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| Me holding my sister's donation to the trip! |
For the past 3 years I have sat on the back pew. I've been what pastors and church leaders call an "attender." I've been attending Immanuel Baptist Church in Shawnee for roughly 3 years. I've dabbled in a few Sunday School classes but primarily, I've made excuses.
"Oh, I just can't get connected. "
"The singles class is old people."
"The young adult class is married people."
"I was in a long-distance relationship and never around."
Those are just the top excuses. None of those excuses are really the problem. I was the problem. I was wanting the church to cater to me and connect to me. Some recent events in my life have made me realize that I have to make the move. The church isn't there to cater to my every need. I'm called to be connected and involved and to serve. So I decided to do something about it...and this is where I try to make a long story short.
Have you ever gotten a thought in your head and couldn't shake it? That's how I felt about this mission trip IBC does to Quito. I saw it in the bulletin and couldn't stop thinking about it. One afternoon I decided to call the church and ask for more information. I casually mentioned I worked in a pharmacy and come to find out - they needed someone with pharmacy experience and had been praying that someone would feel called to go. (I suppose I should thank them for all those sleepless nights!)
So I think it was pretty much determined at that very moment - I'm supposed to go to Ecuador.
Get out your tissue, folks. I later called my mom to explain to her my decision. I also told her about the cost and how I was a bit hesitant and that I'd be missing a week of work. My 5 year old sister overheard parts of the conversation. I get a text message from my mom that contained this photo:
My sister had asked my mom to get her piggy bank because she had "20 dollars and some cents for my mission trip" that she wanted to give me. Tears were flowing. God was working. If my sister could give me all the money in her piggy bank than I could make a few sacrifices myself and go! So that being said -
I'm going to Ecuador!
I ask that you pray for the preparations being made for our team. I'm technically signing up late and still have to get a passport! So pray that all of that type of stuff goes smoothly and QUICKLY. {Update: I received my passport! I was told it would take 2-4 weeks to process. I leaned on the side of 4 weeks. My passport came in a week and a half. Talk about a God thing. I know only God can make a government agency work that quickly!} The cost of the trip is $1,800. My 5 year old sister has made the first contribution to my trip (which touches my heart more than I can every really express in a blog.)
If you feel led to help, I'm asking that you match my sister's donation ($21.58) to help me get to Ecuador!
HOW TO DONATE:
You can make checks payable to Immanuel Baptist Church and be sure to write "Jennifer Baker - Ecuador trip" on the memo line. You can mail checks to me or to the church -
Immanuel Baptist Church -1451 E. 45th Street Shawnee, OK, 74804
