A year

Well it has been almost a year since I posted anything on here. I have not gone on anymore mission trips but that does not mean I have not been involved.

  My sister and I packed 7(I think) Operation Christmas Child boxes. We have been doing this mission for years. Operation Christmas Child is where you pack a shoe box with toys, candy, books, school supplies and other things kids might like they are then shipped around the world to kids who may not get a Christmas present otherwise. When they are given a box, they are also given a book that has the gospel in their own language. It is amazing.

I also helped support Imagine No Malaria. Imagine No Malaria is a campaign by the United Methodist Church to eradicate Malaria from Africa by 2015. Every 60 seconds a child in Africa dies from malaria. It is preventable, beatable and treatable. I was a member of the conference council on youth ministries( I graduated Boo Hoo :'( ) and we decided instead of raising money for the Youth Service Fund(YSF) we would put all money raised at Resurrection towards Imagine No Malaria because we wanted to do our part. Our part in what you may ask. Well our Conference the Holston Conference decided we would raise One Million dollars for Imagine No Malaria in one year. Our conference raised the money; God used us to raise over one million dollars in one year. 

In March, my church hosted a group of young people from Estonia. They spent a week at our church. I got to learn a little about their culture and they got to learn a lot about America. I become friends with them over the week. When they were here, they were asked by a member of the church if our church could give them one thing or do one thing for them what would it be. They answered that they would want our church to send a team of youth over so that we could share our faith with the youth of Estonia.

Now we are trying to answer their request. Lord willin' and the creek don't rise next summer my church will send a team of at least 9 people (3 of whom are under the age of 20) to Estonia for 12 days. What will we do there? We do not know yet but we know that one of our main goals is to build relationships with the people of Estonia, and encourage them in their faith. They do not live in a country that has a church on every street corner. It is not like American were you say my parents go to church, my grandparents go to church.  For years, Christianity was outlawed in their country.

We are just in the beginning stages of planning. Please pray for us as we plan and figure out what we will do and how we are going to fund this trip. In addition, pray for the people who we will reach when we go to Estonia. 

Slide Show

Video from my mission trip!

I want to thank everyone who supported my mission trip! I hope you enjoy the slide show! If you want to know anything about the trip feel free to ask either through email, comment below, or any way you want really!

Thanks!

Rachel

Summer Plans

This past week has been a busy one for me. I finished my paperwork for Stars and Stripes (or so I thought, I have been asked to add more detail), I found out about a new program at Camp Wesley Woods, paid my deposit it for the trip, found out my choir director is moving to Nashville this summer, and then I spent the weekend at Camp Wesley Woods.

This past weekend I went to a retreat at Wesley Woods for High School students who have felt a call to ministry. During the weekend, we heard about different forms of ministry and the ways different people felt their call. I loved going this weekend. I needed the time to get away from the stress of life. I also realized that right now God is calling me to focus on the here and now. What I can do this summer.

I have now finalized my summer plans. This summer I will be home for 14 days between June 3rd and July 28. I will be a counselor in training at Camp Wesley Woods for four weeks this summer. I am very excited about this! I will actually be at camp on my birthday this year. I have only been to camp once as a camper but I loved (and still love) my counselor. In addition, this summer I will be a voting member of the Holston Conference Annual Conference. . . which means I have to sit through meetings for three days straight and vote on stuff. I will also be attending Senior High Assembly (SHA). SHA is a summer camp of sorts where you live on a college campus, learn more about God, and meet other teens who are Christians. 

And of course, I will be going on the mission trip to the Bahamas. While in the Bahamas we will be working with Haitian refugees, I believe we might be doing some home repair for them. We will also be doing a sports camp for the kids and it will be led by Chris Canty, who happened to win the super bowl along with his fellow teammates, the New York Giants, this year. I am halfway to my goal for raising money. However, I still need your help. Please prayerfully consider supporting me on my mission trip to Nassau, Bahamas.

God Bless,
Rachel McCausland

Cakes

Hello people!
We finally figured out the cost of cakes and cupcakes. Suggested donation is $25 for either a two-layer cake, or eighteen cupcakes. These cakes(and cupcakes) are made from scratch. If you would like to place an order email me at RaeLeeMc94@gmail.com
God Bless,
Rachel McCausland

Moving Forward in Missions

Hey Everyone!

I am currently filling out the paper work to go on the mission trip! I am super excited.  I’m still very far away from the amount of money I need for the mission trip.  My mom sent out an email this morning telling how we plan to raise money. Here is a copy of it.

My 17 year old daughter Rachel is praying she will be able to attend a Christian youth mission trip to a Haitian Refugee Camp in July. In order for her to go on this trip and work with the people in need there, she will need to raise funds for her airfare, fees, etc. by the end of April.

I am in the process of preparing to down-size my home library and will be selling a variety of books ~ school books, Mommy books, bible books, reference books and more. All proceeds from books will support Rachel's mission trip.

My daughters will also be baking celebration cakes and cupcakes for all your party needs. They can bake delicious yummy cakes from scratch and also meet any allergy restrictions you have (corn free, gluten free, lactose free, etc.). We have cake pans in a few different styles, or we can use your specialty pan. Rachel has attended Wilton Cake decorating classes.

Jessi (our college age daughter) will be making lovely earrings to sell and we will be posting samples of those earrings on Rachel's Mission Blog page soon. Jessi has attended jewelry making courses in the past. She makes jewelry store quality pieces.

Stay tuned for our next update and booklist. If you are not interested in books, cakes, or jewelry but want to make a donation, please know that every $5 donation helps. Rachel will be posting names on her blog of all who support this project unless you request to give anonymously.

http://www.goyethere4.blogspot.com/ Rachel's Mission Blog

Contact Rachel at raeleemc94@gmail.com if you want to place an order, request info or give a donation

I will be posting pictures of earrings soon and I can post a picture of a cake I recently made. Please support my mission trip. Without your help I will not be able to go.  Here is a page with a little bit of info about the mission trip.  http://holston.org/events/2012/jul/08/youth-mission/ 

Please pray for me as I prepare for this trip and about whether you can support this mission.

In Christ,

Rachel McCausland

Resurrection 2012

The last few weeks have been busy. It was Resurrection time; now, you may be thinking "Resurrection? It’s not Easter time yet."  The Resurrection I am talking about is a youth retreat held in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Resurrection helps youth grow closer in their walk with Christ or even start their walk with Christ. At Resurrection there is an awesome speaker, a wonderful band to lead worship, and teenagers opening and closing every session with prayer. For me, though, I got more out of serving at the conference then attending it.

I serve on the Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM). We have been looking forward to Resurrection for months. We made videos to advertise conference youth events. As the CCYM secretary, I am the chair of the communications committee which designed the videos. That is also the committee that designed the CCYM T-shirts. Being on CCYM is a lot more than just Resurrection; we plan Discovery, a retreat for youth who have felt a call to ministry; Assembly, a week of discipleship; Youth in Missions, the mission trip I plan on going on. We do a lot of things, and that comes with a huge amount of responsibility.

I went to the first weekend of Resurrection with my youth group, and I walked away thinking, “What did I get out of this?” This year, the speaker, Reggie Dabbs, really focused in on one group of people: teens who weren’t Christians or teens who were suicidal.  I didn’t get much out of it at the moment, but what I learned, I could use to help someone else or it might help me on later in my life. Going back the second weekend I knew I would get more out of serving. I was right, I did.

            Standing in the back during the session that was about suicide, I was praying for all those teenagers standing up and for the ones I knew when I saw that they stood up. I later answered people’s questions about Conference activities, CCYM and YSF.  I worked the band table, and was able to hang out with the band. I prayed on stage in front of thousands of people, which was nerve wracking when my friend forgot to hand me the microphone.  I saw the offering buckets stop because people decided “Yeah, I actually am going to put money in.” Afterwards, when counting the money, it was inspiring to see how much money was raised to do God’s work in this world. I helped with communion and watched nearly five thousand people take the bread and the grape juice, some of them taking it for the first time as a Christian. I walked in to a prayer room and just felt the presence of God in it and read prayers of thanksgiving and of healing.

It was humbling to be a part of Resurrection 2012. I watched as all the youth walked away with a stronger faith and hope that God would carry them through.  It was inspiring to see God at work through it all. I know God was at work there, and He is at work everywhere. You just have to look for Him. He was at Resurrection; He is here right now, too. Remember to look for Him, and you will find Him. Where have you seen God today, this week, or this year? I know where I’ve seen Him.

 

God Bless,

Rachel McCausland

Photos Taken By Rev. Don Thomas

The Begining of a Journey

For years I have dreamed of going on a mission trip. With your help, that can become a reality. I have the opportunity to go on a mission trip to the Bahamas this summer.  When I learned of the opportunity, I talked with my parents, and they said I can go on this mission trip if I can raise the money. I will need at least $1000 for the mission trip. I was wondering where I was going to start. How was I going to get enough money to open banking an account? Was this really possible?

Several weeks ago I was given a significant donation for the Bahamas mission trip by a family in a local homeschool community who had heard of my need! I knew then that paying for this mission trip would be possible. God would provide me with the people, money, and donations that are needed. I know this mission trip is possible because Phil 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It’s not me who will be raising the money, it’s God through me. We are not raising the money for me; we are raising the money so I can serve Him. It’s God and me together, but really, it’s God, you and me. By supporting the mission trip, you yourself are, in a way, on the mission trip. Your prayers and money will help me to serve God and others.

I have decided to have 1 Peter 4:10-11 as my key verses for this mission trip:

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

I think it’s the perfect verse for this mission trip. We all have different gifts. I have the gift of an opportunity to serve on a mission trip and bring glory to God through that trip. What gifts do you have to bring glory to God?

God Bless,

Rachel McCausland