Swimming with the Children

One of the things that we will be doing when on the trip, if there is time, is take the children in Kids' Club swimming.  Now this won't be like swimming in a pool so I am a little nervous but there is a first time for everything!  The house we are staying at has both showers indoors and out but no hot water.  I'm sure at night when I have the opportunity to shower, I will appreciate it!  I will be taking lots of baby wipes and facial wipes for during the day as well as sanitizer.  I am somewhat prepared for what I will see after being in Belize but that was on a cruise and I'm sure we didn't see the worst that was there.  I am praying for the Lord to bless me with the knowledge and guidance to make a difference while I am there.  I am also really excited to share when I get back and hope I can take lots of pictures.  This will be a challenge so I am practicing now.
Here is a picture, (I didn't take) but a great time packing meals for Numana this week with the members from the DeGraff Church.   It was a great time and wonderful to serve the Lord's with others! 
The new year will bring lots of opportunities for me to share my faith and service in many ways and I am looking forward to focusing on learning and serving!

First Mission Team Meeting

Tonight I met with some of the members of the team who I will be traveling to Haiti.  There will be 7 of us and we will be going early morning on Feb. 24th to March 4.  Lots of information was given and I will be shopping soon for some items to take.  I will carry most of the items I need in my carry-on and backpack on the plane so we can share the suitcase for ministry needs.  The team will be carrying in all our food and water so we won't have to worry about Cholera while we are there.  Monday I received my Hep A shot and soon will make my last visit to get the rest of my meds to take.  While the team will not begin on the orphanage as the hotel that was in negotiations was in the flood plain and the flood waters are high and so it was not a suitable site.  They are considering ground in the country higher up but nothing has been purchased.  We will be working with a Kids' Club, Women's and Men's bible study and a water distribution day.  Please be in prayer for the trip and our ministry there.  I am still very excited and have learned a very important word tonight- Pa Touche.  It means Don't Touch!  This is very important when we are with the Haitian people because they want everything we have. 

Jan Thompson will be back in El Dorado if all goes as planned, and return to Gonaives before we leave travel in February.  There are 13 orphans they have been helping so I am hoping to get some sizes for clothing so I can pack some in my suitcase. Every evening while we are there we will attend Circle of Hope which is a time to share our experiences from the day and praise God in prayer and song.

I am so thankful to the Foundation Board of the First Christian Church for their donation to help fund this trip.  I am blessed to have an awesome Church family and great support in all I do to serve the Lord!  I will be updating the funding number soon after I get a report. 

Just remember that Luke 1:37 says"For nothing is impossible with God."  This is Jan's family verse and I am in prayer that they may have safe travel back and be refreshed for our visit with them at Christopher's Ministry.

Mary and Her Special Blessing

At this Christmas season I am reminded of the wonderful blessing that Mary had given to her by our Heavenly Father.  What an incredible gift to an extraordinary woman!  One of the most amazing things about her was she listened and followed the plan God had for her!  She knew God's grace was with her and that with Him she could do anything!  How many times in life are we faced with the human things that can get in the way of serving Him?  Knowing God is there to pick us up and carry us on our next journey makes all the difference! 

In Luke 2:19 it says, But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 
She was finally ready to enjoy the wonder of this miracle! 

Thanks for all my friends who have been a blessing to me.  Sometimes that's all it takes is blessings of others to come along side of you, for you to truly understand the grace of God!  A phone call, a visit to brighten a friend or something as simple as an orange to keep your body working right is all that is needed along with a prayer!  I’m so blessed to be able to be a friend to many here on earth.   

No news on Haiti this post but soon!

We are all God's children in this world!  Merry Christmas!

Closer to Working Globally for the Lord

This week several friends in Christ blessed me with support to help me!  I am so blessed to have friends like Susan, Sean,Velma, Dick and Bea, Barb, and Nancy.  I have many friends that are blessings to me and help my ministry.

I am hoping this week the Health Dept. has the Hep A shot vaccine so that I can get that taken care of. 

I am so excited, and can't wait to leave for this special blessing God has in store for me!  Thanks again to my wonderful husband and all those who are supporting me in this ministry!

Please be in prayer for all those struggling with life's challenges at this time of the celebration of the miracle of Jesus birth!

Love in Christ!

Thankful for God's blessings

My highlight was when our daughter in law Kristin joined us for church service.  She made an effort to be ready and I appreciated being able to share the music, food and fellowship of our Christian friends with her!  She wants to find a church when she returns home and I pray she will find a loving body as I have!

I am so excited about the opportunity and have started to think about what I will take in my half of the suitcase!  Of course after talking with my 13 and half year old grandson, I was reminded that fun items are also necessary so I will be taking some new Legos.  I am looking for a neat set so if anyone has ideas, let me know.  My AJ and Kati spent many hours of fun with building and planning!  I am reminded of important it is to plan and to learn from everything in life.  Sharing, laughing, building, trying new plans and a good foundation in the Lord are what I have learned this weekend! 

In spite of my ugliness, God used me to help others laugh this weekend!  Good times!

New Departure Date

The dates I will be leaving with the group are February 24-March 4.  The original date the air fare was going to be $300.00 per person to fly over spring break so I will be going sooner than I thought! 
I can't wait until the meeting on Dec 6th to find out more information!  I'm getting really excited!  My heart is bubbling over with joy to reach the Haitian people for the Lord.  Of course I won't be able to bring any of those baby's back but I can love them while I'm there!

Just a note, some medical supplies that were donated went to a mission in Liberia instead of Haiti since we would have to hide them to go in with us to Haiti.  I'm sure those supplies will be well used and Liberia actually has a clinic there.  That might be where Holli and I are to serve some day!  You never know where the Lord will lead you if you're listening!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Plans for the Trip

Many have asked about the shots and my safety on the trip!  Please be in prayer for this as I receive my Hepatitis A shot this week at the Health Dept.  My follow up Hep B I will get 2 months before I go and then 3 weeks prior I will get a Rx for typhoid and malaria.  Dr Nightengale did some research and has been monitoring my before care plan.  

The craft show was a great time and very successful for the Senior Center as well as my sales!  It was tons of fun to be with my friend Amy and her friends and my new friends Kim and Cat!  They were so gracious to allow me to setup on with them and that helped my overhead. 

My friend and teacher Susan G will be finishing up our women's bible study this week and I have learned so much to help me teach when I go!  She is such a beautiful person and the wife of our youth pastor Sean.  I really enjoy serving the Lord along side of them at the First Christian Church. 

Pray without ceasing for my work for His kingdom!

The Date Has Been Set

The date has been set by the Mission Board and the team will be leaving on March 16 and return on March 25, 2011 from Haiti!  There is a meeting on De. 7th that I have been invited to attend so pray for my ability to listen close to the words they are speaking!!!  God is revealing great lessons everyday to me!  You just have to faith and listen! 

I will be at the El Dorado Senior Center this Saturday, so stop by and say Hi if you are in the area!!!!!!!  The Band Simple Praise will be offering our musical message to the services at the First Christan Church so if you can't make it Saturday, come Sunday at 8:30am or 10:30am at 300 W Central in El Dorado.  Thank you Lord for letting me serve you!!!!!!!  Also please pray for comfort for my friend Marty.  She is having a double mastectomy today and even though I told her she didn't NEED them she is struggling with this decision.  Her family is with her and so is our Lord!!!!!!

Please pray for the mission and the team that we can make a difference and bring those that don't know Him to him.  I keep thinking about those beautiful children and how much they need to know him! 

Hurricane Update

I've been trying to keep up-to-date on the weather and here is the most recent conversation from Jan Thompson to Kirk Day our Mission Team Leader at First Baptist Church in El Dorado

Good Morning,

 The rain has stopped. The river canals were widened and work done after the hurricane in 2008 and it is showing.  The water has receded, has not come up into Jan's house.  They actually drove around this morning and toward the river to check things out. They could see where the water was higher with debre left behind but the water had receded. Praise God, thank you all for praying….Love and Blessings, Barbara Day-Kirk's Mom

Singing for the Lord

This is the praise band Simple Praise!  The band plays at the First Christian Church in El Dorado twice a month at the 8:30am service and at the 10:30 service.  The group is comprised of 5 members who love singing for the Lord and encouraging others.  My husband Kris Howell plays bass, acoustic guitar and piano, Linsey Cutsinger is our dedicated drummer and keeps us all together on the beat!  Susan McCoy plays bass and piano.  Then there are the 2 singers in the group: Amy Becker and myself.  While we don't play instruments at this point, we lead others in the worship experience.  We sing all kinds of music from southern gopsel to contempoary worship.  Contemporary worship is my favorite and I am a big KLOVE fan.  I have it on usually all day if I'm at home and when I can at work.  I am so blessed to be singing for the Lord, it makes my heart so happy to help other praise him with music.  If you are in the neighborhood stop by, I'm sure your heart will be blessed.

Arrgh!

So bear with me while I work on having patience figuring out this new blog system and my slow Internet connection, it's hard to work slow for me as some of you know!  There were many typos and new creative words on the last post so I will try to do better in the future but you get the message!
Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

Funding for the Trip

I have began to think about and actively start looking for the funds to pay my $1200 for the trip.  While I don't have to submitted to the Mission Board until March 1, I hope to have it secured by the end of the year so I can focus on what the team needs to gather and send.
 
There a a couple of ways you can support this worthy mission!
I have a thermometer on my page that will be updated to show where I'm at. 
If you would like to make a donation, you can do so by making checks payable to the First Christian Church  with Haiti Mission in the memo field and mail it to: 300 W Central in El Dorado, Kansas 67042

I am also exhibiting at the El Dorado Senior Center on Saturday, November 13 from 9-3pm for their craft show.  My good friend Amy B.as asked me to help her with a table there!  How exciting, my first craft show!  I have always wanted to be an exhibitor so this should be fun!!!!!!!!!!  I am busy getting ready with neat greeting cards and other items I will have for purchase.  If you can stop by or tell others to see me on this day that would be great!  All proceeds from my sales will go to the trip God is taking me on!!!!!!!
Thanks for your prayers and help!
Susan

Hurricane Danger

I received this word from Jan Thompson yesterday that said:

"A hurricane is supposed to hit us Friday and then even harder on Saturday.  We are to get high winds and lots of rain.  We are praying that it goes a different direction because we drove by the tent cities yesterday and there is no protection at all--no trees, no buildings, nothing.  I am dreading going through what they say may hit us in a cement house with a cement roof.  Can't imagine going through it in a tent!!  We are preparing for the worst but hoping for the best!!"  I'm wondering what my new mission will be when we go down in March.  God has big plans for me!  

An Update on where we are on plans:

I have received most of my shots and are working on getting the rest.  The Mission Board at the Baptist Church is making the final decisions about our trip.  Enlight of the current situation, I'm not sure how this will play out.  

We are tentatively looking at Spring Break which will be great for my scheduling since I only work 3 days that week.  

Be in prayer that all are safe for the Hurricane coming to the area on Friday!  

News about the Mission Field!!!!

And the excitement to share Christ is mounting!!!!  I heard today that the mission trip to Haiti will be over Spring Break!!!!  I'm starting to get my funding in place and my wonderful Holli has created a thermometer to help everyone track where I am in this part of the trip.  If you would like to make a donation you can make your check out to the First Christian Church and in the Memo area note it is for the Susan Howell's Haiti Trip.  The address is 300 W Central, El Dorado, KS  67042.  Monday I am starting a women's bible study to learn more about how to teach one in case I'm asked and just the fact that I need to be studying the word of the Lord more.  Our Youth Pastor's wife Susan Gardiner is teaching it and I am excited! 
On the home front, our garden is doing well and so Kris, my wonderful husband of 26.5 years will be making salsa for Sunday lunch.  More on that on Sunday with my post.  I think I'm starting to figure the blog posting!  I am hooked!

Mission Field Here I Come!!!!!

Hi!  Just a note to give you an exciting update on how God is working in my life.  He has called me to the mission field of Gonaives,Haiti at this point part-time in the Spring to help lay ground work for an orphanage among other things.  I am going with the great team led by Kirk Day from the First Baptist Church in El Dorado.  I don't know a lot but what I do know are these facts:

The mission is Christopher's Hope founded with help from God by Jan Thompson-former El Dorado girl!

The team will be from 25-30 members

Looking at possibly the first week in February or over Spring break the middle of March-Kirk and Angie Deaver-his sister are heading up the team.  They have both been active and gone to Hiati as well as other mission fields so they know the ropes!!!!

The trip is 9-10 days.

The cost for an experience that only God can send you on is around $1200.

I have started on my immunizations and received 4 last Monday.

There are other members on the team who have special talents and gifts and while I wonder how I can help, I am anxious to meet the people of Hiati and see where it leads me!

 

This opportunity just shows how Pastor Stan Seymour's sermons have helped me listen to God to carryout his plan for me to further his kingdom.

 

My wonderful daughter Holli, always my encourager and organizer has created this beautiful blog to post to so everyone will know what the latest news update is.  Thanks so much to those that have offered their special skills and talents to me already, I'm keeping a list!!!!  At this time I am asking for you to pray for me and the education I will be receiving to help me in this great opportunity.

I'm new at this!!!!!!

What a love!  This is Logan my beautiful one year old grandbaby!  The love of my life!!  We were clapping    so someday he will be ready for the drums.  This is my first post so I will be learning all about blogging! I hope you will be encouraged by the words and pictures that I share!