Almost there....

Hello! Today is going to be a long day! That's the way it always is before leaving on a trip. I finished packing about half an hour ago and am now doing a few things to make sure I am ready to go. One of them being cleaning my room so my sister doesn't have to put up with the packing mess(which is the worst of all messes). I am so excited to go! We will be meeting horribly early tomorrow(if you can even say morning); 1:30 am. That's not even right! Our plane will leave MSP at 5:20 am! We will be in Honduras by lunch time tomorrow! AHHHH!!! I received an email this morning from Dan Monson, our missions pastor. He said that he had spoken with Pastor Olman, our host. Olman told Dan that we will not be able to stay in the parochia. We will instead be staying in a 3-bedroom house. Will you please pray that God will give us all patience and generosity as we live together, 30 of us, for a week in the same house? I have to admit that I am a little freaked out about the sleeping arrangements. This move shatters all my plans for organization and packing. Right now, I just keep praying/remaining myself that the Lord has chosen this house specifically for this trip and team. His plan is far greater than we could ever hope to understand. We will do our ministry, no matter where we stay because we are going down to do the Lord's glorious work, not to sleep! I will probably email you tomorrow right before I leave. From then on, my mom will update or email when I am able to call her or when she gets updates! Thank you again! Will you please continue to pray? Here is the prayer I have been praying! "Father God, I thank you for this opportunity to AGAIN go to Honduras! I thank you for giving us the resources to do what we do. I don't always understand why you have blessed America so greatly, but I pray that I will never fail to remember that you have called us to share what you have given. I have been given so much, help me to give even more! Father, I know that you have hand-chosen each and every member of this team for a very specific and beautiful purpose; even if they will impact only one person. I pray that we will remember that we are down there to do your work, not pad our resumes. We have been given this opportunity, help us to use it to the fullest! I pray that you will give me courage to do what you want me to do. I pray that you will give me patience with every person on our team, some in particular. I pray that I can work with them, and help them to fulfill what it is that you want them to do! I pray that you will give me the courage and the words to say if you have chosen me to speak to Pastor Olman's church or on his radio. Father, I know that you have a plan for this trip. Help me to set aside my hopes and agendas and be completely open to yours! Help me to hear your voice amidst the noise and busyness and help me to listen and obey! I love you always!" Thank you again for your continued support! Oh,yeah! Undie update! There was total 1017 donated as of Sunday! I received more yesterday, but those will not be going on this trip! 200 pairs went with Pastor Z. on his trip to Africa, the remaining 817 pairs are packed and will be going to Honduras. They will be brought to each clinic and given to every woman who comes through our clinic. If some still remain at the end of the week, they will be given to someone who can give them to those who need them and were not reached by our ministry! God bless you!

Exciting Stuff!

Last night was the team packing night! We got most of the packing done! Almost all of the undies got packed, too! Last night it hit me hard that we leave in a week! I am so excited! I firmly believe that God is going to do amazing things with the team. One thing that we have to remember though, is that we must set aside our personal agendas. And that is often very hard! But God will be faithful, He will never allow a quiet moment! I know that much! Everything that we do, as long as we seek Him in all of it, will have a divine purpose; whether we can see it or not! I am looking forward to being back with the people I love so much! They are so kind, and generous, and open! How can people with so little, be so beautifully happy? I long to be that happy, in all I do! God grant me the grace to be like them! As the date draws closer, I will post more! Until then, I had better go and start packing! God bless you!

Getting closer!

Hello! I know it has been a long time since I have posted, sorry about that. I have been out of town! But now I am back, until I leave again. Well, updates. Let's see! I have over 700 pairs of undies, and still have over $200 with which to buy more! Exciting! Tomorrow is the packing day. The whole team will be meeting at church and we will pack our luggage; the team bags at least. Each person is allowed one checked bag and that will be filled with all the supplies we, as a team, need to bring down to be able to do our ministry. This includes medical supplies( medicines, bandages, intake sheets, etc.), clothing, school supplies, hygiene packs, and undies! I have a big 30 gallon bin FULL of undies and I am planning on bringing that bin tomorrow night and just filling in all the nooks and crannies of suitcases with undies, and what doesn't fit will go in my second suitcase which I am planning on paying for! The trip has come up really fast this year! I have done no personal packing. AHHH!! I am so excited to see what God will do with my team this year, and with the undies! I will be write again soon! Thank you for you love and support! God bless! "I press on toward the goal..."

Hello my dear friends! What a crazy few weeks it has been! Every day I get more undies from friends and family! I have had packages come from Arkansas and North Dakota! It amazes me how far my project has reached! Thank you for supporting me in my ministry! God is so good to give me wonderful people like you. I am getting so excited for the trip! It is less than a month until we leave! I have many things to do before we leave! I am so excited to see what God will have me do while I am down there! Thank you for your prayers and God bless! I will write again soon!

The Next Chapter!

Hello Friends! Here we go again! Another trip! Another chapter in the amazing journey God has set me on towards heaven. Whenever I think of what God has asked me to do, I think of Philippians 3:14: "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." What an amazing goal! To do work here on earth with the ultimate prize of eternity in paradise with my Savior, King, Best Friend, family, and all those whom I have impacted! It just gives me the shivers thinking about it! As you probably know, my big project this year is the Skivvy Drive! The success of the project has blown my mind. It has done things and gone places I never thought it would! My original goal was to collect 200 pairs of undies. But I have already exceeded 400!! So amazing! And the drive isn't even over yet! I am so blessed to have such amazing supporters and such a wonderful church family. God is so good. As the trip gets closer, I need prayer. The trip last summer was a tough one because of some bad things that happened between team members, and I ended up in the middle. I had to eventually give it all over to the Lord to be able to be useful for Him while I was down there. This year is going to be hard too. I am no longer in the middle of the trouble, but it is still present. Can you please pray for those who are going down and were involved in the trouble last year? Can you pray for unity, patience, and understanding? That would be wonderful! Thank you again for your support! I will write again soon! "I press on toward the goal....."!

Greetings family and friends,
This is Cristine, Anna's mom. The team has been in Honduras since last Thursday afternoon, that is 8 long days here, but 8 short days there. We spoke to Anna on Tuesday, the team is doing great. The report from Anna was that they were staying busy enough to feel useful, but not so busy as to feel over whelmed. The team visited some schools last week and it sounded like they worked on a project for a local pastor.
One day most of the group traveled to a school and Anna and her great Aunt Sue stayed back to organize medical supplies, in preparation for this week. Sue, a nurse at The Phillips Eye Institute, was able to bring a great quantity of medical supplies to use or leave for the Honduran people.
The remainder of the team arrived in Honduras this mid week and the group started right in with medical clinics. This is a report that came in last night:

Saw 142 individuals at clinic.
Saw too many to estimate in dentistry.
Maureen (on of the team members from Northridge Fellowship) took and printed over 100 family photos (the Hondurans have mostly never had their picture taken before).

Please pray for their continued safety and impact.

Thank you for continued prayers and all your support
Cristine Nielsen

We're Off!

Hi friends! Team one leaves today! We will be driving to Chicago throughout the night tonight and arriving in Honduras sometime tomorrow afternoon! While I am gone my mom will send updates as they come. I don't know how often I will be able to call, but will do so as often as possible. As I head out, I want to thank you for your support. I know I keep saying this, but it really does mean a lot to me. I pray that I will do what the Lord wants me do to. Thank you for your continuing prayer! I can't wait to tell you about what we will do, when I get back!

We are packed!

Yesterday at church we got a lot done. The team was commissioned during both services, hygiene packs were assembled between services, and we got all the suitcases packed after church. A lot was accomplished yesterday! We organized our supplies based on which week they needed to go to Honduras. We then packed all of it into the suitcases. This is hard work. Not because it is heavy lifting, but because we have to keep all the suitcases under fifty pounds", but fill the space at the same time. We leave in three days! Please pray for safe travel to Chicago, and for us to function as a team and listen to what the Lord will have for us to do!

One week!

Hello friends! One week until I leave! I am so excited! At our meeting last Wednesday we got a lot done! I was at church early, so I was able to take an inventory of everything we have. The supplies were then separated into suitcases based on the priority of the need of the item(s). We got a lot done at the meeting! We also learned two songs in Spanish.
I have received all the support I need to pay for the trip. All this additional funds I receive will be and are being used to purchase some essentials for the clinic, such as acetaminophen and other OTC medications we give to many of the people who come through our clinics. Also, we will purchase vitamins and any other supplies we will need but do not already have.
I ask once again for your prayer. That there will be unity in our team. That we will set aside pasts and dislikes and our only care will be to follow what the Lord will have for us to do there. That we will serve with open minds and caring hearts. That we will make a difference! Thank you!

Almost There!

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I have been on vacation with my family up on the North Shore of Minnesota. What a beautiful area it is!
Less than a month until I leave! My excitement grows every day! God is so faithful! He brought in the support that I need. Now any funds that I receive will be used to purchase some much needed medical supplies that will be used in the clinic. I was able to do this last year and it was a great help. About a month and a half ago I received a devotional book by Beth Moore called Voices of the the Faithful. Every day is a story or experience or advice from a missionary. It is so encouraging to read the stories and see how God was the faithful to those people. He is so amazing!
There is a meeting tomorrow for the missions team. We have an amazing team! There are several medical people. And most of them have served in missions before. Nurses, dentists, pharmaceutical students. I can't wait to see what God is going to do with us in Honduras! We will be assembling hygiene packs on July 3 at my church. Later that day we will be packing suitcases as the first group is leaving the next Wednesday! If you want to donate medical supplies or clothes, let me know! Here is some of the stuff we will be needing:
-bandaids
-toothbrushes
-toothpaste
-brushes or combs
-washcloths
-bar soap
-clothes of all sizes, but especially children
-crayons

Wow! Less than a month until we leave! I just got the plans for the trip down and up. We will be driving down to Chicago and flying out from there. There will be a layover in Atlanta and then we fly into San Pedro Sula. On the 21 we will fly out of San Sula into Atlanta and to Chicago. I can't wait!
God is so good! He brought in the support I needed right away for the plane ticket and now the rest is trickling in. This money I will use to buy supplies for our hygiene packs and other supplies we might need for our clinics. On July 3, we will be assembling hygiene packs between services at church and that evening we will be packing suitcases as the first team will be leaving the next Wednesday!
Will you please pray for our team? That we will be united in our mission to reach those who need His love and light. That we will put any grudges or tensions behind us, that we will leave them home, and be ready to work together. God can only work if we are willing to let Him work. I pray that we will understand why we are here. I know why I am going down, I only hope the rest of the team will find their niche! Thank you for your love and support!!

Amazing!

Wow! Something happened the other day that has confirmed for me, yet again, that God really IS calling me to missions. My mom was going through my baby book looking for my Social Security number because was applying for jobs and she pulled out a note I had written when I was twelve, for AWANA. It said:
"Being a missionary is hard, in other words it is a challenge. That is why I think I would be a good missionary. When I am given an assignment, I'm not liable to give up. Also, when I start something I will not give up until it is complete. I also want to be a nurse when I grow up. The missions field is full of possibilities for a nurse. I also like being around kids in this world, even in Minnesota who need a mentor or maybe just someone to be with. Being a missionary is going where God calls you. I also don't mind getting dirty. But the biggest reason of all is because I love God!"
Isn't that awesome! From what I could remember, I thought God laid long-terms missions on my heart a year ago at a series of retreats. I had no idea of that letter! I love when God does those kinds of things. And just when I needed that reassurance!
In one month I will be on the road to Chicago! So much do to, and in the middle I will be fitting in a family vacation! Thank you so much for your continued support. I need that prayer. Also, will be you pray for us as a team? That we will be unified in our efforts and intentions. That we will see that need and help. That we will love and serve without reservation. I know right now that God is going to do amazing things, we just need to step back and let Him use us!

Do it agian

Well, I'm off again! As I prepare to leave for Honduras again, I once again see God's hand in all I do. I confidently believe that God has called me to be his hands and feet to another country that needs his love just as much as mine does. I still have questions, but I know the He is in control. That is what I tell myself every time I worry about the future.. HE is in control. I leave on the sixth of July. We will be driving to Chicago and flying out from there. I have received the funds I need to pay for the essentials; plane ticket, etc. But I would love to be able to serve as I did last year. I was able to purchase toothbrushes for a local dentist who joined our clinic team. She was able to give a toothbrush to nearly every person who came to our clinics. I was able to do this because of the amazing support I received last summer! Thank you for your support! It is greatly needed. Will you please pray with me that God will provide the support I need to be able to serve in the ways that He wants? Thank you again for your generous support of my trip! More updates will come soon!

HOME!!

I'm home! So great to be home and to be able to flush the toilet!!! :D I will post pictures and the writing I did every as soon as I can. Right now I need to catch up on com sleep!!! Thanks again for your prayers and support. What I was able to do in Honduras would not have been possible without your love and generosity!!!

Update from Anna's mom

We heard from Anna last night. She arrived in San Pedro Sula, Honduras right on schedule. She said it was very hot at sea level, but the weather was nicer up in the mountains.
The team is traveling in 2 groups: the group she was with is 6 people and the rest of the team will be arriving on Wednesday, they are about 14 people.
The whole team will work doing health clinics for the local people and also do a Vacation Bible School for those who gather to wait for the clinic. The team will also be available to do what ever work the people need.
NorthRidge Fellowship has been working with people of the area for more than seven years and several of the adults on the team have been to Honduras in the past. The relationships that have developed are rich and deep.

* Please pray for team unity as they work together in a different culuture.
* Please pray that the hearts of the people will be touched with the Light of Christ
* Please pray for safety and health for all those traveling from the U.S.
* Please pray that team would set aside their plans, so God can use them to fulfill His plans.
* Pray for Scott, who had to cancel his trip to Honduras, to go be with his family, as they care for Grammie, as she passes from this life to Eternity with her Savior.

As Anna's mom, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love, support and prayers for Anna Rose. Your prayers have meant to much to her and to us. God has given us great peace as we have let go of our girl and truly given her to God's care.
Thank you and God bless, Cristine

And I'm Off!

Well... I'm leaving today! All the prayers and preparations come down to this! I'm all packed. I have already checked in for my flight. We will leave to house in about 45 minutes and head over to Monson's from there we will drive to O'Hare. I will have mom send you update emails! Thanks so much for the prayers that have been prayed and those still to come!!!

There is one other thing that I need you to pray for. Pastor Dan's nephew, Matt, is also going on the trip. Last Thursday at about 9:30 am a landscaping truck backed into him. He was on his motorcycle. He did sustain a few injuries. Last night he was at the meeting. He looked OK. He chipped a vertebrae and got several large bruises. Could you please pray for his quick healing? He really wants to be able to go and I think is quite determined to go. Thanks!

Wow, I don't know what to say. Last night I got home from the meeting and was just about ready to cry. While at the meeting, several things that I thought I knew about were changed and different! I found out that we aren't leaving on Saturday. We are leaving on Sunday. That is the way it has been but I read the date wrong. I was told that the liquids in the carry-on's can't be more than 5 ounces and have to be in quart plastic bags. Again, not that big of a deal but I heard it from someone and never got the details, we called that person at 11 last night to ask for the specifics. Could you please just pray for peace for me and that everything will go smoothly in the packing and traveling process? I need that right now! Thank you so much! I love you all and am deeply honored to have YOU as my prayer team!!!

Only two days until I leave! WOW! Right now I'm off to the chiropractor. My back is killing me! I hope he can help! I have a little more shopping to do today and then that will be done. Tonight at the meeting we will be packing one of our check-ins. The other one and my carry-on will come home and I will pack myself! Thank you so much for the support and has made a huge difference!!! I will have a list soon of what I was able to purchase! Thanks again for the prayers!!

I leave on Saturday! WOW! So soon! I have some shopping I need to do this week! This weeks missions meeting we will be packing our bags. We will put in the hygiene packs and crayon boxes and other things like that. I am so excited! The thought of doing something so amazing for His Kingdom blows my mind!!!