Ten days...

Yesterday my trip became officially official official. I got my pre-trip packet of a couple info booklets, my itinerary, my ID lanyard and my tshirt. Woot woot. :)
It's 10 days until I leave. It's really getting close. :)

It's amazing to see God work through everything: providing my expenses, provided above what I need, providing support of the missions trip through my youth pastors and parents and respected adults.

It's also great to be blessed with parents who are so supportive of this. Doing things to ensure aspects of the trip, sacrificing financially to enable me to do what God wants me to do, and not restricting me from God's will for whatever reason.


I just have a few more projects to do before my departure and I'm all set! :)

Oh! The issue with Papa John's... well, they still haven't sent the check, so BCI has allowed me to go ahead and pay and then transfer the funds to my other sister who is planning to go sometime soon.

Thank you for praying.

In Christ Alone,

Kevin Barrick

One month, one day.

I figured it's about time to begin updating this blog more often as I near my departure date.

It's been a long pre-journey. I began to consider going on this missions trip probably January or February of this year. Maybe sooner. It started out slow. I had no idea if this was what God really wanted or another one of my "mission ideas" that never happened. But as the months passed it was clearer. Everybody I looked up to was in support of it; God began providing money; and I got a clearer concept of my mission.

Two 2-day yard sales, one spaghetti supper, and several trips to the flea market later and I'm just right on the verge of having my financial requirements met. I'm waiting on a check from Papa John's (HEY! They're doing a benefit day today, Dec. 1. 30% of all online orders through the Kings Mountain branch will go toward my trip costs). Once I get that check, I will be able to pay the remainder and be set.

God has showed me a few specific things He wants me to do already. The major one, obviously, is teaching sign language to Fekerite, a deaf girl in the BCI Academy. I will also be teaching her biological brother as well as her foster mom and family. And when possible, I'll be teaching the staff sign language so they can communicate with Fekerite while I'm away.

It was definitely encouraging to hear that they are excited for me to come to teach them. :)

In addition to sign language, I will be teaching basic music theory. God has gifted me with the ability to play the piano and the opportunities to take piano lessons from at least two people. I will be able to take those things and in turn teach the children there basic music theory. Obviously I won't teach them much, but I'll teach them what I can and as much as much as I can teach and as much as they can learn.

With that, I hope to bring a portable, roll-up piano with me. It is a good tool to have while teaching and for them to maintain the music education. In addition to the piano, I'm hoping to drop-ship a box of recorders/flutaphones for them to use as well.

The third and final thing that God has directed me to do beforehand is to help in a Bible Club.

I can't wait to go. :)

It has sneaked up on me. I'm so used to thinking and saying "I'm going to be going on a missions trip." Now it's "I'm going on a missions trip." Before I know it, I'm going to be saying "I'm on a missions trip."

I can't wait to see God work. In my life and the lives of those over there. I can't wait to see God in the faces of those who aren't caught up in the meaninglessness routine of TV or the internet or fashion or society. I can't wait to learn the lessons that wait for me in the lives of each person God brings to my path, or me to their paths.

It's an amazing feeling. Not because of what I'm doing, or who I am, or what I am. But because of God.

God has provided most of my financial needs directly. The 2 yard sales covered about 1/2. The dinner covered about 1/6. Everything else came from donations.

This trip is all God. Sure I have "abilities" to offer, but they were all given to me and nurtured by God. It's amazing to see how he's 100% supportive of this trip. Even before I knew about going.

I can't wait to go learn and teach, minister and be ministered to, love and be loved, encourage and be encouraged. I can't wait for the nights I stare at this blog, unable to express the amazingness of the God I serve.

I'm not naive to the inevitable struggles that are to come. I'm doing something for God, of course there will be road bumps. Of course I will have things go wrong. Of course Satan will try to derail my efforts. But I have a God who is greater than the god of this world. I have a Father who will only let things happen to my benefit and growth. I have a Friend who will be closer to me than I am to me.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts our fear.

If I am to do this, I am to do it in love. And with love as my purpose and driving force, there can be no fear because it will be cast aside.

So, I will focus on the positive and excite myself about God. About all that he will do on this trip.

In Christ Alone,

Kevin

It's official

I haven't posted here in a while. Wow.

Just wanted to stop by and give a few updates.

First off, I'm officially accepted by BCI to be a part of this missions trip. :)

Also, I'm planning a Spaghetti Fundraising Dinner Nov. 10th. All are welcome to come. For information about the specifics, just email me. (kevin2ethiopia@yahoo.com)

Yard sale!

This Friday and Saturday I'm having a yard sale to raise money for my mission's trip. I have a lot of stuff, and for that I praise God. :D It has taken over my house, which is a good thing. :P

So, if you are in the neighborhood, please be sure to stop by. If you know me personally, then you can check out my mom's facebook page for more information about where it will be at.

If you aren't local, then I ask that you pray God will work amazingly and provide supernaturally. There has been a pattern of storms for the weekends since the middle of June here, so it would be awesome if God held off the storm.

(I'll make a entry about this later, but--)
It looks like I will not be going to Ethiopia in October, but instead I will be going, Lord-willing, in January of 2012. It has pros, and not really any cons. So I'm not worried. I had an opportunity to take a sign language class in the meantime at a community college here, but Pell Grant wouldn't be approved in time or something, so I didn't really want to gamble with payments. But this gives me an opportunity to find a job here in my city to earn money for the trip, and perhaps set some aside for college if possible. With being out of my youth program now, I'm not tied down to church activities(beyond worship services) so I can be more freely committed to my job and not have to juggle between the two.

That's pretty much the latest news about my trip. Some of you may remember my mentioning an opportunity to work at a deaf camp during the month of July. I was able to work there in the kitchen. I learned a lot about myself and about God. A lesson definitely brought back with me is the fact that when things are placed in His hands, His will will be done; it's only when we take matters into our hands that things get screwed up. So I'm trusting Him for guidance and provision in all matters of my trip to Ethiopia.

Beyond that, I would like to ask you to pray God would continue revealing to me His will in regards to my Ethiopia trip. There are still a few uncertainties, but I know God will reveal to me what He wills when he wills. I ask you that you would pray that I will be willing to do what He wants and that I have the strength to do what He wants.


Thanks for praying.
--Kevin B

Praises and praises.

So, I held another flea market this past Saturday. Since last time we sold a lot of cookie bars, we decided to bake mostly those.

That morning, I went into the sheds to find more kid books to sell and loaded them into the van. We got there a tad late, and found every table at the front taken, so we had to go to the rear of the property.

Despite being "out of the loop" of the other tables (which we didn't really turn out that way because there was a parking lot up a hill directly in front of us), God provided well. The most so far, actually: about $83.

I even got to sell 2-3 of my duct tape wallets. :)


Another praise: One lady who stopped by our table informed me that she was selling rolls of duct tape for $2 each at her table. After we packed up the table, we stopped by her table to see what duct tape rolls she had.

I had been wanting a blue roll to make some blue wallets. So she led me to her van that had a box of them beyond the few that she had placed on the table. I was able to find a blue roll as well as a yellow roll(The most used color when making Ethiopian flag colored wallets). She then told me she had another roll, but it was nearly out(little less than half) and she gave it to me for free. It was a zebra pattern. So maybe trendy teens will want to buy a zebra-patterned wallet. :P

But, the lady, knowing what I was selling the wallets for, sold the two rolls to me for a dollar a piece. :D (Regular price with a 40% off coupon is $2.90)

YARD SALE!

This is mainly a "service announcement" to those who live near me.

I am hosting a yard sale at my house in late May or Mid-June. All proceeds will go to my missions trip to Ethiopia.

I would like to ask you to donate items for this yard sale. Spring cleaning perhaps has left you with boxes of knick-knacks and other space-consuming items, or maybe you have collected stuff over the years and haven't used them, or maybe you have clothes that your children have outgrown. Well, consider donating them to my yard sale. I will be accepting donations until the day of the yard sale.

Assuming those who read this that are near me would be those that attend my church, if you have items you want to donate then just come see me at church.

Thanks for your consideration and prayers.

-Kevin

It's been a while...

Well, I tend to find myself preferring to clump things together unless they stand out from the rest(that is, if it would be of interest to others to have those stand-out things have their own entries...)

Anyhow... I went to the flea market last Saturday. I hadn't been there since the first time. A lot of stuff seems to be happening on Saturdays that take me away from flea marketing(and other things. :/ ) But that's life?

Well, at the flea market, we spent about 3 hours selling stuff(We actually brought some books we kept in our sheds for a while; along with some baked goods and my wallets.) (I had a piano recital, and it had been raining in the early morning, or else I'd probably have stayed longer.)

From that experience, I received about $45. ($3 of which came from my first wallet sale. I decided to throw out random numbers between 3-5 until I snagged a customer. =P )

Then I received $46 from someone from my church.

Then I received some money from a fellow person who went to Ethiopia(not with BCI).

OK, I have an announcement, but I want to separate them. Hmm, I actually have two. So, I'll post one here and then the next one in a separate entry.

In my first couple of entries I told you guys I was going to Bill Rice Ranch during the month of July for an opportunity to work there among deaf people.

Well, just recently God seems to have opened another door. If all works out, I'm thinking I will be serving as a volunteer/intern for one month(July) at Silent Word Ministries in Trenton, GA. It is also a deaf ministry, but with this I will be able to help with computer related stuff.

They are converting from some word processing system to Open Office. I am familiar with Open Office(I used it for everything). So I would be working with that, probably primarily since it is apparently very time consuming.

I also might be able to work with video editing. Recently I have become interested in videography, and this would give me a learning experience for it. (My dad is savvy with video stuff, so he can teach me the basics so I can work there without having to be trained by them.)

It sounds like a really cool and great opportunity, and I think I'm going to walk through that door until God closes it.