Ming'la'ba Friends,

We made it! We arrived late at night on July 17^th and are working to get adjusted. Our flights, thankfully, went smoothly. Thank you for lifting us and our journey up. I could feel the peace and assurance of the Father. I am ready to hit the ground running and cannot wait to see what is in store. Our first language class is Tuesday so we are wasting no time! Will you speak to the Father for us about language class and this first week of adjustment? Thank you in advance for keeping us in your hearts.

Some new fun things already include- coming home to no power and a bucket live fish in the kitchen (ask me about it sometime) and finding a gecko friend in my bathroom this morning. These are just the first of many fun things to learn and be surprised by but I look forward to the challenge and joy of finding them all out. Updates may be sparse the next month but should pick back up again after that.

For His glory,

 Julia

Ready or not here we come

Today is the day! The flurry of packing, visiting, printing, emailing, and copying is finally through. My last week here in the States was a whirlwind of activity. Though it was busy, it was incredibly enjoyable as I got to see and say goodbye to so many of those I love. It was a bittersweet reminder of how blessed I am through the Father.

There is an incredible mix of emotions as I type this knowing that the whole journey will begin in roughly 5 hours. Please lift up Leah and I as we travel. Ask the Father for safety, patience, and smooth sailing (or flying rather). I will check in when we arrive and then it will be off to the races. My goal is to update the blog every couple weeks. Goal is the key word in that sentence so bear with me when I inevitably fail to meet said goal.

Thank you once again for your love and support. It is because of you that I am able to go and share with others. See you on the flip side!

Here we go....

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to write a quick post to officially kick off the blog. I am so excited for you all to join me on this incredible journey as I share about life and work in Southeast Asia. The Father is already doing much work there and Leah and I feel incredibly blessed for the opportunity to take part in it.

For those of you who don't know very much about our upcoming trip I will share a little bit to catch you up to speed. My name is Julia Lewis and I am entering my senior year at my university here in the States. As a part of my Intercultural Studies major I get to spend six months overseas getting a crash course on life on the field. My travel partner, Leah, and I will spend the next six months in Southeast Asia. Our country is fairly large and very diverse. We will be living in a large city with over 5 million people living in it- something that will shock us poor Midwestern girls! Don't worry though, because we have a fantastic set of supervisors who will help show us the ropes. While there we will (attempt to) learn the language, study the culture, take part in some community service projects, work with a local business, and teach English as a Second Language- all of this will provide us opportunities to meet people and build relationships. Through these relationships we will share the Good News with all who will hear it!

We are now less than 2 weeks from heading out. Excitement is building and the pressure is on to finish up last minute responsibilities, gather everything we need to pack, and begin the less fun task of saying goodbye to friends and family. It seems as though there is so much to do and so little time to do it. Though things can be stressful at times, I still have to pinch myself every once in a while to make sure I am not dreaming. Setting out on such a trip has been a dream of mine for a very long time. I am so greatful to the Father for calling me to this place in this time and opening all the necessary doors to allow me to get there. I am also overwhelmed with the support from you all- friends, family, and strangers- who have provided funds, materials, and daily speak to the Father on our behalf. Thank you for being a part of the Body that has made it possible.

As all of this typical pre-trip planning goes on I am desperately seeking good time with the Father. I know it is important to draw close to Him during this time and He is already teaching me much. Will you join me in asking Him to be a constant felt presence while we are abroad? Will you also lift up the following items: our supervisors and their family as they teach us and we learn to work together, that we would be obedient to do the work the Lord has prepared for us, and above all ask the Father to prepare hearts and minds to hear about His Son, J.C.

I am under no silly pretenses that this next half a year will be all buttercups and rainbows. It will be hard- with plenty of ups and downs. I know that some days I will just want to be back home. Other days I am sure will be filled with beautiful triumphs and growing lessons from the Lord. Regardless of the type of day, I am confident that the Father will faithfully sustain me through all that lies ahead.

Thank you once again for your support! It means so much.

To Him be the glory,
Julia