the mocha club

so sorry you've had to stare at that same christmas ornament for 3 weeks now...(libby)...now you'll have something new to look at :)

there has already been lots of activity in 2009- a really fun wedding (brooke and justin rosolino), an amazing marriage conference with dan allender through porter's call, a thrilling long weekend in MS visiting grandparents, and several really fun game nights...pics to come...

but the time has come for me to pick up where i left off...africa...i've been dreading this post. i am actually still dreading it, even as i write. i guess its because i dont know what to say. its so weird to share part of your heart with the "internet"...i mean, how much do i expose? how do i sum up in a few words what those 2 weeks were like? part of me doesnt want to try because im afraid that i will just do a massive injustice. but on the other hand, i feel strongly that God has put africa in my life so that i will learn how to speak up rather than shy away...

in order to give you the full story, i have to introduce you to the MOCHA CLUB.

the mocha club is the reason we went to africa. and its how the Lord uses dave (and by default, me) to do work for HIS kingdom. i must take this opportunity to urge each of you to join the mocha club. some of you have probably never heard of the mocha club, and some of you are very familiar...either way, please- ALL OF YOU- sign up.
heres the plug: you pledge $7 a month (roughly the cost of 2 mochas) to the mocha club and that money goes directly to a project of your choice. it would be FABULOUS if you joined under dave (go to the artists drop down menu and select his name) not because it benefits either of us in any way, but because it directly benefits the people we met and grew to love in sudan. dave is raising money specifically to build wells in areas of sudan where there is absolutely no water...(you will see pics later.)

i cant go on without one more plea...please give to mocha club. $7 a month. its crazy how far that small amount goes in africa. i invite you to share in our lives in this way. it will bless me. but more importantly, it will bless our brothers and sisters half a world away.

ive been thinking and praying a ton about what purpose the Lord had in taking me to sudan...other than the obvious, to support dave and to experience that with him. but what is MY role in all of this? its pretty clear for dave- he talks about africa and raises money for mocha club at each of his shows...but i dont.

brooke fraser wrote a song after she got back from rwanda called albertine. (another plug?) here are some of her words:
"Now that I have seen
I am responsible.
Faith without deeds is dead..."
im still working out the "deeds"...but at this point, i know that i cant be silent. there are needs there that we can help fill. im sure of that.

so, ill give you the basic background and then the next post, ill start with the pics.
mocha club wanted to send us to africa in order to show us some of the projects dave has funded, and also to show us some new projects for him to start supporting.
the projects in sudan are managed by a non-profit out of virginia called the persecution project foundation. we teamed up with them in sudan because they are much more familiar with the area- they showed us around. we spent 3 days on the southern border of darfur. we traveled to 3 different villages to see what projects had been done and what the needs are. the last village we visited is in dire straights- they have no water, no food, no medicine. 7000 people. it was bad. and emotional. dave decided that, beginning this year, he would raise money to dig wells for those people.
we also spent almost a week in nairobi checking up on some projects there and getting some time with rachel and barrett.
then dave, barrett, and i flew to cairo for a couple of days- just to see the sights.

so, thats the rough introduction. ill be posting pictures every day or so, so stay tuned. im looking forward to this. i just needed to get started :)