Hello Friends.
I'm wondering how many of you have been fortunate enough to read Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. If you haven't read it yet, I highly encourage everyone to. In this book, Piper talks about a Christian's duty to serve in missions. He states that there are three types of people when it comes to missions: (1) people who go, (2) Senders, people who support missionaries in various ways and lastly (3) the Disobedient. A bold but effective perspective isn't it?
For several years now, I've been disobedient, ignoring God's calling for me to go on missions. Many of you haven't heard me use the term "missions" and when you did it was usually followed up by such excuses as lack of money, work, family obligations and "not being prepared enough" as justifiable reasons. But friends, the time has come! God has called me to go and I boldly answer by heading out to serve wherever He leads.
I alongside 7 other faithfuls, will be spending 2 1/2 weeks in So.Africa & Mozambique with "Hands at Work, Africa" (www.handsatwork.org). On Sept 9, 2008, my team and I will be leaving SFO on a 31 hour journey to South Africa. After a 5 days in South Africa, our team will be traveling to Mozambique (Moz). We will be in Moz for 7 days sharing the Gospel with people of the surrounding remote areas by organizing home visitations with families, organizing a fun-filled activity day for the orphan kids and doing some light construction work in the surrounding neighborhoods. Our team is further blessed to have a couple of the medical professionals on our team and they will be using their medical background by serving the surrounding communities with various medical services.
I covet your prayers on a daily basis but more so during this time of travel. I'd like to ask you to partner with me as I've listed a few prayer requests below so if you could just keep this letter posted up somewhere and pray for me throughout my time as I prepare and while I'm away, I'd be so thankful.
- That God, in His sovereignty, will use me and my fellow team mates for His greater purpose. And that He would give us opportunity and strengthen us to boldly proclaim His name!
- For the hearts of the people we will encounter to begin to be softened. We don't know who we will meet and I ask that our motives will not come off as evil but that God would be glorified in all things.
- Health. Oh boy! So we're going to a remote area of Moz and we're not sure of the surrounding areas. So I ask that you continue to pray that God will keep us safe from disease and danger.
- Traveling - we have several layovers and places that we'll be driving to/from so please pray that our luggage does not get lost and that wherever we go God will guide us safely and give the drivers wisdom.
- For me, that this experience would draw me closer to Him. That in times of discouragement or other trials that I am reminded that God is above all things and as Romans 8:18-25 states "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
This will be my first missions trip abroad and it is very costly. Each team member must raise $3300 for flight, food, transportation and board. So I ask that you would take time to pray and let God lead you to decide how much you would like to donate. For donations please make your checks out to "Wellspring Church" and in the memo line please write my name, Stella Yang - Africa STM and then please send them to the following address:
Wellspring Church
c/o: Africa Missions '08
951 MacArthur Blvd.
San Leandro, CA 94577
Thank you so much for reading my letter and If you have an opportunity to do so, I would like to invite each of you to call, email or invite me to meet with you so that I can share this experience with you in person.
In His Name,
Stella
