Update...

Hey folks,


Bout a month and a half till I leave!! Seems like a ways away but I know it'll pass quickly. Preperation is coming along. The funds are still coming in and I am more than 2/3s there. :) My dad ordered some hiking boots for me and they should be coming in soon. I will be doing some long hikes(5, 10, and 20 miles) to break them in and prepare for our long hikes in Uganda.

I guess thats it for now. :)
~MW~

"It will not do to say that you have no special call to China. With these facts before you and the command of the Lord Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home." - H. Taylor

Ethno Musicology

Hello!!

Ok, I have a little more information on what I'll be doing in Uganda. Since we are not allowed to go over there as "missionaries" we will go in as researchers in different areas. Examples would be communication pattern, medical, linguistics, etc... I was thrilled to find out that I will be on the ethno musicology research team. Ethno musicology is the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance. We will be asking the natives questions about their music so as to find out what their TRUE music is. We will record and document what we find so that follow up teams can take up where we leave off. This will be our "way in" to the tribes. Lord willing, once we have been accepted and established relationships we will be able to begin sharing the gospel.
Needless to say, I am THRILLED!!!!!

Trip preparation is coming along! The Lord is bringing in the funds. Please continue to pray for that. I am planning a few fundraisers and will post information on them as the details get worked out.
Physical prep is coming along as well. I am doing daily exercises and plan to be in the best shape I've ever been in by May. :) I'm actually finally starting to enjoy it. At first it was more of a chore and now I like it! :) Keep praying for health and strength for the whole team.
I'd like to ask also that yall be in prayer especially for one of our leaders, Mrs. Brown. She will be almost 7 months pregnant when we get to Uganda. Be praying for health, energy, strength, etc for both her and the baby. I've never met this woman but I've heard wonderful things about her- That she is completely sold out for God and super hard-core. :) I can't wait to meet her and spend a summer under her leadership.

Thats it for now! Thank you all for your prayers and support! This would be impossible without yall!

Marissa
“I'll go anywhere as long as it's forward.” -- David Livingstone

Uganda!

This past year has been an exciting year of learning more about the Lord and his heart for the nations. My eyes have been opened, and continue to be opened, to the global picture. The Lord has placed a growing desire in me to serve Him by ministering with a global perspective. Whether this means going around the world ministering, or encouraging others to do so, I must do my part in spreading the Word to ALL NATIONS. I want the Lord's passion for the world to BURN within me so that I can do, think, breathe, nothing else. I am forever ruined for the ordinary. Only serving our Glorious Lord will ever satisfy me. As I began to experience these changes, I wondered where the Lord would take me next...
This past December I was introduced, through some missionary friends of ours, the Singletarys, to a missions organization called Awe Star Ministries(awestar.org). Awe Star is an organization with a passion for God's glory and His plan for the nations. Mr. Singletary is leading a two month Awe Star trip to Uganda this year. When he and Mrs. Singletary told me about the trip I fell in love with it. I could think of nothing else. I prayed about it for a couple weeks and I felt like this was where the Lord was leading next. So I signed up!
A little about the trip: From talking with Mr. Singletary I gathered that this will be a difficult trip full of challenges. The website describes it as “a great training trip for those whom God calls to be career missionaries to unreached third world nations.” We will be put in many of the same situations that a missionary going to live overseas would go through. It will be physically intense and it is imperitive that the team be in top shape. One of the things we will be doing is hiking out to remote tribes and ministering to them. It will be demanding both physically and spiritually. I’m thrilled about it because I know the Lord has a great deal He wants to teach me on this venture.
So I will be leaving May 25th for the adventure of a lifetime! (Of course, anything with God is the adventure of a lifetime!) In the meantime, I have a lot of preparation to do. Please be praying for me as I prepare both physically and spiritually. In order to go I need to raise nearly $6000. If you feel led to help me with this, you can make checks payable to Awe Star Ministries. My name should NOT appear anywhere on the check if you want the tax deduction.
Thank you SO much for your prayers! A couple things in particular the team could use pray for are:

*Prayer against spiritual attacks. I have already felt Satan trying to weaken me in certain areas.
*Pray for all of the team as we all endeavor to get in the best shape we've ever been in. :)
*HEALTH! For now as we prepare, and ESPECIALLY while we are in Africa. The devil loves to try and bring people down by getting them sick.

Well, thats all for now!!
~Missy~
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't." -- John Piper