panic

So, here I am getting off on my journey. Well, almost I will be off in a few hours. Right now I am just frantically trying to run all my last minute errands. If you think of me pray for me that I will be safe as I drive and that God will watch over the car and the belongings that I am taking with me on this trip.
I'll try to update you more along the way.
Blessings!
Esther

Journey's Start

Wow, I feel like I haven't posted on here forever! This week just kinda got away from me and today I am already beginning my travels, so posting will be even less frequent in the next couple of weeks (I think I need to tie a string around my finger to remember when I'm this busy! ;) ).
On the upside, I've gotten a lot done and most of my plans are set for my travels. Still trying to take care of a few last minute details, but...
Anyway, I'm busting out of this place in about an hour to head over to Wisconsin (I know, WI is not in the general direction of Oregon. Let's just say I'm taking the scenic route.).
Well, Tchau for now, hopefully I'll catch up with ya'll on Friday!
Oh, PS Could you please pray that I'll sleep well at night? It's been rough going lately! And of course for safety on the road.

Dreams

I dreamed about blogging last night. The thing is in my dream I couldn't figure out what it was!
No stress in my life or anything, you know.
I got all my stuff shipped yesterday! I'm excited about that as it was a bit of a concern for me. It even ended up being $10 cheaper than I anticipated. I was a little concerned initially with getting all seven pieces into my car and I was particularly concerned about having to lift them all and carry them to the car and then from the car, but it ended up working out okay and I made a chiropractic appointment for today so hopefully that will help too. Anyway, it is just a relief to get that over with. Now on to the rest of my packing...yipee. :|
Actually, I'm hoping to be able to get a little more done on my quilt during the next few days. I know I won't get it done before I go, but maybe I'll have a little time in Oregon or Ohio (the quilt is staying in Ohio as it is a surprise anniversary--much belated wedding--gift for my sister, shhh, don't tell her--she doesn't know about this site, I hope! :) ). I'll try to post some pictures of it in the next couple of days.
Well, back to the mines, catch up with you when I've got my work done!

God thoughts

You know, I was just reading a friend's blog and I was amazed at how much she talked about God. I thought about it for a while and I realized that I used to talk about God much more too. It's interesting that my mind immediately tries to defend me. You know,"you've been busy lately" or "your friends here don't talk about God as much as your friends in other places" and stuff like that. Which, granted, those are both true. However, I miss talking about God.
It makes me wonder if I am guilty of being "too busy for God" lately. I'm busy, busy, busy doing, doing, doing and ya, it is good stuff. It is even His work. And I do think about God and pray a lot. But it is always while I am running hither and thither.
It's a little ironic, because I have been packing devotional booklets and my journals and all those things for "when I get to Ukraine" but I haven't really been paying enough attention to the here and now. I do that a lot. It is always easier to live in the future for me than the present. But I don't want to miss the present.
So, here I am doing to God what I wouldn't do to an earthly friend: I'm "just accomplishing a few things" while we spend time together. How silly. This is God, how much more should I be setting aside time just for Him and me. Speaking of which, I am off to do that right now. Cheerio!

Tuna noodle casserole

Okay, it's bedtime for somebody I know! I just published this post with only a title in it.
I'm wiped. I just finished my packing. Well for all the stuff I'm going to ship to Ukraine. It adds up to nine bags and around 500 or 550 lbs. Which I sent at least half that much out to the garbage and to Goodwill. I'm just amazed at how much crap I've collected in the last three years!
I guess, part of it is stuff like sheets and blankets and pillows and stuff like that. I just can't imagine what all it is. On the other hand, this is pretty much the sum total of my worldly possessions, so...in that light it doesn't seem so bad.
Anyway, for supper tonight I went really healthy: Hamburger Helper with tuna and canned beans. Yum. :| Doesn't match up to the stir fry I had for lunch, but it's food.
Well, this kiddy winks is off to bed since it is almost 9:30 . Gotta get up bright and early tomorrow and run all my errands and have my meetings and (hopefully) sew! I'll have to post a pic of what I'm working on.
Oh ya, and the good news is that I sold my monitor today! Yipee!

Updates, updates

So, I made the exciting discovery that I can fly from Oregon to Ohio for $200 cheaper than driving! I would be so thrilled if that works out. Not only that I might get a little more for my car in Oregon. So that would be very exciting for me. It would cut out three full days of driving all by myself and staying in hotels all by myself. And save money! :D How much better does it get?

Oh ya, and the shipping company that I am going to use will only be charging $.69/lb rather than $.99/lb, which saves me another $100. So the last few days have been pretty good.

If you think of me, do pray that I'll be able to sell my few items here (and primarily the car) as well as be able to finish packing up and take care of details before I start driving on June 29th.

Selling Out

So, anybody know someone who wants to buy a little red car, sewing machine or monitor? Shameless aren't I? It's fun, you should try it! I guess desperate times call for desperate measures! :)

Emmanuel Ministries

So, I realize that most of you are probably confused about my mission vs. my ministry. In the USA I am affiliated with a mission agency called Emmanuel Ministries International. You can check out their web page at www.eminternational.org
The ministry that I work with in Ukraine, Russia and India is called Church Based Leadership Training. Their website (as mentioned in the post below) is www.wildfireworld.com

If you put that all on a flow chart it would go
EMI--CLBT--Esther Bible

I hope that makes a little sense to you!

PS. I have reached the happy half-way mark in my support raising! PTL!

My Ministry

Okay, if you want to know what I am really involved with check out www.wildfireworld.com It's a great synopsis of the ministry and you can even view some of the courses that I've worked on there!

Three more weeks...

Three more weeks till I hit the road! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Okay, to clarify: three weeks until I begin traveling in the States and Canada. I don't actually fly out to Ukraine until August 12. BUT I still have to have everything packed up before I leave in three weeks.
I wish you could see my poor house right now. I already have five suitcases packed and sitting ready in my bedroom. Then the rest of my things that I need to pack up before I leave are spread out over half of our second living room. My roommates are very patient. :)
My poor room is in shambles because of the packing. I have tried to leave as much intact as possible, but I have a feeling that most everything interesting will be coming down and out today and tomorrow.

The GOOD NEWS is that I finally found a shipping company (MEEST) which ships for only $1 USD/lb., plus a $10 delivery fee in Ukraine. I am quite excited about that! that is literally 1/2 to 1/3 of what all the other companies were quoting me! The funny thing is that I will probably have about 9 suitcases when I am finished packing, and that is the total sum of all my worldly possessions. To me it still feels like a lot, but I know that comparatively speaking it really isn't that much.

Blog Title

So, I keep getting comments about the title of my blog. Most people seem to read it "Journey sin faith" rather than "Journeys in faith". Having a sick sense of humor I kind of like the sin one. I feel that it describes my life well: I'm on a journey that is full of sin and faith. But mostly I just think it is funny. I'm glad I didn't catch that option before I created my blog, I wouldn't be having so much fun now! ;)
But really the title I chose grew out of my life. I'm forever traveling, hence "journeys". But my life is also a series of steps of faith and most of my traveling is related to my faith journey.

You know, it is totally amazing to see where I have come from and where I am at now. This is not how I envisioned my life. Gallivanting from one place to the next, meeting people and then having to leave them again, being involved in a church-planting/leadership training ministry. I guess, I often just feel like I've led more of a man's life than a woman's life. And maybe in this day and age it is not such an uncommon life for a woman, but it is just not what I was raised to expect. I thought I'd have a home and a family, you know, the whole wife and mother routine, the faithful supporter and sidekick. But I'm not sure that I would trade what I have now for that. I love who I am and what I do! Ya, I do miss having a home and sometimes I ache for lack of my own family, but then again, I know that what I am doing is helping to change the world. It has the potential to affect literally hundreds of thousands of people (and then some). I love that!
I love knowing that I am spending my life for a purpose. It's not just about my own pleasure or money or whatever, it is about influencing the world for God.

I have a great job!