Missionary 101

First of all, I want to thank everyone who has been committing to be a part of God's work in Zambia.  I am greatly encouraged by receiving the slips of paper back with varied levels of involvement from friends and family.  It is neat to see part of God's plan revealed for the people he has chosen to partner with me in this ministry, He never ceases to amaze me.  

I am learning a lot about what it takes to be a missionary and how God will equip me to be a woman chasing after his heart above all else.  As I pursue this future of foreign missions, I thought it would be a good idea to begin focusing on Paul and learning from his experience in foreign missions.  Most of Paul's letters talk about immediate obedience and stepping out in faith.  Often through Paul's mission trips, he had no means of shelter, finances, support, etc. prepared ahead of time, but when God told him to go, he went regardless, trusting that God would provide along the way.  The further I read in Paul's letters, the more it became clear how physically God provided for Paul's needs.  He often used the body of believers to give Paul what he needed, whenever he needed it; a divine partnership.  Paul, in turn, rejoiced unto the Lord knowing that God was his ultimate provision and life sustainer.  

I am leaving for my mission trip on April 18th regardless of what I have ahead of time...I know God has called me to be a teacher in Zambia and I know that He has provided a divine partnership for me through His body.  God will use the people He has placed in my life to begin equipping me for the trip and then sustaining me in the field.  This step of faith will be a wonderful testimony to the power and sovereignty of the one and only living God...are you a part of it?

In Philippians, Paul address the church of Philippi praising them for their partnership and faithfulness to God's ministry through him.  He encourages them saying, "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit." (4:17)  See, Paul knows that by giving him food, money, shelter, prayer, encouragement,  clothes, wisdom, etc. the members of the church of Philippi are indeed storing up treasures in heaven.  Their credit increases with every act of selflessness they perform for the sake of the gospel; God has already recorded it.   

I want to encourage those who have already gave, and those who will be giving, of their time, talents, and treasures for this mission.  We know that what we give here on earth is transfered into treasures in heaven, noted by God himself.  All we have been blessed with belongs to God and how greatly He adores us when we use what He has given us to advance His kingdom here on earth, preparing for the return of our Savior.  

I praise God for your faithfulness and willingness to get your hands dirty for His sake and and to be obedient to His calling on your life!!

The Journey Begins

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I hope that you have enjoyed the holidays and are having a great start to the New Year.  I am excited about what God will do in 2011 and how I can be a part of His countless plans.  Over the past couple years, the Lord has put Africa on my heart and has allowed me to serve Him in many different countries and within various ministries.  I went to Zambia this past summer, and it was there that God called me to Africa full time.  Since that moment, I have been pursuing His will for my life in missions.  I have received confirmation that I am called back to Zambia to live and work full-time with missionaries Amber and Jako Joubert in their organization, Mission of Love Community Orphanage.  They live in a village called Mpapila where God has allowed them to build an orphanage for the children in the community providing for their basic physical needs, as well as their spiritual needs.  The orphanage is growing, creating a desperate need for a school teacher to tutor the children and begin building a preschool and community school.  I have committed to work alongside Amber and Jako, as their school teacher, for two years; heading over April 18, 2011.  During that time, I will be building schools, tutoring/assessing children, teaching English, leading bible studies, discipling women, leading children’s ministry, and whatever else God allows me to be a part of while serving in Mpapila. 

God has laid this calling at my feet, but I know that He does not desire for me to accomplish it alone.  One thing I have learned about missionaries is that God always provides a strong support system for them through prayer, finances, encouragement, and the bearing of burdens.  The most important thing I need, apart from Christ, is people faithfully praying for me and for God’s work to be accomplished through me.  His scripture says, “Pray for one another…the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” ( James 5:16) God chooses to use the prayers of people to accomplish His work, revealing Him and the fruit of His ministry through them.  I would love to have 12 people committing to pray daily for me while I am on the field, and additional people committed to praying weekly and monthly.  I am embarking on this journey, fully trusting God to provide financially for my basic needs and ministry necessities through those he has chosen to participate in this mission by giving.  I am not receiving any type of salary from Mission of Love; rather I will need to raise funds to cover living expenses and ministry needs for each month.  Upfront I will need about $2,300 to cover my plane ticket, emergency health insurance, work permit, passport, and visas.  From there I have to raise $1,000 each month to cover living expenses (i.e. food, housing, petrol, transportation, hygiene products, clothes, etc.), as well as, supplies for ministry.  I am confident that God has already worked out all these details, appointing certain individuals to serve alongside me, by financially supporting the mission God has called me into.  Additionally, I would love to be encouraged by you throughout the next couple years I will be serving in Zambia.  There will be many opportunities to contact me while I am living in Mpapila, most easily through email or my blog.  Please feel free to write me, send advice or words of encouragement, and/or inquire about ministry or life.  Finally, I would love for there to be people to share in my burdens I encounter on this journey.  Christ calls us to “bear one another’s burden, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2) knowing the importance of community building each other up as the body of Jesus Christ. 

God is already moving in Mpapila and working out His plan for the Tongan people living there.  I am humbled by the opportunity to get to be a tiny part of what He will be doing with this community, and thrilled that you might be a part of it too.  If you feel God calling you to be a part of this mission, please pray about the following and email and let me know:

 

‹        Praying (daily/weekly/monthly) for Alyssa and the work of the Holy Spirit in Mpapila. (please circle one)

‹        Giving $______________ monthly to Alyssa through Mission of Love.

‹        Giving a one-time donation of $__________________ to Alyssa.

‹        Receiving updates via email at this address

‹        Receiving updates via mail to my home address

*You may send checks directly to me (Alyssa Bolles) if you do not need a tax write off; however, if you wish to receive a tax deduction with your donation, please contact me and I will give you the necessary information.

                                                                                                                    

 email: a.lynne317@gmail.com