Prayer Requests for Africa

It's been a whirlwind over the past week or so as I've finished prepping for Ethiopia. I still don't feel entirely prepared (I'm sure everyone feels like this when they leave to go on missions!). Nonetheless, I'm excited to go and excited to meet my team.

I'm at home in Ohio with my family today and tomorrow and am so thankful that I get to spend Christmas with them before I leave. I fly to Washington DC on Saturday morning to meet up with my team and we leave Saturday night from DC around 8:30 pm to head to Ethiopia. Please keep us in your prayers:

• Pray that we would all be able to make it to DC without any major issues. We're coming from all over the country and weather is, of course, a bit of concern at this point.
• Pray that we would have safe travels to and from Ethiopia and that we would be safe traveling around the country.
• Pray that we would be able to see past cultural differences to see that Christ is Savior for all nations and all people.
• Pray that even through exhaustion we would be able to love with the love of Christ and to give all that we have.
• Pray that we would be free from illnesses while we are there and when we return.
• Pray that this experience would not end after 2 weeks. Pray that when we return we take action from what we have seen and learned.
• Pray that we are reminded that even though there is injustice around the world, God hates injustice and will one day come to rescue all victims of injustice and redeem this world. (I'll be honest...I think this is the one I probably need most prayers for right now. I've already thought to myself multiple times "How can just 2 weeks possibly make a difference? There is so much injustice all around the world and no matter what I do, it won't be enough." My heart is heavy thinking that even as I type this to you there are children dying from malnutrition and preventable illnesses and there are women giving their bodies to provide for their families. But I know that all will be redeemed and given new life when Christ returns. I pray that my team and I can find peace in knowing this.)
  
• Pray that we would stay hopeful and keep our heart and eyes open to the work that God is already doing in Ethiopia and has been doing for many, many years.
• Pray that we would be able to learn from the people of Ethiopia. I keep thinking about everything we're going to share with the people of Ethiopia when we go, but I have this sneaking suspicion that I have an awful lot to learn from them, too.
  

If you'd like to be praying for our specific projects, here's the schedule of where we'll be on each day:

Monday 12/28 - Little A Hope in Addis Ababa
Tuesday 12/29 - Women at Risk in Nazareth
Wednesday 12/30 - Women at Risk in Nazareth
Thursday 12/31 - Women at Risk in Nazareth
Friday 1/1 - Travel to Ambo
Saturday 1/2 - School time and activities with children in Ambo
Sunday 1/3 - Church and activities with children in Ambo
Monday 1/4 - School time and activities with children in Ambo
Tuesday 1/5 - Classroom time and activities with street children in Ambo
Wednesday 1/6 - Classroom time with children in Ambo
Thursday 1/7 - Fistula Hospital/Hannah's Orphanage in Addis

Pray Boldly

Just a short, quick post. I'll be leaving for Africa this month! Plans are coming together nicely and I'm getting really excited for it. I was having a discussion recently with another girl (Sarah) who is going on the trip. She said something that really struck a chord with me and I've been thinking about a lot lately. First she said "I know the trip is a few weeks away still, but already I feel as though I have so much to tell about my trip to Ethiopia." The funny thing is, I feel the same way. I haven't even left yet already I feel like I have stories to share about how God is using this experience.

Later, the whole team was on a conference call and we were discussing a book we are all reading together in preparation for our departure called "Mack and Leanne's Guide to Short Term Missions." We were talking about praying for our trip and how we expect God to show up in our work and ministries while we are in Africa. And typically, mission trips do result in life-changing experiences because we experience God so intensely. But the thing is, typically we pray pretty boldly for mission trips. I know for this particular trip I've been praying a lot!! So the thing is, why don't I pray with that same boldness about the missions I'm involved with here...right here in my community? Why don't I pray boldly about the children I work with at the rescue mission? Why don't I pray boldly for my small group? Why don't I pray boldly for my colleagues? Why don't I pray boldly for my family? Why don't I pray boldly for my friends? Why don't I pray boldly for my roommate? Why don't I pray boldly for my city? Maybe if I were in constant, never-ceasing prayer for the every day things of my seemingly ordinary life I would experience God in a powerful way right here. Maybe I need to be praying that he would awaken my heart to the work he is doing around me. Every. Single. Day.

I believe in the necessity of international missions. Obviously, I do--I couldn't be more anxious and excited to go to Africa. But at the same time, my eyes are being opened to the reality that God is calling us to be bold in our faith here. That God is calling us to be missionaries here. That God's work needs done here.

So I'm challenging myself (and you!) to pray boldly. Pray boldly that your heart will be awakened and you will experience God in your ordinary, everyday life. Pray that His love and His Truth would be evident through your actions to the people you come in contact every day. Pray that you would see the needs of the people immediately around you and that you would rise up to meet those needs with love and compassion. Pray that God would come and fill you with hope for this nation and all nations.

Pray Boldly.
And have faith that He hears.

November 25th

Today is November 25th. While many of you are preparing for tomorrow's great feast with friends and family, I'm asking that you would take a moment and consider giving just $25 to support my mission trip to Africa. The Lord calls us to make disciples of all nations. And while some people are called to physically go, others can help make disciples by giving.

If you haven't been following my blog, then let me give you the quick rundown. From December 26th through January 8th, I and 15 others will be traveling with The Mocha Club to Ethiopia to work with 2 Mocha Club Projects (Ambo School & Street Boys and Women At Risk). We'll be spending time serving and loving the people of Ethiopia and sharing the saving love of Christ with them.

Your donation is not only a donation to help fund my travel, but a donation that could very well change the lives of many. Please, if you can, give just $25.

You can give by going to https://www.mochaclub.org/africa-trips. Click on "Make a Donation" and be sure to enter my name (Kristi Kratzer) in the top box.

This Thanksgiving I'm thankful for you, my friends and family, for your endless love and support. I hope you all have a very blessed day!

Ethiopia: Women at Risk

Hey friends! For those of you curious about more details about my trip to Ethiopia with The Mocha Club and 963 Missions, you're in luck (on Friday the 13th! Ha!). One of the organizations we'll be working with is called Women at Risk. You can visit their website by clicking here. Women at Risk seeks to reach out to urban sex workers in Addis Ababa and provide them with holistic rehabilitation program that provides social, physical, and spiritual counseling as well as job training. Women at Risk started in 1993 and is staffed by full time staff members and utilizes short term volunteers (like our team!) to operate. In 2001 they opened a halfway house called Filiklik. They've been able to rescue young girls and women from the travesties of prostitution and enable them to become successful in their own upstanding businesses. I'm so excited to be able to spend time with these women, share the love of Christ with them, and to hear their stories and how Women At Risk has helped to transform their lives. Be sure to check out their website to learn more. You can learn about the history of the organization, read testimonies, etc.

And of course, you can always give to my trip :) Visit https://www.mochaclub.org/africa-trips and put my name in the top box to donate.

Support my trip to Africa!

Hello friends! You can now give online to support my trip to Africa.

https://www.mochaclub.org/africa-trips/2

Just be sure to enter my name in the first box on the form.

Let me know if you have any questions or would like to learn more. As always, Florida Friends, I'm definitely willing to meet up in person to tell you more about what I feel is my calling to go on this trip. And for my out-of-state friends--you know how to reach me (and if you don't, leave me a comment and I'll get you my phone number or email address).

Thanks all for your continual prayers and support! Pray that God would use this trip and the people traveling on it for the work of his kingdom!

Ethiopia Meeting #1

I just got off my first conference call with the team traveling to Ethiopia in December. I've known ever since mailing in my application that God's hand was over this trip and had arranged things so I could go, but after getting off the call, I'm even more sure of it. As people shared how God had opened the doors to allow them to join this mission, I was filled with such great joy. It's so amazing to see how our savior can orchestrate things perfectly.

So let me share a bit about The Mocha Club Ethiopia Team December 2009.

• We are 14 members strong
  
• We are comprised of 10 women and 4 men
• We are an international team with 2 members hailing from New Zealand!
• We come from 8 different states - Texas, Maryland, Colorado, Wisconsin, Tennessee, New York, Massachusetts, and Florida.
• We are made up of students, grad students, vocational ministers, corporate professionals, and moms!
• And most of all---We love Jesus and desire to serve his people in Ethiopia. :)

If you are praying for our team (and I ask that you would!) please pray for Tiffany, Danielle, Julie, Michelle, Asaua, Christine, Cole, Laura, Linda, Sarah, Shawn, Brittany, Geoffrey, and myself.

I feel like I'm at such a loss for words right now because I'm still in such shock at how beautiful God's plan is. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised as His plan is always good and perfect! The reality, however, is finally sinking in that I am going. Our flights have been booked and this week we'll be receiving our travel itineraries. Our definite dates are 12/26-1/8.

Thank you friends and families for your prayers and continual support. I'm so excited that I'm able to share this experience with you all. Already I can feel God working in my heart and softening my heart for the work he has prepared for me to do and the work that he is doing in me.

Please feel free to leave a comment, email me, or call me (let me know if you need my phone number) if you'd like to learn more about this trip, my passion and desire to go, and the work that the Lord is doing in my life. For my Florida friends, I'd be more than happy and willing to meet with you in person to talk about it more. And I'm definitely open for advice too if you've traveled overseas.

Mocha Club Work in Ethiopia

Take a look at some of the work Mocha Club is doing in Ethiopia. Not entirely sure what we'll be working on when we go over in 2 months, but you can get an idea of work they've been a part of. $7 a month (aka 2 Mochas) does work like this...I'm just awe of God's provision and humbled when I watch this video.

I'm Going to Africa!

Yep, you read that title right. I'm going to Africa--specifically, Ethiopia. I'm so thrilled for this opportunity and passionately believe that God is indeed the one sending me on this mission trip. I hear the term "global community" used quite a bit and lately I've begun to think more about what that term means. As technology makes it possible to bring people from all over the world together, I think it also must change the way we think about who our neighbors and community are. In Mark 12:29-31 Jesus says:

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

If we are truly living in a global community, our neighbors are not only those that live in the apartments or houses next to us, or the people we work with, or our friends, or the people we go to church with, or even just the people of our city. Our neighbors are people all over the world and we are called to love them. Even more importantly, we are called to Love the Lord our God. I strongly believe that we can show our love for Him by caring for His people.

So here I am, gearing up for the journey of a lifetime! You want the details, I suppose, right? Great! I'll be traveling with 2 organizations that are partnering together for this trip--The Mocha Club and 963 Missions. The trip is tentatively scheduled for December 27, 2009 through January 9, 2010. That's right, just TWO months away!! Joining me on the trip will be individuals from all over the United States (and possibly even beyond). While in Ethiopia we'll be working working with a Mocha Club project that rescues women from the growing world of prostitution and offers them a 10-month rehabilitation program (including social, personal, and spiritual rehab as well as job training). We'll also be working with 2 other Mocha Club projects that work with children. I'm so excited to get to know the people of Ethiopia and share the love of Jesus Christ with them.

Where do you come in? I'm glad you asked. I need your support, both financially and through prayer. I need to raise nearly $3000 in support money to be able to go on this mission. I ask that you would prayerfully consider supporting me. Any amount you can give helps get me one step closer to serving God's people in Ethiopia. My first payment is due in just a little over a week so please, if you can give, don't wait! :)

You can send financial support to:

963 Missions
Attn: Mocha Club
10440 N. Central Expwy., Suite 122,
Dallas, TX, 75231
Please make checks out to African Leadership (The Mocha Club's parent organization).

Do not write my name on the memo line as it could nullify tax exemption for your donation.

Please print the support note below and include with your donation so they know who it's for.

An online giving link will be made available soon, but is not quite ready yet.

Whether or not you are able to give financially, I ask that you would be praying:

• Pray that our team of individuals would bond together easily and work together as a team.
• Pray for our team's safety in travels and for safe health while in Africa.
• Pray for our team's leaders as they continue to put together final details for the trip.
• Pray for the people of Ethiopia that they would come to know the saving love of Jesus Christ.

Finally, if you would like to receive updates of my trip leading up to my departure and while I'm in Africa, please let me know. You can either leave a comment on this blog or email me at kristi.kratzer@gmail.com.

Thanks all for your support and encouragement. I feel incredibly blessed that God has chosen me to go on this trip and I'm so excited!

Living on Less?

So here I sit pondering whether I should buy an iPhone while at the same time wishing I could quit my job and just do worldwide missions. Well hmm. That presents a problem, doesn't it? My heart is calling me to go and serve while the earthly side of me is desiring every trinket and gadget available. I'm facing a dilemma that has surely plagued believers for some time. How to live on less so we can live more fully. I think it comes down to this idea of wanting to be accepted and wanting others approval. If I have a new iphone, trendy clothes, a big nice home, new running shoes, a new camera, a blue ray player, a new bike, fancy furniture, the latest kitchen appliance, new dress shoes, concert tickets, movie tickets, downloaded songs, etc, etc, etc, I'll fit in, right? People will have to like me, right? But when does this mass consumption end? With each pay raise I say I'll give more. I'll support missions and charities. I'll give beyond my tithe. I'll even save some! But with each pay raise I feel entitiled to a higher standard of living.

But really?

What's the point?

Is my iPhone, my new clothes, my concert ticket worth more than...

...clean water in Africa?

...homes for the homeless?

...a chance for an education for all children?

...food for the hungry?

...supporting ministries?

...the Gospel reaching ALL of God's children?

It's a battle I'm constantly fighting in my heart. How do I fight the constant desire to conform to this world and instead allow my heart to be molded by my Savior?

Is this something you struggle with? What are your thoughts?

Africa...

In the past year or so I've really felt God calling me to go on a mission trip. I live a very sheltered, American life. My greed and selfishness win out more often then my kindness and generosity. Maybe time with God's people in Africa would open my heart and my mind to the real blessings God has to pour out to us (not just those monetary, material blessings). I really feel like Africa may be the place. I keep looking at different mission opportunities and every time I'm pulled right back to the people of Africa. So, if you have suggestions on great mission organizations serving in Africa, I'd love to hear them. I'm curious and would love to learn more...from there hopefully God will open the right doors and lay his will on my heart.

I need Africa more than Africa needs me...