busy busy busy!

Life has been super busy with school, work and trying to get all of the letters out to people for Africa! The letter is finished and i have sent the first half of them out! If you happen to come across this and i didnt send you the letter i'm going to paste it at the bottom of this blog post. So far i have Ten Dollars towards my trip! Thanks dad! :) We had an Africa meeting this past sunday and really prayed a lot that the Lord would provide the funds for this trip. I really feel like the Lord has led me to go on this trip so i have no doubt that He will provide everything for it. Our first lesson was about missional living and how we should be living out the call of God on our lives in every aspect. This is something i dont do often. When i think of missions i think of trips across seas but the Lord is changing my view. We spent a great deal of time talking about what the main story of the bible is and how you would explain it to someone else. Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration and Consummation.
1) God created the not out of need but out of love.
2) God wired the world and its inhabitants to live and move in a particular pattern and He did so not as a distant deity but rather as an intimate creator.
3) Man did not trust the word of God and took of the forbidden fruit. In so doing, rhythm was shattered. The intimacy was instantly removed and a great separation now stood between the creature and the creator. Genesis 3:1-24
4) The life of Christ reeminds us of God's intention from eternity, that at the right time He would write Himself into the greatest story to restore His wayward people to a right relationship with Himself. Romans 5:6
5) In His death, Christ paid the price that was owed God for the sin of man. His death reveals the extent to which God would go for His glory and for humanity's salvation.
6) In His resurection, Christ defeated sin and death and reconciled man and creation to the rhythm God intended. We have not a dead savior, but one who is living in which all hope rests for there is nothing that is not under Him. John 20:30-31; 1 peter 1:3

What a beautiful story. We have hope because one day Christ will return to reclaim all of creation once more to be fully under His rule and will restore the rhythm completely. The more i have really studied it this past week i'm learning how desperate we are for a savior. How broken we are and how much we really need the cross.

I love you guys!!

Here is the letter i mailed out!

Hello friends and family,

I am so glad that I am getting to write this letter to you. I have been given the opportunity to fly oversees to Sudan (which is in Africa) on June 7th, 2010 for two weeks. It is a city on the southern border of Sudan named Yei. It is one of the safer cities in all of Sudan, and most of the people living there are primarily Juba Arabic speaking African Christians.

Our specific goal is to go and love on children in the orphanages. We have nine other men and women going on the trip with us that will use their individual gifts and talents to serve men and women in Africa. This is an exciting opportunity for this city of +40,000 Sudanese that we will visit. Join is in prayer that they would be greatly blessed by our efforts there!

I don’t know if I have ever been this excited about something so purposeful. It is hard to explain, but there is such a great joy when you know you are living for something bigger than yourself. It seems to be a food that really sustains. Why would we travel such great lengths to help others when we can help our next door neighbors? Because God, through his son Jesus, has given me so much, I cannot help but give happily this grace to others in return. I am overjoyed that I not only get to do this every day here in America, but will also be able to be a visible representation of this in Yei. I’m truly excited to share and live the Gospel half way across the world.

I need your help… This trip will cost $3200 plus all of my incidentals (shots, passport, toiletries, etc.). They have suggested about $1000 to cover this. The trip cost has to be paid directly to the church and is tax deductible. I have set up a paypal account or can receive personal checks to cover the incidentals. Your Prayers are first and foremost what we covet, and I would be most thankful if you decide to give financially. You can fill out the attached stub to:

The Village Church
Attn: Financial Department
2101 Justin Rd
Flower Mound, TX 75028

Please make the checks payable to The Village Church by June 1st, 2010. Make sure to write “To support the work of Chelsea Smith” in the memo line of your check. Like I said these contributions are tax deductible and my church will issue you a charitable donation statement.

Personal Checks given to cover incidentals go to:
Chelsea Smith
2644 Mount View
Farmers Branch, TX 75234
If you have any questions please feel free to call me at (214) 557-4329.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

If you are getting this letter, then it means that you are near and dear to my heart, and I am very thankful for you in my life. I definitely look forward to telling great stories of what God will do in our time in Sudan. Please follow me on my blog as I will continually update on how the journey is going. (the link is http://csmith89.blogspot.com/)

Much Love,
Chelsea Smith

My Paypal Account

If at anytime you are able to give financially to this trip i would greatly appreciate. You can do this by clicking the donate button to the left. This is linked to my paypal account. You could also send it to the address listed below if that would be easier. Again i appreciate it so much. Thank you for everything!

2644 Mount View
Farmers Branch, TX 75234

I love you guys!