Praying Down the Number @ 1:47!

Alright, ladies and gents, I have a challenge for ya!

A little background: There is an organization called 147 Million Orphans run by two AWESOME mothers and orphan advocates Gwen and Suzanne (check out their blogs: Gwen's  and Suzanne's). Well, they have been asking everyone to help them pray down  the number of orphans at 1:47 every day. So, in joining in that challenge myself, I want to ask all of you faithful readers to do the same.

So, in 13 minutes, and every day after today, will you join me and Gwen and Suzanne and whoever else, in praying down this tragically high number of orphans?

It'll just take a few moments. So come on, get on your knees, shut your eyes, take a break, open up your prayer journal, anything and everything it takes to join in praying this number DOWN to the deep depths of the ocean.

                           

Donation Opportunities and YOUR Chance to Rep Some AWESOME Stuff!

Ok, so if you're just tuning in, God's blessed me with the opportunity to go on a mission trip this summer with Visiting Orphans.

The trip, of course, isn't free, SO this is where you come in!

I'm offering a couple really easy ways to help out, AND you don't just have to dish out our dough to get nothing in return.

Here's two big ways you can donate to my trip:

#1: Buy some Visiting Orphans apparel and create awareness for orphans across the world

First, go to http://www.visitingorphans.org and click on the "Store" Tab. Next, check out some really awesome apparel from VO. Here are some examples of the shirts they sell [There are more on the website, but you'll have to hop on over to their site to check them out :) ]

Men's                                                                             Women's 

            

Now, here's how this helps me: When you check out (because all of you are totally going to buy some awesome stuff, RIGHT?) there will be a section that says Donation Information. There'll be a line that you can choose our trip Costa Rica-July 16 and than after that a place where you can put my name: Ellie Billman.

It should look like this:

#2 Way you can help:

We (as in AJ and I) had those nifty Livestrong-like silicon bracelets made to sell for the trip. The say...drumroll please...Yahweh Swag on one side, and Matthew 28:16-20 aka the Great Commission.

For you older generation (no offense, haha) swag is defined as "The way in which you carry yourself. Swag is made up of your overall confidence, style, and demeanor." So, if you're a Christian you have Yahweh swag because who you are in Christ makes up your overall confidence, style, and demeanor. 


If you care to rep your Yahweh swag with a stylish, comfortable, supa cool (am I making a convincing case?) bracelet for $5 in support of our mission trip, then comment on this post and I'll be happy to get one to you, one way or another. 


Just as a side note, these bracelets could be a great conversation starter if you're trying to tell others about Jesus and His AWESOME ability to give us Yahweh swag through His saving grace. 


Here's what they look like: 

Doesn't get much cooler than this people!

Meet my friends!

Some free unsolicited advice: If you ever go on a mission trip, take videos!! 

Because when your heart is sad and you miss your "African kiddos," the precious voices that fill the sound of your dorm room via computer speakers can help a bit. 

Although I'd rather be boarding a flight with destination Nakuru, Kenya, these videos will have to suffice. 

Meet my friends! 

Too late to recap 2011...NAH!

2011 was a BIG year...

I graduated high school. 

My family was blessed with a week full of fun, laughter, and relaxation! 

I traveled to Uganda and Kenya with Visiting Orphans.

I started college.

I discovered a new found interest in MSU football. Couldn't be due to my handsome now head manager boyfriend, could it? ;) 

The Billmans got a puppy!

2011 brought new joys, new heartaches, new friends, and most importantly a deeper and fuller understanding of our Savior's love and grace. It was a year to love a little harder, learn a lot more, and fall further in love with Jesus. 

I can't wait to see what 2012 brings!!

Costa Rica Info and a Request

Warning: This is kind of long; I just can't help myself these days! so if you're short for time, just scroll down to the description of our trip and the couple paragraphs that follow.  

As a follower of Jesus, I believe the words of James 1:27a: "Pure and faultless religion before our God and Father is this: to care after widows and orphans in their distress." Not to say that works actually make our religion pure or faultless, but our response to the desolate, vulnerable, and hurting demonstrates a heart changed by a pure and faultless God.  I want my life to demonstrate the work of an almighty, pure, and faultless God, and so with the many resources God's given me, I go. I go to care for orphans in their distress.

Sometimes when I think about all the hurt in the world; it feels like a 14 day trip to Africa or a 9 day trip to Costa Rica really isn't going to fix anything, which is true. As Katie Davis says in her book, "Sometimes I feel like I'm emptying the ocean with an eyedropper." Me getting on a plane for a small chunk of my summer is not going to fix the lives of 147 million (and counting) orphans in this broken world. 

But 9 days of my summer with the power of Jesus Christ can change the life of one, and that one is worth every expense. Jesus would have died on the cross for just one, how can I not as a follower of Jesus try to make a difference for just one. 

With that said, I want all of you out there to know a little bit more about my trip to Costa Rica this summer with Visiting Orphans. This trip is my response to James 1:27 because of what God has done for me. 

This is a description about Limón, Costa Rica, the place we are going on the VO trip. 

"Costa Rica is one of the most bio-diverse countries on the planet.  Its natural beauty is stunning and its beaches breathtaking.  However, on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica in the port town of Limon there is something that is breathtaking in a different way.  There are kids sleeping in the streets, there are problems with drugs and prostitution, the Afro-Caribbean population there that originally came from the Caribbean islands has been forgotten by the central Costa Rican government.  Social programs are seldom seen and the ones that do exist have a difficult time getting resources.  

Fortunately, there are two orphanages in the port town of Limon that fight hard to take care of the towns youth.  These two orphanages offer hope to children from broken families.  Not only hope but education, justice, recreation, access to health care, culture and recreation.  Limon is one of the locations in Costa Rica with the most needs." 

Our team will be traveling to Limón on July 16, working with the two orphanages mentioned in the description above, and then returning July 23. 

I'm working hard to raise the funds for the trip. I'm using some of the money I have saved and am also working this semester. I know that God has called me to go, and I know that He will provide the needed funds. 

I have a request, dear blog readers, would you being willing to invest in this trip? Certainly, these investments need not be monetary. I'm a firm believer that prayer investments are just as valuable as monetary donations. Would you pray for our team and for the children we will be spending time with in Limón? 

And if you would like to donate money to help get me to Limón, there's a really easy way. 

Step #1: Go to www.visitingorphans.org

Step #2: Click on the Donate tab. 

Step #3: Choose Costa Rica- July 16 

and (importantly)

Step #4: Put Ellen Billman in the "Team member or ministry name blank" 

Your page should look about like this: 

Thank you in advance to all who donate whether in money or in prayer! I'm so excited to see what God is going to do on our trip! 

Happy Birthday, Emily Kay!

So, I have about 15 minutes before my sweet sister's birthday is over, and I believe that calls for a shout out to the blog world in honor of her 14th year of life.

What a blessing this girl is to our family! 

Our Miss Emily Kay has such contagious enthusiasm. She has a smile that lights up the room and a laugh to match it. She is a loyal friend and a great encouragement to those around her. Emily is also a born leader who fails to waver under adversity. She continually takes a stand for what is right and leads others as a servant, never asking someone to do something she herself isn't willing to do.

In addition to wonderful character traits, Emily is also so very talented. She can play just about any sport or activity and succeed. Track, soccer, dance, cheerleading, art, drama, choir, you name it, this lady can take you down! (all with good sportsmanship and humility might I add). AND In case you can't tell from the picture above, Emily is also beautiful. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, but she has a beautiful heart filled with love for Jesus on the inside.

You'd think as the big sister, I'd be the one teaching Emily life lessons, but she has taught me so much already in just 14 years of her life. Emily and I could not be more opposite, but I love that God gave me a sister who is so unlike me. God has used many of Emily's qualities to further develop and grow the qualities in which I am lacking. My social butterfly, Emmy Kay, continually shows me how a true and loyal friend is supposed to act. Her outgoing nature helps draw me out of my shell, and her fun-loving personality reminds me to not take life so seriously. Thank you, God, for blessing me with such a precious sister who is so full of lessons!

So, today, we praise God for another year of our beautiful, talented, sweet, enthusiastic Emily's life. As each year passes, she matures more and more into a woman of God, and I'm so excited to see how she continues to impact this world for Jesus.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAY BIRD! I LOVE YOU! 

The Case for Short Term Mission Trips AND an Announcement!!

Disclaimer(s): 

#1: This post will most likely be rather long, but stick through it! And if you really don't have time, just scroll down to the bottom and check out my exciting news! 

#2: I am definitely advocating for short term mission trips, but I understand that the circumstances God has given each of us is different. I totally understand that not everyone has the means or gifts to go on such trips. There must be "go-ers" and "senders." I mean this post to address the criticism against short term mission trips and to explain why they have been so important in my life. 

SO...

We've all experienced moments in our lives when people cocked their heads to the side and said to us, "What on earth do you think you're doing?" For some, this happened when, at the ripe age of 6, they played barber shop with their dear friend, and ended up with quite a funny looking hairdo. 

I think people also ask "What on earth do you think you're doing?" about short term mission trips. Maybe not stated so overtly as in the question above, but you can feel it when you talk to people who don't believe short term trips are worthwhile. They say things like, 

Can't you just send your money instead? 

Biblically speaking, just sending money doesn't really make much sense to me. Not that donating money is bad; I think stewardship is awesome, but when we're arguing whether or not giving should replace going, going will always trump. 

     In Matthew 28:10, Jesus compels His followers, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing the in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." 

Aren't we followers of Jesus? Doesn't that then compel us to GO too? 

What's more, we show Jesus' love most clearly, boldly, and effectively through building relationships with others. How can we build relationships just by sending money? You're bright, so I'm sure you came up with the answer yourself...You can't!! God works through us to reach people for the kingdom through relationships. To build a relationship we must get to know a person, and to get to know a person, we must GO. 

So it's kind of like a vacation for you though? 

Ok, so no one has ever specifically said this to me, but part of me just knows there are people out there who think it. In part, this is true. Going on a short term trip was about as exciting as a vacation. A new place, a new culture, fun and games, travel. But in a lot of ways, mission trips are not like vacation. On vacation, your heart doesn't break for little kids walking around with tattered shirts and no pants. On vacation, you generally don't have to trust God that you'll survive scary situations. On vacation, your objective is comfort, not discomfort. So, I guess in a way, short term trips are like vacation, but in a lot of ways it's really not. 

Is such a short amount of time really worth that amount of money? 

Can you put a dollar amount on vibrantly experiencing God's tremendous love? 

Is there a specific price for a child who doesn't feel loved to get to learn about and tangibly feel the love Jesus has for him? 

How about a dollar amount for a radically changed heart? 

The truth is I don't think there's a price for carrying out the gospel of Christ. Yeah, it's a bummer that flights cost so much and that we have to pay for a place to rest our heads, but this is God's work we're talking about. There's not a dollar amount that matches.

Short term mission trips are not religious tourism, they're not worthless, they're an expression of faith. They're a chance for a life-changing experience. They're opportunities to break up selfish materialism and pride, and they're a way for God's precious children to physically see His great love for the world. 

If you want an example of God's great power through short term trips, just look at my life. I was the girl who prayed, "Dear God, I'll be anything you want me to be except an astronaut or a missionary." Now, I want to be a missionary nurse. Short term trips change hearts. I promise. 

Ok, so as promised an ANNOUNCEMENT (drum roll please)...

This coming summer, I'm going to Limon, Costa Rica, on a mission trip with Visiting Orphans!!

God has heavily weighed orphans and the oppressed on my heart, so off I go, this time to a Spanish speaking country to use one of gifts He's given me.  

I'm a firm believer that it's never too early to start praying, so pretty please pray for the trip and for our team. 

Stay tuned to find out more about the trip!