Beginnings...

Hey everyone,

Welcome to our Team Rwanda blogspot! My name is Elizabeth Phalan and I am one of two co-leaders for the trip. I cannot emphasize how wonderful it feels to finally have our team together, training and fundraising. Since the end of Spring 2008 semester, Steven Mendez (the other co-leader) and I have been praying about this trip, the students and the ministry we will be working with in Rwanda.

Today follows a big day. Yesterday, we bought our plane tickets! Granted we still have A LOT of money yet to raise but I praise God for providing a way for us to get the tickets. One exciting tidbit is that we will have about a day layover in London! In order for us to get the cheapest tickets possible we are flying from LAX to San Fran to London to Nairobi, Kenya to Kigali, Rwanda. Sounds round about, and it is, but I am so grateful we have tickets. This means...WE ARE GOING!

Tomorrow will be day one of our team retreat and it will be wonderful to get to know everyone on the team on a deeper level. Dr. Michael Anthony, of the Christian Ed program here at Biola, is Steven and my mentor and has proven to be an invaluable resource. On Saturday, our team will get to go sailing with him and his wife. How much fun that will be! Please be praying for unity amongst our team as we spend time together and open our lives up to one another.

Speaking of prayer, please, please, please keep praying for money to come in for our team. We are still far from the goal and right now that is our concern. I believe that we serve a big God and He is capable of amazing things. So, I am relying upon the Lord's providence as well as faithful support and our hard work. Aside from finances, be praying for the elementary students we will be teaching, the kids who will be at the weekend rallies, and the organization we will be working with, Transformational Leadership Africa (TLAfrica).

Check out our coffee fundraiser, too!

More to come, so keep checking up on us.

We are so thankful for you!

:)

Liz