Beginnings Continued.

Apparently I needed to explain a WHOLE lot more(lol), so I'll give probably a rather long story of...everything, I suppose.

Lol, I really don't know where to start, so I'll just ramble. If things need clarifying, comment so.

I've been on a few missions trip, all beginning in 2006. My church has periodic missions trips (every other year), and every 5th or 6th year we have an overseas missions trip. Lucky for me(Or perhaps it might have been luckier if it had occurred closer to the present), I went on my first missions trip overseas to the country of Spain. I was 12, I think, at that time.

There were a lot of us, perhaps 10-15 people. Even the pastor of our church went with us. We stayed for 10-11 days doing a variety of things. We held a youth rally, went on visitation, did construction type work on their barn where they host youth activities, and did church ministries(sang, performed instrumentally, etc)

For me, though, it wasn't much of an experience because being 12, I didn't really know what to do. I did what I could and what was told of me, but I didn't really grasp a whole lot in regards to missions.

My next missions trip was two years later to Florida to work at my youth pastor's parent's church. This trip was more of a church-ministry outreach type thing. We held a week-long Vacation Bible School, had a youth rally, and went on visitation. (We were there probably 11 days.)

The latest missions trip was two years later (This past July). We went to Pennsylvania to work at a church(I'm not remembering the connection we had with the pastor, but I think he was a graduate of the Baptist college our church is affiliated with in North Carolina). While there we did a mixture of construction-type work and outreach. we were there about 10-11 days as well. We worked in their prophet's chamber, remodeling it, and worked on revamping the outward and inward appearance of the church(Painting, etc). Near the end of the week we held a youth rally, hosted a Sacred Concert of songs by our youth choir, and some served in the children's church on Sunday morning(I actually was a part of this).

So, missions trips are foreign to me, and I have enjoyed them.

As I've said in the initial "presentation," one of my main focuses on this trip is to build a relationship with Fekerite and her family, teaching them sign language--as well as the staff there. Therefore, I will now briefly explain how God has prepared me for that.

I was introduced to sign language by my mom, who used to teach at a Deaf and Blind Institute. When I was growing up, she served at church in the deaf ministry: teaching church-goers sign language and being (one of) the "head-masters" (lack of better words) of the deaf ministry.

So, all throughout my childhood I was exposed to sign language. We went to one church for a short while during my younger childhood, then we moved to North Carolina where we didn't have a great deaf ministry, but the influence was still there. (My mom had tried teaching sign language to my brother and me, but her work schedule and our inattentiveness ended that fairly shortly.)

After three years we moved yet again to another city in North Carolina. There, after a couple of years, my mom and another lady began a deaf ministry. For about a year or so we had a fairly decent group of faithful "attenders." However, eventually that dwindled (due to a variety of reasons, like there being another church that is mainly deaf). We presently do not have a deaf ministry (Though we somewhat maintain contact with those who used to come).

My mom currently teaches at the local Baptist church. She has two different level sign language classes, of which she has been teaching for a number of years. I had the opportunity to audit both classes during my 9th or 10th grade year.

Last year my mother taught at a deaf seminar at the Bill Rice Ranch in Tennessee. I tagged along and took the intermediate course.

I love sign language. During the missions trip to Florida I was even able to use it in one of the services. (We actually had the excitement of possibly having deaf people come to one of the services, but that didn't happy. =/ But the youth pastor still wanted me to interpret one of the songs--for the reasons, I would guess, to give an opportunity for any member of the congregation to invite deaf people they know, knowing there is an interpreter there.)

So, that is my backstory of sign language and missions trips.

Now, to further explain my current prospective missions trip.

My sister one day in January found Blessing the Children International when she was Googling mission trips 'cause she wanted to go on one. She looked into BCI and God directed her and provided for her to go on that. She went in October of 2010 for two weeks. She did a variety of things, met many people, learned of their many stories.

BCI has an academy and a orphanage of sorts. The orphanage is probably more like a safe haven, because the children may still have an aunt or a mother taking care of them. BCI strives to keep families together, which I think is cool.

My sister worked with the children there: teaching songs, helping with schoolwork, playing with them, etc. She developed a love for them. A Christ-like, missions-longing love.

When she returned home, she felt as if she left her family in Ethiopia. The children had stolen her heart. She is now confident God wants her to return to be a missionary where she will spend two years in Ethiopia, and then return to the states for however long as per traveling visas requirements. She wishes not to change citizenship to Ethiopian, because to my recollection you can't have dual-citizenship.

She now plans to return in October of this year.

When she returned she presented the idea of one of us(my family and me) going with her. At that time she hadn't explained that she was thinking about becoming a missionary. But she was planning to at least go again the following year.

That was the first pique of interest. I thought about it, but not really seriously. However, the day she explained she was going to be a missionary, she presented the idea of me going with her for a time. She either then or later told about Fekerite. It was then that I started to become really excited and interested about going.

I began to recount various things in my life that would seem to have been God molding me for this (My whole story relating to sign language).

As time went on, the idea became more of a reality than a thought. I talked to my parents, and they are in support. (Not too keen on the time length, but they're slowly getting used to the idea.) I then talked to my youth pastor, a married couple(youth leaders), my piano teacher(who has gone on several missions trips), and a adult couple I greatly respect and love. Everyone of them is in complete support of this trip. My youth leader said she highly(highly, highly) recommends going on the trip, that it will change my life. That it has a great potential of opening my eyes to clearly knowing what God wants of me(whether it is missions related or not.)

After those conversations I was pretty convinced this is what God wanted. And the four month time length seemed to fit. Two weeks was way to short to be of any help to Fekerite, and much longer than 4 months would be too long for me personally, having just graduated from high school and it being my first real overseas missions trip experience. But, the matter of finances was the only thing that kept me from knowing fully going to Ethiopia was His will.

I still don't know for certain, but I'm feeling pretty confident it is. He has provided already for this trip. A lot of people are praying about this trip(myself included). And there are a lot of doors opening to this. And a sense of peace. For instance, the fact I am going for 18 weeks. Sure it is a long time, but that doesn't really phase me as much as other people(not intentionally) seem to think it should.


A couple of people have asked about my schooling, and how this trip will interfere with that.

My plans for a long time (well, at least 1/2 a year before I began to think about this trip) were to go to a community college for two years to get an Associates of Arts degree. By getting such a degree, I will be able to meet the general education requirements of four year universities in the same state(Articulation Agreement).

I saw it time beneficial, as well as financially beneficial. I will only have to take the courses for my major a the four-year university, and not have to worry about incorporating general ed with it. And at the community college I can get a Pell Grant which will likely cover my tuition and book costs, and even cover driving expenses, depending on the amount I receive.

Since I will be leaving in the Fall, and then returning in the middle of Spring semester, I will be missing a year of college. But frankly, at this time I am not definite on what I will major in. (Another reason I am taking two years of general education.) This will give me time to see what God wants me to do. There are at least three majors in which I have considered taking.


In Ethiopia, I will be staying in a guest house with BCI. I am not quite sure any arrangements, obviously since it is eight months away, but it'll be with BCI.


Oh, I don't know if I mentioned this in the earlier presentation, but this July until August 5th I will be at the Bill Rice Ranch in Tennessee. July 2-31 I will be working in the kitchen pretty much. BRR is a camp that ministers to deaf of all ages. And it also trains individuals in the ministry of serving the deaf.

August 1-5 I will be taking an advanced level course in the deaf seminar, which pretty much is directed to deaf ministry leaders. Since I will be pretty much establishing a deaf ministry there, my mom and I thought it appropriate to take the course.


See? I said this would be lengthy. =P

Please continue to be in prayer. I need it.

-Kevin.