difference in getting to jobs, water, or other villages. This is a huge development. Words cannot express my overwhelming joy. In the next month, I will be heading down to that company to learn how to assemble those bikes and then we will put them on a shipping container. I cannot wait to see how this develops and what wonderful people we will meet because of this opportunity! GOD IS GOOD. Intercultural Mission Class Today I started my intercultural mission class and I am in love. I am afraid that this class will feed my heart for missions and I may not return home from Tanzania this summer. (Kidding.. sort of) When I talk about missions, my eyes light up. This is my passion--helping others in the name of Christ. The more I engage in this class, the more that passion grows. I think for my entire life I have ran from the idea of being a missionary, because “the American dream” sounded so lovely. However, as I get older I realize it’s all stuff and you cannot take a U-Haul to the funeral home. As I feed my soul with the idea of missions, I cannot run anymore. When I went to Uganda in 2007, I had my first taste of what it was like to live outside myself. It was almost as if, I had lived in darkness my entire life and then saw the light. This light is why I am going back and why I am leading others. I want others to see that light and have a passion for things outside the “American Dream”. Needless to say, this class is making my passion for mission grow stronger and is challenging me to think about things I've never thought about. Financial Update: I got my update this week and I still need to raise $3,492.50 away from goal. However, I have raised about $687 right now.
Mailing out letters
I have been bringing in a lot of funds by doing photos shoots. I have been offering my photography skills. Instead of getting paid, I have people make donations to my trip. I’ve done family portraits, headshots, senior photos, and couple photos. It’s been a fun way to raise money, as well as use one of my talents. So if you have photography need, keep me in mind! I also sent out support letters this week. If you didn't receive one and you would like one, please send me an email or download it here.
If you would like to make a donation you can give online: Click Here. When filling out the form, Make sure to select Team Tanzania and fill out name: Danielle Ernest.
Prayer Requests
For my Team- that God will continue to prepare them and bless them for making this commitment.
Team Unity and Bonding- We had our first team meeting this week and it went amazing. Pray that we will continue to unite and come together.
That God will provide a bike expert somewhere on our journey. Whether that person goes on our trip or they are over in Tanzania or wherever.
For fundraising. Pray that will be able to minister to people and that God will bless our socks off.
Strength- this semester is getting hard and intense. Satan is seeking to distract. Pray for endurance and strength.
Thank you all for your love and support. The love I have been given over the past few weeks has meant the world to me.
Blessings,
Danielle
"Radical obedience to Christ is not easy... It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.”
Well it’s 2014- the year I will go to Tanzania. 132 days until I leave.
Team Update My team is starting to form, which I am very excited about. So far there are 6 members on Team Tanzania. We are hoping that we get a few more, hopefully more males. As of now, we have 5 girls and 1 male. So please continue to pray that God will provide more men for our trip. We need more men in order to have an impact since Tanzania is a patriarchal society. Fundraising I am $3,780 away from my goal. Being a communication major, I have written my support letter 3 times because I have not been satisfied. Those will eventually go out within the next 2 weeks, I promise. If you would like to receive a support letter, please email me your address and I will get that to you. If you would like you give online: Click Here. When filling out the form, Make sure to select Team Tanzania and fill out name: Danielle Ernest.
Health Update In my last post, I told you I was using Tanzania to get healthy and guess what… I have. Currently, I have lost 15lbs. My goal is to be 40lbs lighter before I leave for Tanzania. I have been eating healthier and exercising regularly. I even joined the “Gold’s Gym Challenge”, which I think means torture yourself for 12 weeks, but it is worth it. Prayer Request Please pray for this semester. I am taking 18 units, working 30 hours, and trying to plan/ raise funds for this trip. I cannot wait to see how my team and I will be used to further the Kingdom of God and how God uses this trip to further change the hearts of myself and my teammates. I ask that you partner with my team through prayer. Prayer is a very powerful resource that I deeply want for our team. Our team’s most pressing prayer needs are: For our focus to be Christ centered, for our team to have unity, for future interactions that will take place with the people of Tanzania and the people along the way, for our partnership with FFCC, for the finances of all the team members, and for all of us to rely solely on God for our strength and guidance. Thank you all for you encouragement, donations, love and support. I appreciate it. I can't wait to share this journey with you.
Kwaheri (Bye),
Danielle
"Do justice, embrace love, and walk humbly with God" - Micah 6:8
Things have been crazy since the last time I wrote. I have been attempting to wrap my mind around the craziness that is about to happen this summer. It will be full of adventure and stretch me as a human being.
So far we will be leaving around May 28 and returning early July 7th. I can't believe that I will be gone that long, not to mention living in Africa.
Food packed by APU student body. Will be distributing this summer.
What I will be Doing:
We will be partnering with Friends and Family
Community Connection (FFCC Tanzania Info) to install water filters in the village
of Mwando. We will also be working at a children’s
feeding centers in Singida Town, Singida, Tanzania. The feeding center feeds
over 1,000 children a day. For most of those kids, it is the only meal that
they get all day.
While we are there, we are bringing all of our own food. We were told that children will come to our door at night and beg for food. If we give it to them, they could possibly be beaten to death because food is so rare in that part of the country. As someone who has a soft spot for children, I have no idea how I will be able to handle this. I think this will break my heart. I will need to be covered in prayer for this. Funding I honestly have no idea how I will be able to raise enough funds for this trip. The price for the trip is around 4,000 dollars. This is all stressing me out, but I have come to the conclusion that if God wants me to go on this journey then the funds will be provided. Trip Prep: Besides taking a crash course in Swahili, I am starting to physically train for the trip. This has proven to be a daunting task, but I know it will be rewarding in the end. Tanzania is an excellent goal and motivation to live a healthier lifestyle. Besides physically preparing, I have also been doing interviews for positions on the team. As I interview people, I am excited too see so many people who are concerned for others. My heart has been encouraged and I can't wait till my final team is assembled. How to Pray Please pray for my future team members, trip details, and that God will do miraculous things this summer. Also pray for peace, strength, and endurance. This is the biggest task I have ever taken on.
How to Give
Make sure to select Team Tanzania
Fill out name: Danielle Ernest
Now the question I keep getting.. How do you give? Well the easiest way is online. When filling out the form, make sure it looks like the picture on the side. Make sure to select Team Tanzania and fill out name: Danielle Ernest. Give Here
Honest Moment I don't want this blog to come across as a "look how awesome I am" or "give me money". I long to share this experience with you, because I honestly love a good story. This is a story about a girl who is going outside her comfort zone and has a heart to serve those in need. She will come face to face with hunger, desolation, and brokenness. She has no idea how she will handle everything nor how she will afford it. Yet, she trusts God for all of it. This is faith in action... and it's scary.... and I long to share this adventure with you. Allow me to open your eyes to a culture, a people, and country 9,778 miles away. It is my hope and prayer that sharing this with you, will encourage you to step out. Thank you for the support, prayers, and encouragement. If you have questions or comments, please email me at danielle.ernest@gmail.com.
Hadi Wakati Mwingine (Until Next time),
Danielle
Do justice, embrace love, and walk humbly with God" - Micah 6:8
Many of you know me as the Disneyland blogger from Tales of a Disneyland Cast Member ; however this
is an entirely different adventure and blog. This blog is dedicated to my travels and undertakings.
It’s hard to describe exactly what I am feeling at this
moment. I am feeling humbled, overjoyed, ecstatic, and overwhelmed. Tonight is the beginning of an incredible
adventure. I found out today that I am
leading a 6 week trip to Tanzania this summer…That’s right 6 weeks in Africa...... and I AM LEADING. Am I crazy? Probably. How did I reach this point? How did I make this decision? Well
let me take you back 7 years.
The plane touched down in Uganda. After 2 days of travel, I stepped off the
plane into another a world. This was Africa. Kampala smelled of smoke, red dirt
stained my shoes, and I was the only blonde. Next thing you know, I am at an orphanage. Children are
screaming out of jubilee. I step off the
bus and am surrounded by a sea of faces. (The video below will help show you what happened in that moment. The quality isn't HD, but you will get the picture)
After this moment, I was ushered into a small room and was told I would meet my sponsor child. The child my family and I had been supporting for 3 years. When I first saw her, I immediately loved her. We had been corresponding for years, but here she was in person. She was the same age as my sister and she had a smile that lit up the room. I bent over to give her a hug and I knew I had found my new home. For the next few weeks, I spent time at that orphanage and fell in love with those kids. That sea of faces quickly became
names and children that I personally knew. So as you can imagine, saying goodbye was painful. As I stepped on the plane, I vowed that one day I would return to Africa. The years have gone by, but those children have not left my mind or heart. It was an experience that stuck with me and has completely changed my life. Uganda has become a big part of me. I am an advocate for those who have no voice, the orphans, and those who need love..
Hopefully all the pieces are coming together on why I would want to spend 6 weeks out of my summer serving strangers on the other side of the world.
My biggest hope and prayer is that journey will be a declaration of how amazing God is. Honestly, I have no idea how I will afford this. I can't take this time off. I don't have any formal leadership training. It's terrifying.. As I make up all of these excuses, I feel like Moses at the burning bush. He made excuse after excuse on why he could not return to Egypt. (If you have no idea what I am talking about.. read Exodus 3). I have chosen to follow, even though I don't know the outcome. I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else to do what God has called me to do. This trip is dedicated to "Soli Deo Gloria", which means Glory to God alone. This is God's trip and may his will be done. My prayer is that you be a first hand witness to the wondrous things that will happen before, during, and after this trip.
Before I ask you to sponsor or donate, I ask for your prayers. Please pray for this trip. Yes, we are still 7 months away. But, I ask that you pray for every aspect of this trip. This weekend is the leadership retreat. Pray for all the teams that are coming together. These young men and women are going out into the world to love those and share the hope of Jesus. Pray for safety, receptiveness, connections, my team members, funding, and mostly that God will be given all the Glory.
Join me on this wild faith adventure.
Blessings.
Danielle
"Do justice, embrace love, and walk humbly with God" - Micah 6:8
Ps. If you want to sponsor a child, I recommend Uganda Buyamba.
You and I have an average of about seventy or eighty years on this earth. During these years we are bombarded with the temporary. Make money. Get stuff. Be comfortable. Live well. Have fun. In the middle of it all, we get blinded to the eternal. But it’s there. You and I stand on the porch of eternity. Both of us will soon stand before God to give an account for our stewardship of the time, the resources, the gifts, and ultimately the gospel he has entrusted to us. When that day comes, we are convinced we will not wish we had given more of ourselves to living the American Dream. We will not wish we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortably, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of this world. Instead we will wish we had given more of ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will bow around the throne and sing the praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship.
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