Pure Joy

I have been blessed with the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Costa Rica this July with an organization called Pure Joy International. This trip's focus isn't the normal focus of mission trips that you think of -- and I'm SO excited about it's focus. It isn't construction or VBS or medical or even evangelism as we think of it...even though all those wonderful things...but it's strictly on lifting up our missionary women. Pure Joy International (purejoyinternational.com -- take a look if interested in learning more!) has one and only one focus -- reaching out to women that have left their home country and are serving Christ around the world. We, a team of twelve from Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Arizona, will be setting up a retreat for fifty missionary women who reside in different parts of Costa Rica. We will have praise and worship, speaking, craft time, exercise time (zumba!), and, most important, one-on-one counseling with two licensed counselors. Being a former missionary woman, I know how important it is to receive counseling. It is so nice just to talk with someone regarding the struggles of language learning, culture barriers, home sickness, marital problems, etc... Each team member has a specific job -- one doing craft and zumba, two being speakers, one media person, two counselors, etc. I have been chosen to be the team devotional leader -- giving devos to the team every day. Scary! I'm not a speaker, but hopefully God has a reason for choosing me to do this!

As with any mission trip, I've had to raise my own money to go, which although I'm not fully funded yet, I'm sure the rest of my funds will come in, which has been a great blessing so far! It is intentional also for the fifty missionary women that have been invited to this retreat would also be funded by various donations of people wanting to help and support. The retreat starts July 12 and so far, only half of the missionary women have been fully funded. I know that God will fully provide -- because that is just the way He works! If anyone would be willing to donate some money towards some of these missionary women, it would truly be a generous and wonderful gift. Just go to the website and you will find all the information there!

I'm excited to be able to go and minister to women that are serving us overseas by sharing God's love in various ways. I'll be leaving my baby boy for 10 days, but I know he'll be having tons of fun with grandparents! Be sure to look up the website! www.purejoyinternational.com