last one of the day, promise

ok, so I forgot...I know my mailing adress here now. I would love to recieve mail from you and please include a return adress so I can write back.

Haley McCracken
P.O. Box 545
Freetown, Sierra Leone
West Africa

Letters will take about 2 weeks, if we're really lucky. DO NOT send boxes because they have to go through customs and the contents will more then likely not get to me, plus I'll have to pay a customs fee. If you want to send something more than just a letter, anything that can fit in a padded envelope of anysize, is great. Padded envelopes don't go through customs so there shouldn't be a hassle.

ALSO, if you would like to see pics of our team and such, Jeremy has some online. I still do not. Sorry about that. So if you want to see PICTURES go to his site to see some:
http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/60414.234257fe9cf

yesterday...

Yesterday was a huge day for me. At light house, while the youths were eating their meal, I was just sitting and thinking. Normally I'm talkin with people at that time but I just had too much on my mind. I have seen myself slip back into the tendancy that I have struggled with for years to rely to much on people. I can't really explain it b/c it's too personal but regardless yesterday my flesh and my soul were at war with eachother and I was feelin it like crazy. My flesh was telling me I needed people but my soul knew I needed God. So i sat with my head in my lap and started prayin. I pray out loud all the time here b/c that's how it is done here. At church and at lighthouse there is always a time of prayer but everyone is praying out loud together. So, I was just prayin, quietly enough that others couldn't hear me though. The sense of spiritual warfare was so strong as even in my prayer I would say something out loud and then doubt it. I started to cry, overcome by all of it. I had felt sick earlier that day so Faye came over and asked if I was ok, thinkin i was sick again. I didn't lift my head I just said I was fine because I didn't want to talk to anyone right then. So she walked away and I just kept fightin, prayin. A few seconds later I felt a hand on my back. It was a big hand so I knew it was one of the lighthouse boys. Then I heard David right by my ear ask if I was ok. I had no idea how I would be able to explain any of this to him so I didn't even look at him. I just started cryin harder and he could feel it. So he lifted my head and asked again. I told him that although I was crying it was good. He didn't really understand so I just looked at him out of the side of my folded arms and explained to him that when we discover a part of ourselves we don't like, it can be overwhelming. I told him I was crying becuase I was tired of this ugly part and that I was tired of trying to carry it on my own. I told him that I was crying because I had came to the point of surrender but I wasn't sure of how to surrender it. He told me that he understood because there are things in his life he doens't want to tell me about but that he too wants to surrender them and move on. So after talkin a little while longer we decided that we would pray for eachother and everytime we were together we'd ask how the other's "struggle" was going. He said that in a week or so, he wants to share his story with me because he said it is hard to pray for someone if you do not know their struggles. So we agreed to share with eachother at a later date. It was so beautiful to be apart of that. To have a former street kid comforting me and being truly concerned at the sight of my pain. I am still thanking God for that. David has been hard to read, as are most of the lighthouse youths, but he is really starting to open up and we've had some great conversations.

Last night as I was journaling and listening to my music I went to my room to be alone and to pray and as I was prayin and journaling about all of that stuff the song "there is none like You" was playin in my headphones and i realized that was what I needed to remember. That "I can search for all eternity long and find there is none like You". It sounds so cliche I'm sure, but for me it is a simple truth that I need to take hold of.

The feeling of complete surrender is a feeling of complete safety. Knowing that I no longer have to bear that load and being held that close, there is no greater peace.

HaleyKate

a little bit of daily life

so I got really turned around today while trying to find a particular internet cafe. Jeremey and I walked around Freetown for a good hour plus looking for it. thankfully we found it but now I have a new blister the size of a quarter on my foot b/c I was wearing a pair of shoes I haven't worn here yet. But here I am.
People have been asking to hear about what life is like here for me so I am going to copy part of an e-mail I wrote to my mom that gives a bit on insight. I wrote it really fast so sorry about the zillions of typo's:

ok...so here's a breakdown of my week.On mondays we get up and have breakfast (bread from a little shack by our house with cheese spread or PB, and tea. I hated tea at home but here, I crave it sometimes on cooler days. I do a tea cup with one tea bag and a tablespoon of sugar. I think I am going to ask for a french press for christmas so I can make tea at school and home) then Faye comes and we sit in the Zizers living room and have a discussion. This last monday was supposed to be about the bible and poverty but we talked about how we all were doing in stead.Then we leave and go have lunch in Freetown, I live just outside of freetown in a place called Murray Town. it's like Carmel is to Indy. We often eat at the place called Nix Nax it's local food for a decent price and it's Faye's favorite. then at 12 is LIght house which goes to 3:30 ish. First we get there and just hang out with the kids. All four of us have become obsessed with this game called draft. It's a lot like checkers but it's harder. The lighthouse boys are amazing at it. Jeremy has gotten really good too. I'm struggling but David, the lighthouse boy I know the best, has been practicing with me. David is the best of everyone so he plays easy and helps me with strategy. I hope that by the time I leave I can at least give him a run for his money. Lighthouse also has 3 girls that are apart of it too. They are hard to read but we sat around singin yestarday two of them and myself. It was fun. They are harder to get close to. I think it is becuase they know we are going to leave again so I'll really have to earn their trust in order to get close to them. One jsut had a baby and she is SO precious. I held her last week, she is TINY.So after hangin around we pray for the food and all the light house kids eat then we have worship. It has taken a whil for us to be able to really engage becasue a lot of the songs are in Krio but we're learning them slowly but surely. Yestarday was much easier than anyother day, I think I know most of the songs now. After singin we have a discussion or someone speaks. So far it's all been discussion about forgiving and when to confront people. It is like teaching young kids b/c they have never really had discapline but at the same time the discussions are interesting b/c they are older have interesting opinions on things. Then it's over and we either go to Faye's house (staff house) or back to the Zizer house. LIght house is every mon, wed, and fri at 12. We have Krio lessons mon afternoon and wed and fri morning. Our teacher is really nice but she teaches very slow. all we've really learned form her is the alphabet...it's silly but the lighthouse kids help us with conversation stuff. Yesterday David, Sheku and I were reading the Krio bible together to help me. It was really fun for them to teach me for once. THey liked being the teachers. tuesdays are worhisp with the staff at the staff house (faye lives there with Cami, and JOe and Mindy but mindy left alst week b/c she's going to have a baby in the states and come back later. Joe will leave in a few weeks for the birthing) and then we have free time tuesday afternoon. I normally hang at the staff house and read. Then go to dinner some where. last tuesday the four of us went to Paddy's a big bar but it's not busy at ALL during the week so we were the only people there. If you go on a Friday it's standing rom only and it is CRAZY! I'm going to go sometime just for the experience. Saturdays are free until 2 which is Kroo bay. It's always caos at first b/c the little kids just attack us. They hang on us makin it hard to just get into the building. Then we set up inside and let everyone in in size order, little ones in front and so on. We start with worship. Thats my favorite part b/c they sing so loud and are so happy and there's this one song that they all jump and dance to...SO cute. Then someone speaks either a light house boy or NOah. Noah is 26 and runs Kroo bay with the help of WMF. He amazes me b/c he lives in this tiny shack by kroo bay slum and takes care of 3 orphans on his own and does kroo bay. He started kroo bay with a group form his church but they all left and he stayed on his own. he's great. after talking we pass out a hard boiled egg to each kid and a little energy bar thing. Then those that have injury or sickness stay while everyone else leaves. Last satrday this little boy came to my station while we were doin first aid. he lifted his shirt to show me a huge burn where his mom had spilled hot water on him. It had gotten infected by ring worm so his skinn was pealing off but the burn was mostly healed. we cleaned it and gave him some cream stuff to take with him to put on. It was hard though...I cried later when I had time to actually think about it. So many of the kids just have litle cuts and scrapes that get really bad b/c they don't know how to care for it so we clean them up and tell them to keep them as clean as possible. Jeremy had a kid with a really nasty boil on her foot...i wouldn't have been able to handle that. (gag reflex) Katie had this little boy who was SO sick he couldn't sit up. So we laid him down to take care of him and he just started crying. it hurt my heart. most of the kids only have little cuts to clean but the few bad ones really stick with you. After kroo bay we have dinner at the staff house and then go home late b/c we always hang at the staff house for a while and play draft and talk with Faye, Joe, and Cami.Sundays begin with church either at Pastor Zizers or at the church where some of the light house boys go. After church is lunch at the zizer house. That is one of my favorite times b/c the whole family and our team get time to talk and spend time together. The Zizers are amazing and I can't imagine what my stay here would be like with out them. Pastor and Marvel have taught us so much and have loved us well. Their kids are a joy and being there really gives me a feeling of having a place to call home here in Sierra Leone. After we can do whatever. A last week we did our first attempt at Laundry. we all finished with sores on our hands from the scrubbing. I felt like such a wimp b/c the zizers do it every day almost and I was having a hard time. I am amazed at the work they do to prepare food, to wash clothes, and other tasks at home. I hope I never complain when having to do laundry at home again. Someone slap me if I do. I am about out of time here so there is a gist of what a week looks like. Granted that is without all the details and makes it all very impersonal. I have so much more I want to write and share with you but I've already been here 2 hours so I'll have to wait for a nother time.

I also want to share with you about yesterday so I'll make a new post for that one so this post isn't too long.

Haley Kate

merry wednesday eve day

OK, so titling my last post "thoughts on a rainy day" was an understatement. The title for this month and next should be "thoughts during a hurricane". OK, it's not that bad. But I've never seen so much rain in so few days in my life! In light of it being the one year memorial of hurricane Karina, I think it may be bad compare it to that. So instead "thoughts during a two-month-long monsoon". If wearing a poncho was a fashion statement, I'd be the new Marylin Monroe. (please take a moment here to pray that a poncho is never a fashion trend...amen) I didn't know it was possible, but there is a place that it much more humid than Indiana on a hot summer day--Sierra Leone during the rainy season. Going to bed last night I was really excited because not only was I not dripping sweat for once, but I actually could cover myself with a sheet and be comfortable...it was heaven.
I don't really know how to transition into my next topic so here:
Speaking of which...
Eric is having a tough time recovering from the Malayria he has already accuired. It hasn't even been two weeks. He's really lathargic and has had some hard nights gettin sick. Please keep him in your prayers as he sticks this out. The rest of us are healthy minus the fact that I seem to get tired really easily but that is the least of my concerns.
This past weekend Katie and I went on a 'tour' that David, one of the lighthouse boys, lead us on. It was about a three hour walk and thankfully it wasn't too rainy but it was humid as normal. I cannot discribe to you some of what I saw. I have never walked through so many slums in my life. There is a unique, unpleasant smell to eachone. The living conditions got to me. As I lead the way through the Kroo Bay slum, where the kids we work with on Saturdays are from, I couldn't hold myself together anymore. I just walked through with tears streaming down my face. I was unable to look at the people anymore...I can't explain it. My lacking vocabulary would not do it justice. We also went thorugh Dove Court, the largest market in Freetown. One word: dirty. I couldn't believe people were getting their food from there. The streets were just mud, the humidity made it feel like the smell was just sticking to me. That's really all I can share about it right now.
On a positive note,we had our first Krio lesson yestarday. The faster I learn this language the better. My team and I definetly want to be able to communicate better. I would also like to tell you that after ruining 2 meals, we have finally cooked our first successful meal. This morning Jeremy and I made scrambled eggs with stuff on it and this sweet rice milk stuff. I don't know what it's called but it was good. We were quit excited after our last 2 disasters.
My brain is so scattered today so I appologize for the randomness of this e-mail.
Confession: I need you moe than I have let on. I need to hear from you. What's goin on in your lives back home? Just cause I'm here doesn't mean I've stopped caring. To be honest,I have never gotten so excited over e-mail as I do here. Each one holds something I needed to hear and on the lonely days, they are a greater comfort than you could imagine. I try to respond to every e-mail. If you comment on my blog, I can't reply to you unless you leave me an e-mail adress.
Speaking of adresses, I am going to post an adress next time I'm on so that I can recieve real mail! YAY! So don't worry it's coming...
Praying at night is one of my favorite times because I just lie in bed and talk about you all to God. I often find myself smiling into the darkness because just thinking of you makes you feel closer. I miss you all very much and I can't wait to share more with you later.
I know that the tone of this e-mail may be bland but know that although there are though times, the joy I am experiencing here is also new for me. I am learning that I must choose it and that as long as I am trusting God I can "run and not grow weary, walk and not faint". I Praise God for that. Love you!
Haley Kate
I would like to ask that you pray with me that I would look to God first, not to my team or myself for answers. It has been hard for me to open up here and there is a lot that I don't share that I need to. Please pray with me that I would be more vulnerable and that God would continue to shape our team into a true community. Thank you so much for your prayers!!

thoughts on a rainy day

After I published my last post, I sat down in the little internet cafe that we were in and began to journal because I felt like I had not really gotten anything off my chest by writing online. As I began to pour my heart out to God on paper. I became overwhelmed at the feeling of loneliness I was having in a city of 1 almost 2 million people. I felt so selfish because I wanted to be able to serve the people I was meeting but at times all I could think about was my own pain. I praise God that He has renewed my spirit and yesterday and today have been such a blessing.

Every Mon, Wed, and Fri we take a poda poda (public transportation in the form of cramming as many people as possible in to an poorly ventilated van-good times) into Freetown (we're living in an area called Murry Town about 20 minute drive on a good day). There we walk to Lighthouse a ministry of WMF in which we disciple, tutor and love on about 17 young men and women. WMF helps them get a job, save money, tutors and best of all we get to spend a lot of time with them. Yesterday I was talking with Teneh. She taught me a rhyme that went along with a clapping game. Learning this rhyme was hard because most of it was in Krio which I have a hard time understanding. We laughed so much as I attempted to learn this simple childrens rhyme. It was about looking for something in a mommy and in a daddy and then I went to England and found a stone...yeah, I dont' really know. But the laughter and time shared between Teneh and I was beautiful. It really lifted my spirits.

The encouraging comments an e-mails I have recieved since I have been here have been a huge blessing. I want to thank each of you who has taken the time to do that. Hearing from home makes home feel not so far away. Even still there are moments where it feels like I'm not really in Sierra Leone. Dinner is often one of those times. A couple of nights ago, we decided that we wanted to make fried rice. Jeremy had said he'd seen it made so we though we'd give it a chance. Little did we know what he meant by that is he had gone to Beni Hanna's (spelling?) once and seen the professional chefs there do it. To make a long, very humorous story short. It came out mush with bits of egg, cucumber (why? b/c we found some in the kitchen) and onion. It was hillariously bad. There was a local man over meeting with someone and we offered him some and he just laughed as tasted it. That was the reaction of all who put their life on the line to try our pathetic attempt at Chinese food. Mind you, Faye is Chinese and she would have done a fine job, yet we decied to do this on our own. It was hillarious. If I ever figure out how to put pics on the internet, I'll show you what it looked like. We have some more practicing to do before we cook for out host family. I figure if we're in Sierra Leone and we can't even cook rice (which is practically eatten at every meal) we probably shouldn't try to impress our hosts yet. :)

We (Faye, Katie, Jeremy, Ericand I) went to a museum today and it was very informative. Perhaps not accurate but informative. Our guide was very funny because he kept having to read the little plaques before he could explain the artifact that we were looking at-he didn't really see it as odd but we got a good laugh out of it. At one point we were looking at a picture of the first President of SL and Faye asked if he is regarded as a good man. He said he didn't know because he wasn't alive then. Then, we were looking at this large rock that the first Dutch people to land on SL had carved their names in and we asked if it was the original rock. He said yes, as he chipped away at the plaster. It was too funny. I had a hard time not laughing in front of him at times.

Everyday I have to choose how that day is going to be for me. At times feelings of depression want to control my day but I have to fight it and choose joy. I am not nervouse about my depression here because I know that God wants me here. Not just my body but my mind, heart and spirit. I need to be present. I am humbled to report that God has answered my prayers so quickly. It is my job now to make the most of this and really step out in faith knowing that regardless of the height that I step off from God is taller.

If I had to leave a prayer request today I would ask that you pray that as I am given opportunities to step out I would without hesitation. God bless,

Haley Kate

Day 5

I have been unable to fully process all that i have been experiencing thus far. i have so looked forward to this trip that joy has just been pouring out of my back home. Now that i am here, i'm moved in and i have started to see what 'here' is, well, let's just say i feel a bit like those dreams we all have some time. you know the one where you go to school with out pants on. i feel like i walked in completely confident and have now looked down to see that i am not wearing any pants. the language barrier is much stronger than i had originally expected and being a very relational person, i struggle with not being able to talk very much with the Lighthouse boys and Kroo Bay kids.

For example, Jeremy, Eric, and I wanted to walk to the beach so we started down a very rocky road. After about 5 minutes of walking we realized that this was no short cut. We were walking through a very large slum. As we passed small closet-sized 'homes' filled with people, we started to feel very uncomfortable. I felt like they were looking at us like, ''why are you here? You must be SO lost.'' But I wasn't lost, I wanted so badly to sit and talk with them but for the first time, I feel like my affluence is a hindrance. I wished I was wearing torn clothing with flip flops so worn that my heel touched the dirt. Because then i would feel like I deserved to talk with them. But my nice clothes, bottle filled with filtered water, and nice back pack made me feel like I didn't deserve a second of their time.

This is not a rare occurance, I have walked through many slums in the 5 days that i have been here. I started trying to think of what i could do to bless them. I thought about buying a new soccer ball and finding a group of kids playing with a dirty one and ask to trade, or buy a meal and give it to one of the countless families I've seen eating nothing but rice. I went to bed disheartened after all of this not being able to connect with these people in the way that i had expected. So as I went to sleep, unable to journal because I was unable to even understand what was going on, I simply told God that I want to serve these people but I am unsure of how to so he needed to show me.

The next morning Faye (the leader of our team) came over for breakfast and a sort of devotional time together. I teared up as I heard God's answer being read to me from a piece of paper that Faye brought to share with us. (to read the article, click link at bottom) I had been looking at my neighbors as needing my help. They do not need my help, there is nothing to fix. All I can do is serve them in the way that they deserve. When we help or try to fix people we are not seeing them as equal. Yes I can buy them a new soccer ball or a meal but that only masks the wounds for a brief period. On the other hand, if I truely humble myself as Christ did, I will experience what serving is really about. Only service heals.

Faye read us a psalm today after we spent some time in silence listening to God. It said that God confides in those who fear him and trust him. Isn't that a beautiful picture? God confiding in us? I guess the only question to ask is Do I truly fear and wholeheartedly trust God?

Haley Kate


http://www.wordmadeflesh.com/learn/sermons/2006_07_09_B7_Rachel_Naomi_Remen_In_the_Service_of_Life.doc

I'm here!!!

I'M HERE!! After 34 hours of traveling, we made it to Sierra Leone at about 11:00pm (7pm USA) .At the airport we met up with Faye and Ramon (Faye's boyfriend) and boarded a hellicopter to cross the bay. We were told we needed to get to the Zizers house quickly because at Midnight the Secret Society was taking to the streets and it would be unsafe to be outside. When we arrived at the Zizers we hurried in, met Marvel (my Sierra Leonean Mom) and Faye left ASAP because of the Secret Society. We had to close our window lastnight because of the nights events so the four of us (Katie, Eric, Jeremy, and myself) slept in the humidity with out any circulation. It actually wasn't that big of a deal, though. I slept very well b/c I had gotten so little sleep on the flights.

At about 11am Faye came and woke us up and we had breakfast together. I had instant coffee and a little loaf of bread. We met Mindy and Joe, a WMF staff couple. They are just great. Sadly for us, Mindy is leaving in 2 days to go to the States on maturnity leave and Joe will follow in a few weeks. The rest of the Zizer family was awake this morning so we met Marvic (15 ish), Marvin (9 ish), and Marvina (3). They are absolutely precious and I know we are going to have a great time with the whole family.

As we ate breakfast this morning Faye gave us a calender and talked about what our schedule would look like. Hearing about what we'd be doing made me increadably excited. I cannot explain the joy that sprang up within me as I heard about the people we'd be building friendships with. To be honest, one of the first things I worried about was not having enough time. I KNOW I am going to hate leaving my friends here. [Don't worry Mom, I AM going to come back in December ;)]

As I layed (lay?) in bed last night, my mind was wild with thoughts. I couldn't help but feel sad that the whole community was afraid to go outside that night because of a society. This is life for them. I am proud to say that we are not living in some nice hotel because I think I would feel SO hypocritical if we were. That is one of the things that drew me to WMF; no one acts as if we are above or better than any one else here. We are their equals, brothers and sisters. The only difference is skin color and I hope that I never EVER let that be a deciding factor in anything.

Now to tell you a little about my team. Katie and I are the two girls. Katie is 28 and she cracks me up. She was so funny last night when she whipped out a bag of dryer sheets, "I was told that this helps keep mosquitoes away. And it smells like home," she said as she placed one on top of the mosquitoe net over my bed. I know she and I will get along great and I am blessed to have her with us.
Jeremy, for those of you who don't know, has grown up with me at our church. I love him dearly and his humor is already been a blessing to us. I have known him for many years but I am really looking forward to getting to know his heart on this trip. He got engaged about 3ish months ago and his fiance is in Uganda currently, serving as an intern with Samaritins Purse (sp?). I know that it wil be hard for him to be away from her for so long so keep him in your prayers.
Eric is 20, making me the youngest (19). He is SO nice. He is also full of random, interesting facts so I kept asking him random questions and he could basically answer anything. He'll make a good tutor for the Light House and Kroo Bay kids. I on the other hand will not; I had a hard time just figuring out how to get my bed sheets on last night.
Three of us (Jeremy, Eric, and I) live within less than an hour from eachother which I am sure will be a HUGE blessing when we return to the State, if I return in December. (Just kiddin Mom.) My mom told me two things as I was preparing to leave: I had to come back on December 18th of this year and I wasn't allowed to fall in love here. Well, mom I promise to come back in December but it's too late, I am already falling in love with my team, my host family, and the Staff.

I won't be updating this everyday but I will as often as I feel I can. I have been over seas a couple other times, none even close to as long as this time, but I know that some days it will be hard to put into words what is going on. There will be days that I will want to ask God why He put me here because what good is it if I am just going to leave them again? Some days I will be overcome with emotions and feelings that I can't even make sense of. I am counting on those days to come but I am know that all the while God will be carrying me through it and with His grace, I will see the reason behind it.

I ask that you keep our team in your prayers this next couple weeks as we adjust to the changes and deal with the initial feelings and emotions. As I said, I cannot put to words the joy and excitement I feel. I KNOW this is where I am supposed to be and I thank God that He has graciously made this will so clear to me on this.

I am praying for everyone I can think of back home. I think of you often as I see things that remind me of you. I pray that through our communication here, we may be a blessing to eachother. I feel your love even across the Atlantic.

I thank my God everytime I remember you. I love you and pray that you will be immersed in the realization of the Grace of Our Heavenly Father.
Haley Kate

ps-my AU email does work so if you'd like to drop a personal note feel free to at hkmccracken@anderson.edu

the journey begins...

I have 0% doubt today as to whether or not I am following God’s will. Why? Well, I got in a car accident yesterday. My car was going to be sold once I left so I know that God and I were on the same page about one thing: the car needed to go. I would have gone about it in a slightly different matter, however. My car is completely totaled. Amazingly, I have not a bruise on me. Once the report filed was and the road cleared, I started thinking about what had just happened. Things were destroyed on my car that are not easily broken. How am I not injured? The answer is obvious: God wants me to go to Sierra Leone.
In study this summer I have realized that what I lack is to be gained only by sacrifice; unrestrained surrender of myself to Him. One definition of sacrifice got my attention: “destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else “. So in terms of my sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel, does that mean the destruction of myself? The problem with this definition is it wasn’t written about the sacrifice that we as Christians make. Jesus already showed us that Satan cannot destroy anything when He rose from the grave. Accordingly, as Christians ‘sacrifice’ should leave us with a sense of reassurance because sacrifice for the sake of God is not without reward. For, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Rms. 8:28)”. We are not promised an easy way but one that will glorify God; and that is my hope for all I do. Therefore whatever my sacrifice may look like, whether emotional, mental, or physical, I pray that I would not hesitate—not even for a fleeting moment.
If God is going to let me walk away unharmed from what should have been an accident with injury then all I can say is BRING IT ON! Whatever trials may await me in Sierra Leone I’m letting Satan know that this girl is ready. I have been in the Word in expectation of those hard times so that I may weather the storm and come out stronger.
My flight leaves tomorrow at 12:40p. I have had to remind myself that when I received my life in Christ I gave up control of it. So that means I have no need to worry about my beloved friends and family because regardless of what happens:He’s got the WHOLE WORLD in His hands! Amen?
Amen.

I love you all,
Haley Kate

5 days...

I leave in only 5 days!! Yeah Buddy!! I officially have all my support raised so thankfully money is not a worry any longer. I am SO excited. I know that this trip is going to be a monumental experience for me and I will make friends that I will never forget. I have already been in contact with the 3 servant team members people I'll be with: Katie (not sure of her age but I know she's the oldest), Jeremy (whom I've know a very long time), and Eric (who is cousins with a friend from church..crazy). Katie and I will be living with the Zizers, a Sierra Leonian Pastor and his family. Jeremy and Eric will be living with a young married couple and if I have read the e-mails correctly that family simply lives downstairs from the Zizers so we'll get to see eachother often.
I have been looking at the websites of people who just went on a servant team trip to Sierra Leone so I have seen the home I"ll be staying at, some of the kids I'm working with, the market place I'll shop at most often, and some of the beautiful land that is Sierra Leone. I teared up as I looked into the faces of those whom I will soon call friends. God has been teaching me ubundantly more than I ever thought this summer and I cannot wait to share it with my soon to be new friends.
As most of you know, London recently stopped some terrorist attacks and so security has been upped everywhere. We're flying into London so hopefully the added time at security doesn't prevent us from making it on to our next flight in time. I doubt it will be a problem and if there is, it simply means a delay.
Basically I have no worries at this point. I'm just ready to go. I know I am going to miss you all dearly but it is only for a short while and I am ready to serve. I am almost done packing; and if one looked at what I was packing they'd probably come to the conclusion that I was a drug addict packing for church camp. :)
Well, that's it for now. Prayin hard for His will,
HaleyKate

the entire month of July in 11 paragraphs...

Wow! I have had a busy yet amazing July. Since I last updated I have been on two work camps and family vacation. The first work camp I went as a counselor with the Jr. High kids of my church to Kentucky for a week of service projects. Our group was split up into 5? teams and each team did a different project. We were in a very poor part of the area and almost everyone there lived in a trailer. Many of which were in very poor condition. My team did a great job of skirting a trailer faster then the other team doin the same job. It looked really good and the man we did it for was so thankful. Even with all the blistered hands and feet, the unrealistic amounts of bug bites, and the unrelenting heat, all the teams did a great job and finished their projects.

One of my favorite parts of this trip was getting to be somewhere away from normal life with my youngest sister Ellie. It was so much fun to see her interact with her friends and I was so blessed by the quality time we got to spend together. She is quite the independent and yet the other kids were drawn to her. She is such a blessing in my life and everyone's life she gets to be a part of.
After work camp, Ellie and I drove back a day early to leave with my family (minus my Dad) for vacation. We went to Gull Lake, MN and spent the week sunbathing, boating, eating, sunbathing, shopping, reading, and sunbathing. It was a much needed week to relax for all of us. Being the first time in 18 years that my Dad hasn't come with us, it felt strange at times. We knew he would rather be with us than at home working but we also so appreciated the fact that he would sacrifice his vacation to make sure our family was supported.

Once we returned from family vacation, Mary Lou (my other younger sister) and I immediately started preparing to go to California with the youth group for a work camp and International Youth Convention. She was going as a senior in high school and I was going as the youngest counselor on the trip. It took NO time what so ever for both of us to fall in love with the west coast. Basically we have both vowed to live there for some part of our lives. The 60 of us stayed at a church in San Diego for the first week. From there we split up into 4 groups and held VBS at four different locations. One group left us and traveled to Mexico for the week while the 3 others held VBS in Cali.

El Cajon was the location for my group's VBS. We had a BLAST just loving on kids for a week. Kids bring out the best in everyone and I got to see the big, macho guys from the youth group become like big kids when they were working. The hottest day was a Saturday so most of the kids went to the beach with their families but for the 15 that stayed to play with us in the 118 degree heat, it was the best day of the whole week. We had more fun coming up with ways to stay cool and keep kids entertained then we had any of the other days. Every night the 3 San Diego groups would reconvene at the church and after haning out for a couple of hours we get together and worship through music and one of the summer interns would speak.

The music there was unreal. I have never had more meaningful worship than I did in that intimate room with 40 of the coolest youths I know. Each night was powerful and people were not holding back. I slept in a classroom each night with 9 junior & senior girls and we had SO much fun. Mandy, our Jr. High director was also in our room and basically none of the girls listened to me (I was only like a year older than some of them) but when Mandy layed down the law at night...wow. I was basically just another one of their best buds on the trip which made them feel really comfortable to talk to me about whatever. Each night we'd get together and have "girl time" as they named it. I expected this to be when we all talked about boys and did eachothers hair and nails but I was pleasently surprised. This trip had started a movement in this youth group. They had seen through the vulnerability in the worship and talks given by the interns that there was something missing in their youth group and they were going to do something about it.

All week long there were discussions going on about how to disrupt the complacency that had taken over this youth group. It was amazing to me because some of the most passionate were not who I would have expected. SO much happened and so many people made decisions to change themselves and therefore change the group. After leading music one night I spoke to them about how many of them were on an emotional high and they cannot let that be what they rely on to keep them goin because it will die once they get back home. I shared with them that I had heard SO many great plans and that now it is time to make a way of keeping eachother accountable to those. The spirit was moving that night so we told people if they wanted to stay we would sing for a little while longer. About 13 kids stayed but while we were singing it sounded like there was a whole choir in that room with us and we all left with chills knowing we had really met with God that night.

There is so much more to share about but I need to move on to International Youth Convention. We drove up to Anaheim, CA. All 5,000 youths for this convention stayed in two hotels = chaos! It was so cool though. Music was lead by David Crowder, Jami Smith, and Chris Tomlin = AMAZING! The energy in the convention center each day was unreal. I am so blessed to have gotten to be a part of that week. Students expect IYC to be amazing but what was encouraging this year was talking with students who realized that what was started the week before and is still going on now, the movement for change among them, was so much cooler than an arena filled with 5,000 people. Many of them have come back knowing its going to be tough to start school and keep going as they have been. Although, this past Saturday was the last Xing 631 event that I am going get to be a part of before I leave. SO many kids showed up with friends and the excitement was congagious. We had a square dance and it was the BEST dance period that I have ever been to. The following Sunday morning, I was priveledged to come into youth and help with the music. The energy had not gone away. I am SO excited for the youth group. There is a movement being lead by the Holy Spirit in that place and therefore I know it is blessed and will prosper.
Please keep the Church at the Crossing Youth in your prayers. It is an exciting time!

Now, I home for 16 more days until I leave for Sierra Leone. 16 DAYS! Oh buddy! These past few day have been a roller coaster of feelings. I have been waiting for this to come for months and I couldn't be more excited. At the same time, I am sad to be leaving so many people that I love. It feels unreal to think that less than 2 1/2 weeks from today I'll be standing on African soil again.

I am so blessed. That's all I can about today. I am only $160 dollars short of my orignial $5500 goal for this trip. CRAZY! You don't even know how generous and faithful people have been so that I can go. Seriously, I am blessed. Basically all that is left to do is pack, read, and spend as much time with people as is possible. I've been reading a lot for the independent reading classes I am taking and I feel like my mind is scrambling to take hold of it all. Still, God has given me a peace about it so I'm just goin with the flow.

For these next two weeks I ask that you pray with me that I may not get overwhelmed with "tasks" and just bask in the blessings. I'm not even going to ask you to pray for the rest of the money to come in because I know God's already taken care of it.

My prayer for you is that you would take some time to realize how truly blessed you are and realize the joy that comes from that. Being blessed doesn't mean we don't have any money problems or family problem it means that we have been forgiven and the joy of being His is ours.

Blessings, blessings blessing to you,
Haley Kate

The dream of Jesus Christ: Phil 2:11 "and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, TO THE GLORY OF THE FATHER." AMEN!