Today's the DAY

I fly out at 5:00pm!!!!
Layover in D.C.
Layover in Frankfurt, Germany
Arrive in South Africa

Keep posted!!!

Am I excited?

Everyone keeps asking me if I am excited. Well....of course! As soon as school work is done. I mean really, how can you get engulfed in excitement for Africa when your surrounded by this:

As of yesterday, grades are in, classroom is clean, house is boarded up (j/k), and all my clothes are packed. Africa here we come!

A little more...

This past weekend my mom set up a garage sale and the ladies from the church baked for a bake sale. This was a wonderful chance to relax, spend time with mom, and talk to people about my trip. Not only was the garage/bake sale successful in putting me one step closer to paying for my whole trip, individuals gave money. It is such a blessing to see God work. It was also good for me to have to explain my lack of fear. THE SAFEST PLACE IN THE WORLD IS IN GOD'S WILL. For me next summer it is South Africa and Mozambique. Land mines, malaria or instability, its better for me to be there than driving down I-35 out of God's will. Thanks to all of you who have provided funding, encouragement, and baked goods to my trip. Someday in Heaven, you will have your reward.

Little by little, a lot by a lot!

It is absolutely amazing to me how God works! I was being very prideful and not telling people I needed money for the trip. Prideful you ask? How is that being prideful? Well, I wanted to do it all on my own, I felt dumb asking people for money...I mean I am 24 years old, I have a career, this is my second missions trip, and a lot of people had already given to my mission trip to Zambia 4 years ago. But then I talked to PM and he asked me why I was keeping the blessings to myself. He said people want to support mission and ministries, many just don't know how or where. So, I asked God to forgive me of my selfish thinking, wrote a letter about my trip and handed it out. (It is the letter you see below) In 3 days God provided $1200 for my trip through the church, parents from the school and employees of the parents of the school. I was moved to tears each time I recieved a check. Not only did the gift impact my life and humble me, but I know that God will use this money and my body for His service this summer. I just pray that God will bless those who gave, because I know I could never do enough.

Maybe one day in heaven you'll hear, "Thank you for giving to the Lord. I have a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave...A missionary came to your church, his pictures made you cry. You didnt have much money, but you gave it anyway. Jesus took that gift you gave and that's why I'm here today! Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave" (-Ray Boltz)

Prayer

You know, as I grow more as a Christian I realize how selfish, independant, weak, prideful and well, how much more I need to grow. Listening to Blake and Brian talk at dinner yesterday really got me excited about Africa. I have 2 days to teach, 1 day of review and 4 days of finals and grading....then rearrange my room and all Africa. Today I did some preparing for the trip and I got a real sense of how independant and controlling I am. I asked God to really grow me this summer, stretch my faith and make me dependant on HIM alone. PLEASE pray for me. I am very self-sufficient, but I need to be a learner, a helper, and a servant this summer. At church tonight Pastor Matt said he prays that God will keep him humble so he doesnt have to be humiliated. I pray that God will keep me weak so that I dont have to cry out in desparation! Brian assured me, God isnt an amature at this, He knows what He's doing. How great to be in the Father's hands!

Mmmm...African food

Yesterday a group of us went to the cities to try some African food. We headed to Mpls for Wazobia Nigerian Cafe. Brian, who had lived in Nigeria for a year, and I had eaten there last summer. We found out the restaurant had closed. Blake, who had just returned from a year in Zambia, suggested the Blue Nile resturant in Mpls. The food was Ethiopian and delicious! It wasnt at all like the food Lianna, Blake, or I had eaten in Zambia. Brian said it wasn't very similar to that in Nigeria either. Steve, Candi, Julie and Jeff, who haven't been to Africa YET, all agreed it was good.

Meet the Zaks

Kevin, Sarah, Ben, Nathan, Caleb, Luke, Courtney, Jacob, and Josiah

Maps of where we are going

South Africa

Mozambique

Its official!

After many long months of stress and orbitz, travelocity, mobissimo, lowestravel, airgorrila...websites, which of course was self-inflicted because God had it all planned out anyway...IT IS OFFICIAL!! The tickets, the passport, and all the shots are done! All I have left to do is finish teaching and pack!

The first provisions of the trip

My mom and the members of Faith Baptist Church of Hinckley put together a pancake breakfast fundraiser.

Candi- Cala

The intial funds were for a small church in Stebbins, Alaska where my sister Jodi has relocated to teach.
Hannah -Reed and Josh

After the materials were purchased for that endeavour, the remaining money went toward Candi's and my shots and passports.

Tracy-Patty
Thanks for all the work!!
Hollie-Patty and Vicki

Seeking to do His will and to glorify Him...

Friends and Family -

DO YOU EVER JUST KNOW YOU ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE!?!
I am looking for some warriors…some prayer warriors. I am heading to the countries of South Africa, Mozambique, and Germany this summer as a missionary. I anticipate being there from early June to the middle of August and will be ministering alongside the Kevin Zakariasen Family.
Early last spring, Mr. Zak emailed me requesting that I pray about coming over and being part of his family. He foresaw me helping with cooking, preparing for the teams that will be coming, and possibly helping with the home schooling of the Zak-pack. When the Zaks came home on furlough, Candi Viancourt and I traveled down to New Prague to meet with the family. Candi was also impressed with the ministry possibility. As we talked through his past 2 years in South Africa, we all got excited about how the Lord seemed to be opening the doors for us to spend the summer with them. Mr. Zak was excited about us coming as a team. This team was soon enhanced by Rebeka Nelson joining us.
The more we talked through the fall and winter, the more the Zaks and “the team” saw in what areas we could be of help to the family. We are not sure of the exact ministries we will be tackling while in Africa, but we do have a rough game-plan. We will help fulfill the mission of the Zak family, which is, “strengthening African Churches by: Biblical Training, Church Planting, Compassion Ministries, and Resource Bridging” by: traveling to Mozambique for 4 weeks, being involved in the Zaks local church, finding a ministry in the African churches during the week, visiting AIDS patients and orphans, cooking and cleaning for the work teams coming over, helping with the home schooling of the kids, teaching some Sunday school flannel graph stories and overall assisting the Zak family in any way possible. On the trip home, we will be stopping in Hamburg, Germany for 4 days to assist the Volker and Becky Weise Family and church.
The final details are still in the making and in the ears of God as we lay our plans before Him, seeking His direction. We have purchased the tickets ($1,575.00), are preparing to send money to the Zaks so that they can prepare for our living expenses (approx. $12.00/day), and are saving funds to supplement lost income from the summer. If you would like to give to the cost of my trip, please designate it and put it in my church box. Thank you.
Most importantly - would you pray for us? As we have seen the Lord direct and bless and answer many prayers already this year, we are seeking those who will stand in the gap for us as we travel and minister on the other side of the earth.
Because of Calvary, Tracy Grewe

Reb, Candi and Trace

The 3 lovely ladies you see pictured here are about to embark on the trip of a lifetime! Malaria-ridden mosquitoes, live land mines, scorpions, the Zak-pack, and well...three girls of this caliber living together for 70 days ought to be crazy enough.....oh, where was I?....and the chance to do the most challenging thing asked of the human race.......serve and be spent all for the glory of an awesome GOD. Stay tuned for more...