Long Time No Talk

Hello everyone! I'm sorry for taking soo long to post. I have not been able to visit an internet cafe until now.
One of the quotes that our leader taught us is "Be Fexible" I'm sure you can cope as I have.
WELL... Where to start!
My first week was training at the Haven of Hope orphanage. The training was hard but the kids there are so beautiful that it kept me going strong. I tried not to have favorites with the kids but a few have captured my heart. Regina is the most beautiful little girl who always sticks by my side and was shy at first but by the end of my stay she was bringing me books to read to her, and she told me who her crush was... I cant tell you or I'd be betraying her confidence.
Anywho, I also met Immanuel who our church's childrens group is sponsoring. The other Kids call him quasy (the "s" doesn't make the "z" sound). Quasy is a leader among the kids and is very mature. He is also great on the bongo's. I saw him play while the kids were practicing their traditional dance lessons. Quasy kept wanting to hold my watch because his has not worked for some time now, and he keeps begging me to call his sponsor and tell them that he wants a new one. I told him I'd tell them.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that when I first met quasy and told him that my church was sponsoring him His eyes went huge and he gave me a bear hug. He saw the picture and was so surprised to learn that there were soo many people sponsoring him. The other kids thought that he had like 20 sponsors.
Since last sunday my group has left the orphanage and is now in Aflau. We taught for the first time yesterday and things were rough because I had not gotten much sleep. The night we came in to our hotel, there was a muslim funeral in the hotels veranda area and their music was soo loud that you could feel it. I thought the bumping was going to knock the fan off the ceiling.
I was soo discouraged my first day that I began to question the legitimacy of coming to Africa.
"How can a white man make a difference if he cannot speak the language?"
"Maybey I'm not meant to be here."
But God reminded me that this is not about me, it is about him, and I should be serving him with all of my heart no matter where I am. Whether I'm in utah or I'm in Africa I should follow him full heartedly.
Today is the second day of teaching and I felt that it went much better. When I presented salvation and Jesus through our teaching tools, the kids responded with amazed looks and furrowed brows. Some had never heard of him, and when they heard that He is the ultimate sacrifice for their sins (some are traditional worshipers and sacrifice is a big thing out here) they became soo intent on what I was saying that my heart leaped for joy.
Teaching is hard work, and I have a new appreciation for those who put up with me all through junior and senior high.
My teaching partner's name is Julius and lives here in Aflau. He is kind hearted and is always trying to buy me food and teach me songs. The only problem is that he sing soo much that my ears ring and he likes to preach to me. I had to remind him the other day that I was saved because he had been preaching to me alone about grace for nearly half the day. I love Julios and know that he has such a strong desire to serve God that he cant help but talk about him... I just get frustrated when he doesn't talk with me, but talks at me.
Things are amazingly cheap here. I bought: a loaf of bread, three bananas, three 1foot long omellete sandwiches, two soy kebabs, and a 1.5 litre bottle of water for under 20,000 cedis which is about two and a half dollars. I am also amazed by the marketplace, and roadside stands.

Not many people know this but I have thought for a very long time that "Once I'm on an international mission, that's when my relationship with God will be strongest and that's when sinners will turn from their ways!" but God has shown me a few verses.
Psalm 51: all
and Proverbs 24:11-12
the verse in proverbs says "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say 'But we knew nothing about this,' does not he who weighs the heart percieve it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?"
and God showed me that I have a lot of work to do in Utah.


God is good, God is everlasting, and God is giving me the only strength I have. May he bless you with a heart of compassion and eyes that search for ways to help others. I also pray that you will not wait to serve God, but do it where you're at.

I have soo much more to say, but my time on the computer is almost up.
With love

Travis

Powerful Providence of the Provider! (Post #2)

Story Of The Day:
When I decided to follow Jesus I chose give up my everything. I made this choice willingly but didn't quite grasp how much I was giving up. God is constantly watching over me, and reminding me of this commitment.
Yesterday I was meeting with some friends from High school. After talking to them for nearly two hours I finally saw how far out of "The Circle" I had always been. I'd spent nearly two years of my life with some of these people in school yet hadn't spent one day of it outside of school. My friends told me of all the huge parties everyone had been at (With the exception of me) and they confessed that they always hid loads of stuff from me because I was constantly talking about Jesus and always had my bible with me.
When I returned from Snow College I was getting depressed because none of my friends wanted to hang out and wouldn't even return my calls. God used this conversation to show me that by accepting him I had become his property and that by having him in my life I was protected from the diseases that now plague nearly every one I knew in High School. Alcoholism, Marijuana use, Prescription drug abuse, and many other things that I would have been exposed to had I not been a Jesus Freak.
I thanked God today for guiding my paths, and giving me this hindsight to show me how much he has provided for me. I also ask that you pray for those people and their reconciliation to the Lord.
More Providence:
Money. AHHHH! Just the mention of the word gets my stomach doing back flips inside of me. I hate taking it, I hate spending it, and most of all I hate asking for it. I'd rather be lost in the wilderness without any survival equipment than do a fund raiser, so you can understand my difficulty in preparing for this trip.
At first I thought to myself... OK, well if I just fast, and have enough faith in God I will not have to ask ANYONE for money but just let God provide.
Though I had good intentions God wanted me to trust in his church body, and be willing to step out of my comfort zone for him. So I did.
I expected God to provide the money in the first week, so when I was 300 dollars short on my last day of fund raising I knew that God was going to provide for me, I just didn't know how. God chuckled, bent down, and said "Watch this!"
...
So I watched.
I received an email from Every Child Ministries(ECM) with my account portfolio. I was still two hundred dollars short. Needless to say, I was a little flustered. I was giving God the little elbow nudge that says "Hey, any time now!" and God nudged me back and said "Chill out, I got this."
The next day I was called by ECM and told that I had raised about three hundred dollars more than was necessary. I knew he was gonna provide the entire time, but God used this to increase my faith in him.
It's been a week and God has also provided me with spending money so I can buy food for the kids on the street.
Praise God!

Prayer Requests:

• Good health (I'm feeling a little queasy from all the new meds in my body)
• Safe travel (Flying out 2:45 this Sunday to Chicago, then to London, then to Ghana)
• My friends here in Utah (Especially Casey: Who is searching for the Lord)
• Submission to the Lord (That I will daily give my: Family, Future, Friends, Struggles, and life to him)

My Prayer:

Lord, I pray for blessings upon all those who have been supporting me spiritually, financially, and emotionally. God I thank you for all that you have provided me in these last few weeks and how you've taught me to trust in your church body. Holy Holy Holy are you Lord almighty, God I pray for those struggling with faith Lord, that you would reveal your ever guiding hand to them and that you would lead the lost to you and strengthen those that already belong to you. Thank you for this trip and the miraculous things that have already happened.

God I pray that when I go to Ghana that I will be transparent to these people and that all they would see is you shining from me in actions, speech, and thought. Father please watch over my family while I'm gone and comfort my parents who I'm sure will worry about me.

I ask these things in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Verse(s):
Proverbs 16:3 - Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:9 - In his heart a man plans his course but the lord determines his steps
Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Prelude to Parting (Post #1)

Hello everyone, and welcome do my Blog!
I will be using this web site as my Online Journal to keep everyone up to speed.

At the end of each Post I will have a prayer list and hopefully a special bible verse and/or quote. Please look over them and support me with your prayers. I'm gonna need every one.

Prayer Requests:

• Yellow Fever Shot (I'm taking a medication that dulls my immune system. The medication may render my shots ineffective or even cause me to contract yellow fever from them.)
• Focus as I prepare to leave (Also: to know everything I will be teaching backwards and forwards)

Verse/Quote:

Matthew 28: 16-20

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

A Prayer of Saint Patrick

"Christ protect me today from burning, from wounding, from drowning, from poisoning that I may have an abundance of reward in you!

Christ be with me,

Christ above me

Christ below me

Christ before me

Christ behind me

Christ to my right

Christ to my left

Christ when I sit down

Christ when I lay down

Christ when I get up

Christ in the quiet

Christ in the danger.

Christ in the eyes of every man who sees me. Christ in the ears of every man who hears me. And Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me.

Christ be with me... Amen!"

I've made this prayer part of my life because it's all about Christ and all things being done through him, and for him.

God bless you All

love -Travis-