Hello!

It has been months since Olivia posted her letter about her trip to Tanzania and lots has changed since then! The trip is just over a month away now! Not only is Olivia going, I am tagging along with the team as well! Thank you so much for those of you who have been praying and for the financial support you have provided. And for those who have asked how our finances are coming along, at this point we are about $1500 from having all of the funds we need! That includes donations, our own personal contributions and the portion of the trip covered by our church.  Olivia has worked for well over a year putting most of all she has earned towards the cost. (Most of what is still needed is my portion of the cost.)

We are getting vaccines, gathering the clothing we will need and counting down the days! Please continue to pray for the entire team as we prepare to leave.

Much Love,
Sandra

A Heart for Missions

Hello Friends and Family,                                                                                

I hope everything is going well! I’m doing great myself. God has opened an amazing door in my life, one that I have been dreaming about the past four years! I have the opportunity to go out and share the love of Jesus on a mission trip to Tanzania, Africa with a team from my church, Kirk of the Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma from October 23 through November 6, 2013. On this two week outreach we will be primarily providing support and encouragement for missionaries living and working in several areas of Tanzania, and sharing the gospel with those we encounter. The missionaries we will visit are those with which  Kirk of the Hills has ongoing relationships.

God is sending me on a path that will give me a greater heart of compassion and love for His people around the world.  He is also giving you a chance to be involved and spread His love! There are several ways for you to be involved in reaching the world for Christ.

                                 

 

First, and most importantly, please, PRAY for me and our team of eight (of which I am by far the youngest!).  1. That God will prepare our hearts and minds to share the gospel. 2. That we meet the needs of the missionaries we will visit. 3. Financial provision for each team member.   4. That the goals and purposes God has planned for this trip will be accomplished.

Second, you can be involved by supporting me financially.  Since last summer I have worked to save over $900   towards my expenses which in total are about $4000.  I will have an exact amount as the trip gets closer and plane tickets are purchased. For my friends that live near me I would love to do yard work, babysit, pet sit, housework, etc. in order to earn money. Donations, whether one time or monthly, are also greatly appreciated. All financial support is tax deductible. Please make checks out to Kirk of the Hills with my name and Tanzania in the memo and mail to: Kirk of the Hills, 4102 E 61st Street,   Tulsa, OK 74136. The church can be reached at   (918) 494-7088   or   www.thekirk.com. My goal is to have all funds in place by September 15.

Third, get involved in missions yourself!  GO! Serve locally, nationally, or internationally!

I have been involved with local and international missions . This spring break will be the third year I have served in Tulsa Missions with our church youth. We all gather and “camp’ at a host church and serve the surrounding community by lending a hand in impoverished areas to homeowners and local charities.  In the past we have hauled off trash,  yardwork, reached out to the homeless, you name it!  I also served with a team in Arlington, TX ministering to that city’s children.

Last summer I traveled along with a team from Kirk  Of the Hills to a small village in Costa Rica where we provided support to a local church.  We were very busy throughout the week with various programs and projects- All with the goal of sharing the Good News of Jesus and the hope that is in Him.  Two  of the days  were FILLED with  Christ centered  fun for the children!!  My focus was planning and supervising activities  for children five and under.  It was great that the mothers were involved too with about 25 children each day!  I had prepared several crafts. Their favorite was making paper sack puppets.   

                            

 As the trip to Tanzania gets closer I will have more details about our itinerary and exact cost. If you would like to get updates please Facebook me or post here,

Thank you,

Olivia Deal

 

Keaton is....

Keaton is adventuresome,extremely honest & open, enthusiastic, loving every minute of life, an awesome uncle, and incredible son, full of integrity, growing in wisdom & stature, becoming a man who fully seeks the Lord, bold, out-going, determined, solid, a thinker, a doer, a goer, a talented musician, will accomplish his calling, and is 16 today!

Christmas with the Deals

Christmas Eve lunch...everyone minus Keaton, he was feeding cows, and Elias, who was napping.

Landon trying on his new coveralls with everyone else in the background. By the time the gift opening was over it looked like the room had exploded with paper and boxes.

Our front flower bed on Christmas morning. So pretty. What a treat to have a white Christmas. It is now a week and half since Christmas and we still have several inches of snow. The FedEx driver would not even attempt our driveway this morning. Once you mange the five miles of backroads to get to a main highway traveling is great!




Dayton and Johnna.

Robert opening his new wallet from Olivia.

Keaton and Pancho a.k.a Elias....

Elias modeling his new hat and fuzzy socks~

Jansen trying to hide behind his knife set.

Haden, Janine and Elias.

Landon opening his much anticipated MP3 player!

Olivia, feeling just dreadful with a fever, and Gloria, her faithful companion.

The Stockings...

Are hung by the chimney with care.......

Baking Marathon!

Twelve batches of cranberry orange bread. Peppermint cookies----however many 14 cups of flour makes. Many, many peanut bonbons. Pretzel chocolate candies. Two pecan pies. Two pumpkin pies.

An Early Christmas Gift

Today, quite by accident, I received an early Christmas gift.

The mail came with an envelope from World Vision. It contained a photo of the most beautiful seven year old boy from India with a letter saying that we are his sole sponsors. I did not remember signing up to host a child but what a joy to see little Satish's face.

Having sweet friends from India when we lived in Switzerland planted a seed in my heart & Olivia's for these people. Sumah and her husband, Bosco, were so wonderful to us. The two of them along with several others cooked delicious food for us, taught us about their country, customs and beliefs. They were patient to instruct Olivia and Landon to eat with perfect form using their fingers. We had much joy with their unexpected friendship.

It seems that we are consistently meeting people with connections to India. An Indian Pastor visited our church and attended our Sunday school class. Then there is Peter Mayer, a talented musician, who grew up in India with his Lutheran missionary parents. We just "happened" to attend his concert last night. and WOW! and so on.....

Anyway, we did not sign up to sponsor Satish. Robert gave him to me as a Christmas gift! He wasn't expecting a letter to come in the mail so soon. Now I can enjoy Satish a few days early.

An incredible gift.

(I will try to get photos posted of our new family member soon.)

www.worldvision.org
www.petermayer.com
www.thekirk.com