Sunday, May 31, 2009

1st Support Update

Well, I got my first report on how much support I have raised so far!

As of May 21st, the total raised so far is $415.00!!! Just $5885.00 left to go!

I am deeply humbled that you all would support me monetarily. I firmly believe that God will bless those who give even in this tough economic time! Thank you so much! And God bless!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Torn

It has been a tough week.

I have seen a lot of grief mixed with a little celebration. A Godly man passed away last Friday. My girlfriend's father killed himself after battling with depression. I ask that you would keep her family, the Russells, in your prayers as they continue on without him each day. I never met Randy Russell in person but this past week has shown me how great a man he was and how much he loved Jesus. So this week has been extremely hard because the world has a lost a man who loved his family, his country, and his Savior. A man whose legacy and walk with Christ speaks loudly even to one who never met him. It is hard to understand why a man whose life touched so many would so suddenly die. I can't give any answers, and I have so many questions myself. But I trust you, God, and that is all that I know to do. So I am torn whether to grieve because a Godly and respected man has left this world that so desperately needs people like him or to celebrate a child of God finally seeing his Savior face to face in heaven. I feel like it is okay to do both.

So I ask you to grieve with the Russell family and friends, to pray with them, to cry with them, to remember with them, and to ask why with them as they miss a husband, father, son, brother, and friend that they loved. Yet at the same time, celebrate. Celebrate a brother of Christ going home to a place of no sorrows, worries, or troubles, a place of joy and no pain, a place where I long to be.

Friday, May 15, 2009

What are you going to do in Uganda?

I will be working with EMI and their office when I am in Kampala, Uganda. I will be working alongside one of the engineers who lives in Kampala and some volunteers. I will be helping in the master planning, building design, documentation, and anything else that is necessary in helping to get the project accomplished.

What is my project?
Right now and this is subject to change, I will be working on a project for the Pacific Academy Outreach Society who seeks to provide education for AIDS orphans. They have a school a few miles outside of Kampala. The project is a girls secondary school for them. It sounds amazing and to use my gifts that God has given me for a project like this is very rewarding. I am really looking forward to it!

David

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

What is EMI?

That is a good question!

EMI stands for Engineering Ministries International. It is a non-profit Christian development organization based in Colorado Springs. EMI is composed of professional architects and engineers who offer their services to ministries overseas. They also have offices in Canada, the UK, Costa Rica, India, and Uganda. With these offices, they have supported hundreds of projects ranging from hospitals, schools, churches, orphanges, and water systems in over 85 countries.

This is just a brief synopsis about EMI. If you want to learn more, please check out their website at http://emiworld.org/.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Beginnings

So I am starting a blog. This is hard. It is tough to begin something. I really want to start this thing off with a really good post, something that will make people want to come and read it. I created this thing about a week ago and finally I got the courage to write an actual post. Anyway, those are my initial thoughts.
So I guess I will begin by telling you why I am starting a blog. About two years ago, I realized that I was about to graduate college in a few years, and I began to think about what I was going to do when I graduated. I wanted to do something that would be fulfilling to me and also involved serving my Savior. I began to talk about this with a few peers, and a friend suggested I check out an organization called Engineering Ministries International (EMI). So I did, and God seemed to place a longing in my heart to serve with them. Sometimes or most of the time you dream about something or envision doing something, and that dream fades like a fad. Well this longing to serve with EMI never did.
So fast forward to January 2009. I sent an application in to EMI right before my final semester of Architecture school began. And I waited. And waited. I had a few interviews with some firms and my prayer was continually, "God put me where You want me." So in April I got an email from EMI wanting to set up a phone interview. So I had my first phone interview 2 or 3 weeks later. Again I had more waiting. Seems like a trend. Waiting is hard, I have to admit, and I know you would have to agree with me. It is especially hard in a juncture of my life where I am trying to figure what to do after graduation. You want answers and quickly. But God has a plan and being patient for that plan is rewarding.
So I had my interview and thought it went well. They scheduled me for a second one in about a week. So more waiting. I also have failed to mention that this is all happening right around the end of the semester for me. And the end of the semester and especially the final semester of architecture school, can be quite hectic for an architecture student. Lets just say I did not sleep very much.
So the day came for the second interview. I call EMI, and my life changes.
They want me to intern with them in Uganda for the fall. God's plan is coming to fruitition in my life.
So that is why I am starting this blog. I am stepping out in faith and going to Kampala, Uganda in August. My hope and prayer is that you will partner with me in this journey and ministry that God has called and is calling me to do. I need your support especially in prayer and if God leads you, also financially.
Please explore the blog. There are a couple of links to the right you can look at, as well as, a few documents. Please continue to check out my blog for updates through out the summer and fall as I get ready to go and then finally go to Uganda. And so this thing begins. I will share more about EMI and what I will be doing with them, as well as, what God is doing in my life in some future posts.

And so this thing begins...