Last Wednesday, I said my final goodbye to Oregon, including my brothers, friends, cats, car, and job. Bright and early Thursday morning (at 4 am to be exact...), my parents and I set off on a 4-day long road trip to Tennessee, our new home!! God has brought us safely across the country to a peaceful home in the rural areas of Eastern Tennessee. It is a beautiful place to rest, grieve, refresh, and recover before I head off to a new adventure. Life here is slow, which leaves me time to process both this past year and the future ahead. Oh boy did God know I really needed this time!!! If I were still in Oregon, my schedule would be packed with trying to make time to see friends before I'd leave, and I'd still be working. But here I am, thankful as ever to get to transition gradually to the Eastern time zone, adjust to the humidity/weather of the East, and get some alone time.

These past few months, I’ve been witnessing how God is a provider & how He knows what is best for me far better than I ever could. During this season of immense change, I have been able to take advantage of my opportunity to praise God through the pain, grief, and discomfort. I've been experiencing just a glimpse of what it is to walk through the fire, & I'll continue to walk through it with the certainty that on the other side, I will be refined & purified, because of God’s love & grace towards me!

It hasn't been easy, yet it has been an honor & blessing to receive the support I have been. Through sweet & long hugs, kind & encouraging words, being prayed for, & all the loving people in my life, I am able to see just how much God loves me.

& My heart overflows with gratitude because I get to say that I am almost halfway funded for this mission trip!!!!!! I have been blown away by the way that God has moved the hearts of the people in my life to support me financially. Thank you all for your generosity. 

I'm counting down the hour until I arrive in Georgia. As of this moment, I only have 7 days and 14 hours until Launch Day!! Please keep me in your prayers as I take these few days to prepare the rest of my gear/myself!! 

I have a fundraising deadline coming up on September 8th. By then, I'll need to have 9000 dollars, which means I have around 1500 to raise. Would you pray that I reach that amount in time and consider personally contributing to this ministry? I appreciate all of you that have already given to me! Thank you! I love you all!!

- Rach