I'm engaged!!

If you have facebook, you may have already read the story of how I got engaged. If not, enjoy!

Piet came down to Port Elizabeth on Friday April 23 to help me close up my time there and help me move to Johannesburg. We had lots of things planned for that week, one of which was a whole day in Jeffreys Bay. Jeffreys Bay is such a special place to us because it was there where we met.

We arrived early April 27 (Tuesday) in Jeffreys Bay and went straight for horseback riding. It was a group of 5 or 6 plus two tour guides. We rode through the hills and the grass for the first half of the ride and it was beautiful! The whole time we kept trying to get the horses to walk side by side, but they were so stubborn! My horse didn't want to stop moving, and Piet's horse didn't want to go. So for pretty much the entire time we were riding about 15 meters apart. I had to turn around to look at Piet. And whenever I would turn around, he had such a serious look on his face. He said he was enjoying everything, but was looking so serious! Little did I know, he was looking so serious because he was trying to figure out how to get the ring out of his pocket!

The second half of the horseback ride is on the beach, and the horses literally walk through the water. So we crossed through the sand dunes and arrived at the beach. It was gorgeous and so romantic! By this time, we were way behind the entire group. It was nice because we were just enjoying it together. The only thing was that the tour guide kept staying just in front of us. I kept wondering why he wouldn't just leave us to be by ourselves.

Eventually, the tour guide asked if he could take some pictures of us. Again, the horses were very stubborn so it took a while for us to get side by side. But the tour guide jumped off his horse to help even us out. We took lots of pictures and suddenly Piet pulled a ring box from his pocket. He asked if I wanted to marry him and showed me the ring! I said "YES!" and couldn't stop smiling! I was so excited and happy! The horses walked side by side for a while and we just enjoyed the moment hand in hand. It was perfect! I wanted to go faster and feel the wind in my hair, so we made the horses run for a bit. I wanted to shout, "I'M ENGAGED!!!" but I resisted. :)

We took so long, that by the time we got back to the stables, everyone else had already dismantled and even gone home!

That night, we had a "surprise" engagement party. It wasn't actually a surprise because I figured it out. I knew Piet was scheming something with my friend Jody, and it made sense that it would be a surprise party. So, we arrived at Jody's house later that night and all the people that I love most (in Port Elizabeth) were waiting for us. It was wonderful!

I can't believe I'm marrying the man of my dreams and ministry partner. I couldn't be more satisfied!

-Leah Rush

Come meet Leah on May 23rd Lunch at Bechelli YAKS @12 noon. $5 lunch available.

Germany -Update

It's been a crazy few weeks as our team has been preparing for Germany, and we just want to thank you for the support you have given us! Whether it has been helping with fundraisers, attending the events, or even giving us bottles and cans to recycle, we couldn't have gotten to this stage in our trip without you!

With that said, we have a couple things that we would like to share with you all. First, our team has shrunk from three people to only two. Jenni and I (Megan) will be going to Germany, while Travis will be fulfilling his internship in Washington state for two months. While we are disappointed that things didn't work as planned, we are excited to see what God will be doing in both Germany and Washington during the summer.

Another thing we want to announce, is that Jenni and I are in the process of receiving airfare! This is a huge step, and makes Germany an even bigger reality for us. We will be leaving on May 23, and coming back on July 24. During our trip we will be sending all updates through e-mail, this blog, and our facebooke group as well (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=315740331803).

So, with all the good, and difficult, things that we have been experiencing, we ask that you continue to pray for us! We still are in need of some money, so please pray for funds (if you want to give, you can do so by logging onto simpsonu.edu/missions and clicking on the Germany Team link). Also, prayer for safety, unity, and being able to get through cultural conflicts would be appreciated.

Thanks again for your support and prayers! There is no way that we could have done this without you guys, and we will keep you updated on our trip as well. If you like to receive updates via e-mail please e-mail me at megan.fitzgerald@ug.simpsonu.edu. Thanks!

Blessings,

Megan Fitzgerald

Lillian Hope Lindsay Barber

On May 4th we welcomed our newest Stirring Missionary into the world!
Jenny and Robert Barber were excited to welcome Lillian with perfect timing to celebrate Mother's day and children dedications this month. The Barbers are raising support for their September departure to their 5 month DTS with YWAM Montana. For more information about the Barbers check out their Blog: www.thebarbers3.blogspot.com

4 days and 20 hours until take off!

I officially leave on Monday the 10th! I am so beyond excited. Thank you all for your support! It has been such an incredible blessing to see all of my friends and family come up behind me to help in this!

I will have access to the internet over there, so I will try to keep you all updated by posting on this page.

I still need about $300 more dollars! Please if you haven't contributed yet, and you were hoping to, please do so as soon as possible! It would be greatly appreciated!

Please be praying for me as I embark on this journey. :)

Blessings to you all,
Tessa

Costa Rica Team

We will be working along with the Christian Surfers Costa Rica organization. Our mission will be to reach surfers with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, connect them to local churches so that they can then go back into their communities and beyond to reach other surfers. Also, we will be working with local after school programs and do some beach cleanup with local kids. So basically, our mission will be to spread the Costa Rican motto “Pura Vida”, which means Pure Life. Living purely and positively and making the best of every moment. Please consider supporting our team through prayer as we are prepare for this incredible opportunity! We will be in Costa Rica from July 25th-August 14th.



*Team Leaders: Marcella Melloni and Megan Furze Team Members: Danielle Caito, Melissa Melloni, and Elaina Unpingco

Germany

Let me introduce myself. My name is Megan Fitzgerald, and I am senior at Simpson University. I am majoring in General Ministries with a minor in Bible and Theology. General Ministries is a program for students who have a passion for ministry, but are not sure where God is calling them. My major requires an internship, and this summer I will be fulfilling this requirement in Germany!

From May 23rd to July 24th I, with two Simpson students (Jenni Lawler and Travis Gonzales), will be working with Youth for Christ to minister to the youth of Germany. Youth for Christ (YFC) is a non-profit organization in which they work to provide teens with the opportunity to make informed decisions to become a follower of Christ. We will be teaming up with another team from South Africa to be apart of YFC’s vision.

What many people don’t realize is that Germany is a spiritually dry nation, and they are not open to Christ as one would hope. Not only is Germany a spiritually dry nation, but also they are experiencing a rapid growth of Muslim conversions. Our ministry will consist of assisting with the South African team and sharing our testimonies with the youth. One of our goals is to help influence teens to become Christian leaders in the country.

We are ecstatic about the opportunity God has provided us! However, we cannot do this without your help and support. We need to raise about $7000 in the next two weeks in order to make this trip possible. That $7000 includes our airfare and our living expenses for while we are in Germany. If you can support us please make your donation through: https://app.etapestry.com/fundraiser/SimpsonU/Germany2010/ . We understand that during this time, finances are tight, and if you are unable to support, we still need lots of prayer. Here are some things that you can pray for:

• That we are able to raise our money in time (we need everything pledged by May 15).
• That as a team, we are able to continue to build our relationships with each other as well as with the South African team.
• That we adjust to culture shock, as we will be living with the South African team and be in Germany at the same time.
• For the people we will be ministering to. That they will be responsive to what we have to say.
• Protection and safety

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at megan.fitzgerald@simpsonu.edu and I would love to answer them!

Blessings,

Megan Fitzgerald and the Germany Team