God Defines Me

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. (1 Corinthians 7:17 NIV

God, not your marital status, defines your life...the message.

To Be His Hands and Feet....

The past couple of months I have been speaking to God, asking that He show me what I am to do with this life He has given me. The past week or two I had a feeling I had His answer. Today I stand before you telling you I do know. We ask the Lord to break our hearts for what breaks His, that we would have compassion and love for His people. Well the Lord took a sledge hammer to my heart. He has broken it into millions of pieces, taken those pieces and given them to the orphans and the poor.



I went through a time in life where I would be mad at God for allowing people to be so poor that they have to eat dirt, that they would have to walk around with dirty clothes or no shoes. Mad that God would allow children to be abandoned by parents, to feel so alone in this world. But the Lord told me, way back before I applied for my December mission trip, that He didnt abandon these people, these children, He loves each and every one of them and He wants us to love them too. He wants us to help them. This is where He wants me. To be His hands, to be His feet. To love His children...

October Updates and Prayer Requests.

                I apologize for the tardiness of this letter. For some reason this letter has been hard to write. The words just weren’t coming to me. But as I was reading Philippians this morning the Lord said to me, “Stephanie, if Paul can write his missionary letter while in prison then you need to get moving and write that letter!” So here I sit at my parent’s house, using their computer at 9am in the morning on a Saturday.  I can’t believe that in 2 months I will be leaving.  I have so many praise from this past month! I have met my fundraising goal so this is my biggest praise. However, now I need to finish writing my thank you notes. I only have about 10 left to write but just like this letter I have been dragging my feet. Please pray that I can focus and get those written and sent out. In the past month I have had so many donations to the baby cottage come in, I am overwhelmed by the graciousness of those around me. I praise the Lord for 3 women in my life who are like my big sisters. They have been a big encouragement in my trip. They are a blessing that the Lord has not only given me but also my family.

                It was such a blessing to go to Woman’s Community, my church’s woman’s bible study, last Monday. I was talking to one of the ladies at my table about my trip. I told her I had raised all the money now I just need to get some suitcases. It turns out that this wonderful lady had suitcases that she was planning to take to the Salvation Army the next day and was so gracious to offer them to me. I was so touched that she would give them to me free of charge, as well as utter amazed at the Awesome God we serve. I said it in my last letter but He never ceases to amaze me. This is one of the things that He has been teaching me through all of this; that He will provide and I have no need to worry. Because of this generous donation I have more money to give to the baby cottage because I don’t need to purchase suitcases now.

                 Please pray that in the next 2 months I can continue to prepare for my trip both mentally and physically. That I can keep my eyes on God and follow in His will. That my thoughts don’t have and doubts or fears in them and all are positive and encouraging. Most of all please pray that in all I do, I can do to the glory of the Lord as 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Thank you for your continued prayers and support, dear sisters.

                                                                                                                In Him,

                                                                               

                                                                                                                                Stephanie Drope

103 Days...September Updates!

God never ceases to amaze me with His guidance and the wonderful way he provides. I have only 3 ½ more months until I step onto that life changing plane, yet already things are coming into place and this trip is starting to become more and more real. I remember the night I filled out the application online and after I was done (as cliché as it is J) my mouse just floated over the Submit button. At 2 in the morning it was dead quiet except for the bazillion questions flying around in my head. Do I press the button? Is this crazy? Am I crazy if I don’t go?  What about work? What about those children?? How am I going to be able to do this? How can I not do this? And then that so familiar voice came to me. Stephanie, my child, you just follow and leave the how to me. Ok God, I said, and clicked the submit button. But I’m not going to lie, there have been moments of “WHAT AM I DOING!” being screamed in my head. However I do know that the Lord will provide and that He has these amazing plans for me. A couple of weeks ago I made these little, super simple, bookmarks for the ladies in my bible study. On it being a verse that has really been on my mind lately.

Matthew 17:20

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Faith as small as a mustard seed…Jesus doesn’t say “You have to know the bible word for word and be completely and utterly perfect.” He says you have to have faith as small as a mustard seed. It’s amazing what happens when you have faith in the Almighty.

I come to you again asking for your prayers and offering up some grateful praises to the Lord.

• The biggest praise would be the overwhelming amount of support that has come in from friends and family. The Lord has truly blessed me by surrounding me with wonderful people who support me and the work I am doing for the Lord.
• My garage sale was held 3 weeks ago. It was a great weekend. It was everything I could have hoped for and more! I would really like to have another one in September some time because we still have a lot of things left over. The bake sale was a huge success! Thank you to Sarah and Mom for making some awesome baked goods! And thank you to Rachel for donating some things for me to sell in my garage sale! Please pray that I have another successful garage sale. That we would have nice weather and a lot of people stopping by to buy stuff!
• I official have all my shots for Africa! Yay! And I didn’t act like a huge baby when they stabbed me with 6 different needles. Medically speaking, I am ready to go. I have my prescription for malaria pills and my yellow vaccination booklet.
• My passport came! Yay!
•  Just a general pray that I would continue to relay on the Lord and that I would have great faith in the plans that He has for me. That I would be open and willing to learn what He has to teach me even now before I leave. That I can show God’s love to those around me. That I wouldn’t feel like I have to go to Africa to show God’s love to people but that I can do it today or tomorrow. At the store or at work. To my brother of to the stranger I just passed on the street.

As I said the Lord never ceases to amaze me and I hope to never get to a point where He does cease to amaze me. I want to be in awe of Him for the rest of my life, because he is my Abba, Creator, Redeemer, Teacher, Light, Comforter, Counselor, and Guide.

147...July update and August Prayer Requests

My Dear Friends!

Everything is happening so fast and it hasn't even been a month since I was accepted.

• Last Wednesday my support letters went out in the mail. A lot of time and work went into them and I wouldn't have been able to do them without the counsel from Mom. Thank you! Please say a pray that the letters meet they destinations safely and that God would speech to the heart of the recipients.
• I received a call from the Travel Clinic, I know have an appointment for August 4th. This is not for my shots but to speak with the nurses and explain where I will be going and doing. They will also be giving be safety tips for when I am there. From there we will be able to set up a date for the shots. Thankfully my wonderful father's insurance, whom I am still under, will cover these shots as well cover me medically while overseas. Praise God! please say a pray (or two!) that everything will go smoothly with getting all the necessary papers from my family doctor to the travel clinic. And that I won't be too big of a baby when it comes to getting the shots. :)
• I am having a garage sale to help raise money. I am thinking of having it next weekend on July 30th and 31st. Please pray that God would send the masses to the sale. Lol. That I can tell my story and touch the hearts of those that come my way. Please pray that I can get everything organized for the garage sale. My wonderfully parents are opening their driveway up for me, so I am so thankfully for that, as well as Mom donating baked goods! I love them so much!

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  James 5:16

My friends, you have no idea how much it means to me that you would take time and pray for me! With 147 days to go I am calm but I know as time draws closer my nerves will rise. But I also know that with you praying and the Lord of Lords in my heart I can conquer my nerves and will instead have joy and love rise.

May God bless you 

165 Days...Fly Me to Uganda!

I have a ticket to Uganda....I have a ticket to Uganda! I feel like pinching myself every time I say this...I cant believe it is really happening...I remembering finding the Amani website at 12 in the morning on may 15th. Decided to fill out the application and ended up sending it in at 2 in the morning. I woke the next morning giddy and in a slight panic thinking to myself "Did I really just send in an application to go to Uganda!???" But so excited to see what would happen. After Praying for months for God to show my where He wanted me I figured that if He didn't want me in Uganda I wouldn't be accepted. But i was and I am THRILLED! I can not wait to Serve the Lord and the Amani Baby Cottage.
There are times when I still have to slap myself to make sure I'm not just dreaming but that this is really happening. And now I have a TICKET!!!

Please help me by praying for
- Doctors appointment for Immunizations
I am on a waiting list for a travel clinic. I talked to a nurse at the clinic a few days ago and she told me that I will meet with a nurse first and then they will give me a timeline for the shots that I need. The nurse assured me that it would only be a couple of weeks until an open appointment opens up. Please pray that I am able to get in and everything goes smoothly.
- Letter for Support
My letters are being sent out soon. However because I grew up in an age of technology I don't have alot of snail mail addresses, please pray that I am able to get addresses for people and that they letters will make their way to people safely.

"Acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought."
~1 Chronicles 28:9

In Christ,
Stephanie

167 Days

167 Days...23 Weeks...5 1/2 months...
God has a plan for me. A beautiful, wonderful, amazing plan. One year ago I signed up to become a Tastefully Simple consultant. I have no idea why I was possessed to sign up; I'm not outgoing, I don't like talking to people I don't know (just because I'm scared) and Ive never had a job other than at the daycare. But I just felt like I had to, so I did. It was scary, thrilling, and awesome all at the same time. I learned so much from it, it made me step out of my comfort zone. Now, one year later I am so much more outgoing and I love to talk to new people. Its amazing to look back and be able to see how God has worked in your life. Going from "Why am I doing this??" to "Ooooh that's why you wanted me to do that, God" This past year has been an amazing journey. But this journey is not over. Its like God is saying "Good Stephanie, now for the next step!" God is calling me, I am following. In May I applied for a short term volunteer position. Just one week ago I received word that I was accepted to work at the Amani baby Cottage in Jinja, Uganda. I am so excited! I know that the Lord will work in me before, during, and after I go. I have 167 days before I go but I'm sure this will go by fast. There is so much to do before I go! I know that God will be with me through it all and that with Him all things are possible!