Christmas in Mali

The Top Ten Blessings I Received While Being Sick

Here are the Top Ten blessings I received from God while I was sick the last three weeks with malaria, infection and adrenal insufficiency:

10. God never left my side. He spoke to me and comforted me. I spent intimate time with Him. He instructed me when to go to the doctor/hospital and get additional help. He was always there with me.

9. God brought my mom and I closer in relationship during the time of illness. We had several great conversations together on the phone during some of my real "low points".

8. God supplied help through my roommates, friends and missionaries here in Ouaga to get me things I need, bring me places I needed to go and translate with the doctors to communicate health concerns.

7. God blessed me with amazing stories from friends in Colorado and NJ who shared their experiences of their past with me as a way to see God's hand in difficult times.

6. God connected me with an amazing doctor from Switzerland who was able to diagnose my adrenal insufficiency and get me started on the medication I need to stay alive.

5. God supplied a medication to me that I can't get in Africa. The doctor's daughter came here to Ouaga from Switzerland and was able to bring the medication I needed and said it was free.

4. God delivered packages to me from friends back home in the states at the perfect time to raise my spirit and help encourage me to feel better soon.

3. God scheduled and timed everything perfectly so my students did not have to miss three weeks of school. There is an ICO school program in Ouaga three times per year for two weeks each time. This is an opportunity where students can come together and learn in a social classroom setting. Even though I was sick and couldn't teach, my students were able to attend the ICO school and still get school for two weeks. If ICO wasn't happening at that time....there would be no replacement teacher for me and the students would have been without a teacher for all that time.

2. God sent down a rain storm in the middle of the night and told me it was "healing rain" for me. It was special. It doesn't rain in December in Ouaga so this was a rare episode of rain. Yet, I believe it was a gift from God. Ever since that night, I have had a strong sense of peace and I have been getting better and gaining strength each day forward.

1. God has used this time to speak to me and to answer specific questions I have been praying about for awhile. He has used this "alone" time to allow me to see things from His view and to hear what He wants me to hear. He has shaped me to who I am and I am forever changed because of it.

Praise God!

He Gives Me Strength

Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

After being sick with malaria leading to an infection leading to complications with my adrenal glands, tonight is the first night in 12 days that I can stand without immediately getting dizzy and feeling like I am going to faint. I owe it all to Jesus! Praise Him!

It all started with Malaria

It all started with Malaria- or so I thought

The day before Thanksgiving, my whole body ached from head to toe. Fever came at 4pm and disappeared by morning. I laid in bed feeling miserable, useless and full of moans and groans. This continued the next day (Thanksgiving Day) as well. By Friday, I thought I should be starting to feel better, yet it was the opposite. My fever didn’t go away in the morning and instead, it kept going up. My aches kept increasing as well. I put on my Christian worship music again and was lying in bed worshiping God when I heard him tell me I needed to go to see a doctor. At that time, I checked my body temp and it was 102.5 so I got up and stumbled to my roommate’s room to ask her to bring me to the clinic.

Arriving at the clinic, they took my temperature to find my fever at 103.5. They admitted me to the hospital at that point. I was so “out of it” at that point that all I cared about was having a place to lay down. They took some blood and started deciding which tests to do. I remember at one point they read my heart beats (like an EKG) but this machine looked like it was from the 1940’s. It had clamps like a car charger which they put on my ankles and wrists. Then, it had 8 suction cups they put on my chest. Then, it read my heart and printed out a paper. It took about 4 minutes and then the car charging 1940 looking machine was removed from me and rolled out of my room. By this time, blood results came back showing I had some sort of infection. My white blood cell count was way off and my kidneys were not functioning properly. They proceeded with more tests like a sonogram and a chest x-ray yet no findings were revealed.

At this point, it was revealed that I’d be staying the night in the hospital. I was still achy, tired, coughing, feverish, stomach hurt and didn’t have an appetite at all. That night, I turned on the television to see Men in Black in French, and a church service in English singing a song that my church Crossroads sang often (the song was titled Adonai). After flipping through a few more channels of African dancing and drumming and singing, I dosed off. Yet, I woke up in the middle of the night to my body shivering and teeth clattering as my fever rose. Then, I’d wake again to a puddle of sweat. The night time was the hardest and worst experiences for me during the sickness. I got to the point where I dreaded going to sleep. I would pray for God to keep me up because I was too scared to fall asleep. I didn’t want to fall asleep only to awaken to some horrible fever. It was the worst way to awaken from a deep sleep. Well, that was until, I woke up in the middle of the night the next night with extreme pain in my abdomen. The doctors gave me medicine for that….I guess they saw how much pain I was in so they gave me strong stuff. This medicine was so strong that I became delirious and had hallucinations from it. I kept thinking I was going to die. That was the scariest night I had.

There is a lot to be thankful for. During this sickness, I realized that many people in Africa get very ill (just like I was) but they don’t have money for clinics, doctors, medicine). I also realized how thankful I was to be at the clinic I was at. I had wonderful doctors and nurses taking care of me. They did a fabulous job. I also had a wonderful support team from the missionaries and friends out here. They visited me and brought me food, dvd’s, snacks, etc. I felt truly loved from my new friends. I was amazed at how thoughtful they were to come see me and bring me things to help my visit in the hospital a more enjoyable one. I am truly thankful.

It’s been hard to be disconnected from my friends and family and partners back home during this time. I know people are praying for me and I am thankful for their dedication and care. It has also been hard for me to lean on other people. I think it is part of my roots as a “Jersey girl”. I am very independent and it is hard to depend on other people to take care of me. It is also hard for me to slow down and rest. I am always on the go and now I am being forced to slow down.

Well, now I am home from the hospital. My infection is decreasing. My appetite is increasing. I am taking antibiotics and I have a follow up appointment tomorrow at the doctors. The source of the infection was never found so it still is not clear as to where the infection came from. My pain is a lot less than what it was 6 days ago and my fever is gone. My energy level is still extremely low. My appetite still is not back to normal yet. My ears have been ringing like crazy. My coughing varies from bad to okay throughout the day. I am still resting. It is hard to sit still and rest.

Anyone who knows me knows how hard it is for me to stay put in one place for any duration of time. Yet, even though I am back home from the hospital, I am not physically able yet to return to my normal lifestyle. I am much too weak right now. This has been a challenge for me. I am bored out of my mind. And even though I probably lost 10 pounds from being sick and not eating, I feel like I have gained 20 pounds from lying around so much and not being active. I feel unproductive right now. I know God is using this time to heal my body more. I know I need to be patient, yet it is hard.

After staying in the hospital for 4 days, my hospital bill came to about $800 in US dollars. Pretty amazing when you think about how much it would have been in the states. Yet, that is still more money than I planned to spend now. So, I am feeling a little stressed financially as well.

Please pray for me to have continued healing. Please pray that the antibiotics the doctors sent me home with will continue to decrease the infection and the infection would not return. Please pray that my appetite will reappear fully and I will be able to eat regularly again soon. Please pray that my stomach, back and neck pains will decrease and entirely go away. Please pray for my cough and my chest to be cleared up fully. Please pray for my energy levels to increase and for me to rest and not “over do it” until my body can handle it. Please pray for continued rest and healing. Please pray for continued wisdom for the doctors to know if they should do any further tests, follow up treatments or prescribe any additional medication. Please pray for the finances to be worked out so I am not stressed about the $800 unexpected hospital bill.

I am so thankful for all of the support, help and prayers. Thank you! Please continue to pray for me. I am in better shape but I am not back to normal yet. I have a little road left of recovery and I am just hoping it is a smooth and somewhat quick one. Praise God that I am home from the hospital. Praise God that I am no longer having a fever. Praise God that I am no longer experiencing extreme pain. God is amazing. He is my comforter and my healer. I am so thankful for all the blessings God has brought into my life. I have learned to praise God through the good times and the bad times. This is the first time in my life that I sang out praises to His holy name while lying sick in a hospital bed. Praise God that He listens to our fears, our pain and our suffering. He takes it away. He answers prayers and heals our bodies.

As I write this, my head is still foggy and my mind is fuzzy. My left arm has numerous places of bruises from needles and my right hand is still remarkably sore from where the IV was. My stomach has this tingling of pain that radiates to the back still and my body feels run down. I feel like my body just came out of a traumatic and intense storm. It feels battered and beaten up. It feels trampled on. It feels like it’s been over worked. My mind feels spent as well. I feel as if I came close to death a few times during the night time and my mind is still recovering from the glimpses of fear I thought during those low points. I ask myself if I will ever return back to my normal self? Or has this experience changed my life forever? Has this changed the way I see the world? Has this changed my views of life? I think it is too early to determine that due to the fact that my mind is surrounded and soaked in what feels like fuzzy static.

So, during these (what I hope will be) last laps of my illness, I hold onto the hope that I will recover fully and completely in God’s timing. I also hope that I hear what God wants me to hear during this time. I hope that I can look back to this and see God’s hand upon me during this experience. I hope to remember to praise Him always through the good times and the tough times. Whether I am feeling good or bad, I need to praise God for He deserves my praise! I need to remember to be thankful for what I have, for the blessings in my life and the people God has placed in my life. I need to remember to slow down and take care of myself. I hope that I never get malaria again. I also hope to never get an infection like this one again. They were both miserable experiences. Yet, I am still here. I am still alive. God has kept me alive because he has a plan and a purpose for me. I need to trust Him for everything. And even if I were to endure this again, God will be with me every second again. And I will praise him again.

Well, that is all for now. May God bless you all. I will talk to you soon. Thank you again for your prayers.

Busy, Busy without the Internet

Hello friends and family,

So, the internet has been very patchy and often not working at all. This is the reason I haven't posted in awhile. But, it is working today so I figured I'd catch you up on what I have been doing lately.

In the end of October, I had the wonderful opportunity to go to a women's retreat in Bamako, Mali. It was wonderful to be back in Mali again and to see friends there. I got out for a little hiking one day which was very nice as well. The day we went hiking was gorgeous! As for the women's retreat, the worship and speaking sessions were amazing! I really grew closer to God throughout the time spent there.

Also, we spent more time gathering teaching supplies to bring back to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso with us.

Back in Ouaga, I attended an art fair which people from all over Africa come show off their trades and art. It was an amazing experience to see different cultures and art. The food you see below is a common food that is cooked and sold in Ouaga known as bruchettes. 

I must end with the most important thing I have been doing and that is teaching. I really feel blessed to be teaching missionary children here in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. I know I am making an impact on Bible Translation by teaching school for the children. Praise God that He is using me in the place He needs me to be!

Thank you for your prayers and support. I feel truly blessed for this opportunity to touch the lives of the missionary children of Mali and Burkina Faso. Together, you and I are making a difference in their lives. Thank you! I am praying for you and your families.

May you have a Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless you!

You Know You Are In Africa When....

You know you are in Africa when……

1. There is a donkey in the middle of the street.
2. When the kitchen table is covered in dust 2 hours after you dusted and washed it.
3. A family of five rides on one moped.
4. You stop at a red light and everyone else drives through it as if it was green.
5. You stop at a red light and have people come up to your windows trying to sell the most bizarre items.
6. The power goes on and off repeatedly in one hour and that episode repeats about 5 times in the same day.
7. You turn on a light switch and have to wait five seconds before the light comes on.
8. Your feet swell and your body gets tingling because of the extreme heat.
9. Your car breaks down on any traveling trip from one country to the next.
10. A lizard runs along your wall.
11. Mosquitoes feast on you as you take an evening stroll.
12. You are driving and your obstacle course is to avoid the craters and potholes scattered in the dirt/paved street.
13. Your bike is your freedom.
14. You have to change your clothes throughout the day because you are soaked with sweat.
15. You can’t leave your cow meat in the fridge for more than two days because it will turn to a smelly green funk that will make you want to gag.
16. You have to disinfect your fruit and veggies by putting them in bleach before you eat them.
17. The only place and time you have clean feet is in the shower.
18. Goats, sheep and chickens roam aimlessly around.
19. Instead of driving on the right and left sides of the road, you drive where there is a path that is drivable among the puddles, potholes, trash, animals, mopeds, cars, people and more.
20. You light the stove and oven with a match, hopefully without burning yourself or catching anything on fire.
21. You have the internet up and running one minute and the next minute you don’t.
22. Your computer has a mind of it’s own. Does it’s own thing. One minute it works and the next minute it doesn’t.
23. Your eggs are dirty and you have to wash them before you eat it.
24. The sound of water dripping, means the water bottle is overflowing in the kitchen from filling up the filtered water.
25. Ice cream is an expensive treat. You pay by the scoop, the scoops are small and then you eat it with a teeny tiny spoon.
26. I’d bargain 5 minutes for buying a laundry basket for 1500 cfa.
27. Someone will chase me down to tie my skirt in a knot for me since it was getting caught in my back tire wheel.
28. You’d show up to a shop to buy something and have to wait for thirty minutes until the owner/worker shows up.
29. Your driver decides to not come back to drive you home and you have to wait two hours for another ride.
30. The lemons look like limes.
31. Instead of carrying things in their arms, people balance them on their head.
32. The traffic lights work occasionally. The rest of the time you just inch out hoping for a break in the traffic long enough to cross.
33. Almost every house or building has a djembe in it.
34. It is hot and just when you think it is hot...it gets hotter.

Well, there you go...34 Reasons when you know you are in Africa. (One for each year I have been alive).

Just on a side note...I wanted to share a God story of one day back in the very beginning of my trip out here. When I first came to Africa this summer, I went to Bamako, Mali before coming to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. In the beginning days in Mali, there were some lonely moments but God blessed me and a friend of mine during that time. My friend wrote it in her blog so I am just going to refer you to her blog. She does a nice job telling the story so it isn't worth me competing with the story telling. Just check it out.
http://nicolewilbur.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html

Well, take care for now!

Love you all,
Rebecca Oryniak

The Stolen Jewelry Skit

After introducing two skits last week, the students voted to write their own skit for this week. I was very impressed with how the children worked together in a fair matter so everyone had speaking parts. They really did a great job communicating a message to their audience as well. I attached the second half of the skit in the video above. Today, they performed the skit for the other grades and parents. They all did a fantastic job considering they had two days to write the skit, one day to stage it and memorize speaking parts and two days to practice performing it. I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to work with this group of students. I enjoyed teaching them these past two weeks.

Life in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Ahhh....I'm finally beginning to get settled in here at Ouaga. I bought a bike so I can get around.

Although, I am still getting comfortable riding my bike among mopeds, cars, donkey carts and trucks all on the same road going all sorts of directions. I am guessing it will get easier the more I get out there and ride.

I have also spent some of my time becoming oriented with the land, the people and the work that Wycliffe is doing here. There are several languages which Wycliffe is working on translating and writing the New Testament.

It is amazing that I am helping Bible translation to continue by teaching the missionary children. Praise God that I am helping in this way!

We have had a cat who recently had kittens on the center grounds. So, we have been looking after them. They are adorable!

What a treat it has been to give some affection to these cuties!

Well, I have a lot coming up on my agenda. Things are really going to start picking up from here. This coming week, I will begin teaching third grade for a 2 week special ICO program. It is a program that allows home schooled missionary children to gather together and learn in a classroom setting for two weeks. This will help them to learn what it's like to be in a classroom since many of them are home schooled and don't have the opportunity to learn this way. After this program ends (in 2 weeks), I will begin teaching third grade for the regular school year. I am excited to see how God will use me to touch the lives of missionary children as I teach this year.

In addition, we have our Wycliffe annual conference coming up which will have a "fun night". I am currently working on choreography and teaching for a dance that some missionary kids and I will perform at the event. Also, I am working on organizing a consistent and repeated dance class for the missionary children for one evening each week (this is still being worked out).

I also hope to help out at a local orphanage or similiar facility to work with the local children. This will come in time. I need to sort out the other things before jumping into this...but I am looking forward to helping in this area as well.

There is soooooo much to do! Yet, I am taking it day by day, inch by inch.

To sum it up, my days lately have been filled with the following:
donkeys, peanuts, french language which I don't understand (except a few words), goats, chickens, sheep, more donkeys, donkey carts, markets, rain, dirt roads, puddles in the middle of dirt roads, mosquitos, bug spray, more mosquitos, trying to get familiar with where I am and how to get around, visiting different markets, visiting different stores, scratching mosquito bites, killing mosquitos, shooing flies, meeting new people, trying to remember the names of all the new people I have recently met, and the list goes on and on. It has been a learning experience for me.

Praises - God has safely brought us to Ouaga even though we had many car problems. God protected and returned all of my luggage safely. My computer issue has been figured out and temporarily fixed. Praise Jesus for all He has done during the past 2 weeks!

Thank you for all of your support and prayers! The next few weeks will be very busy as I start teaching. I will be sending out my September Newsletter within the next two weeks so keep your eyes open for that.

In the meantime, take care and know that I am truly thankful for your support. I am praying for you. May God bless you!

Traveling with Adventures from Mali to Burkina Faso

It all started with a car. We left Bamako in two cars heading for Burkina Faso. We traveled outside of Mana, kept going, passed several villages and kept going. We were several hours from Bamako when our directors car's brakes locked up and he spun around almost 360 degrees. God protected him and us during this situation. Praise Jesus there were no cars, donkey carts, motorcyles or people coming in either direction at the exact moment it happened. Also, the luggage weighed the car down so his car did not flip over. Praise Jesus for keeping us all safe.

He tried to get the car to move onward but was unsuccessful; therefore, he decided to head into town to look for a mechanic leaving Kim and I to stay behind with the car. Kim and I experienced all different types of company during our stay which included a man and a herd of cattle.

After our director returned with the mechanic and they both worked on the car. It was decided that the car needed to go into the shop. So, they drove the car 20 mph to the next town/village to go get looked at in more detail.

After some time, we figured out that a major part near the front axel was broken and we would need a part delivered and replaced to continue on. Our director stayed with the car and Kim and I traveled onward to a friends house 2 hours down the road. I had to leave behind my luggage as well since it wouldn't all fit into one car. We ended up staying at our friends house for a few days. Our director ended up taking a bus and meeting us there after he realized he'd have to leave the car behind to get fixed without him. My luggage was left in the same town as the car. During all of this chaos... we still had peace. I went to the roof of the house and saw a wonderful sunset one night during our stay.

We then were picked up by another couple missionaries and continued our journey towards Burkina Faso. We crossed the border and then stayed at a missionary compound. Our journey crossing the border was quick and we had no problems. I was able to watch a beautiful sunset that night as well.

Check out the key... it almost feels like I went "back in time" when I used this key to get into my room where I stayed for the night.

The next morning, we headed onward to Burkina Faso. We managed to stop and do some sightseeing on the way. We went for a little hike.

I really love the grass out here. It is so pretty and long. It looks really neat when the wind blows against it and there are waves throughout the grass fields.

After 5 days, we finally arrived to Ouaga, Burkina Faso. Praise God!

Thank you to all of my supporters and friends who prayed for me during this journey. Stay tuned for upcoming news as I settle into my new home in Burkina Faso.

I have arrived to Bamako, Mali

Well, a little over one week ago, I arrived to Bamako, Mali. I remember the first thing I noticed when I woke up the first morning, was the smell of Africa smacking me in the face. There is a specific smell that is in the air in Africa. Like a musty, wet, dusty smell. I found my favorite place to go at my temporary home. I like to take the stairs to the top and look out at the views.

The second thing I noticed was all the different sounds of the city of Bamako. The children laughing and playing, the baby crying, people talking in Bombara and French, the sound of a hammer at work, cars and motor bikes driving by, the prayers and music coming from the mosque. It all blended in to make the harmony of Africa.

The third thing I noticed when I woke up was the sights. The sights of women wearing bright colored clothes, carrying bananas and fruit in big bowls upon their heads, bus and vans filled with people, motorbikes dangerously driving in between traffic, kids and adults trying to sell all sorts of things from tissues to phone cards.

It is rainy season, so it rains often. It rains for long periods of time and it rains hard. Today, I forgot I had clothes on the line and all of a sudden it started to pour so I had to run down and get the clothes off the line. Now, I have my clothes hanging up all over my house to dry.

I bought my first round of veggies for my road trip coming up. All together, the plate of veggies you see below cost me about 550 in Malian money CFA...that amounts to a little over $1.20 US Dollars.

I have just been getting comfortable here in Bamako and I am already packing up my belongings to go to Burkina Faso. I am thankful I was able to get outdoors and do some hiking and rock climbing before heading out of town. It really gave me the opportunity to see how green and beautiful Mali is during the rainy season.

Well, it's off to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso now. I am excited to see how God will use me there, who He will bring across my path and the adventures I will experience while I live there.

Thank you and Praise God!

Thank you for helping me reach 100%

Thank you for all of your prayers and support! Thank you for joining in partnership with me. I am now 100% supported! Praise God! I could not be going to Africa if it wasn't for each one of you. It is a team effort. You are the arm and I am the hand and together we can reach and help and do God's work in Mali. Thank you for being the arm....thank you for extending me to Mali to reach the children out there.

Together, we are the lights in the darkness. We can help share God's love!

God's word is a lamp unto our feet and light onto our path - Psalm 119:105
Wycliffe's vision is by 2025 to have the bible translated in every language still needing bible translation. That is over 2,000 languages! Together, we are helping support this vision. We are furthering God's Kingdom. We are bringing God's word to people all around the world so they may have God's wisdom and find eternal life with Him. You, my supporters are a part of this. God is so amazing and we must Praise Him for all He has done!

It is June already! I am living in limbo......

Well, here I am already in the month of June. I have moved all of my teaching items out of my classroom and turned in my keys at the school I have taught at for the past 7 years. I moved all of my personal items out of my condo and have officially moved out June 1st. Now, the tenants have moved in. My condo looks totally different from new flooring to new painting...it looks great! I'm glad the tenants have a nice place to stay. Meanwhile, I've been living out of my "loaner car". I have it stuffed to it's gills. My camping items, clothing items and Mali preparation items. It feels wierd to live in "limbo". Some nights I am camping and some nights I'm staying with friends. It really is wierd to not have "a home". The support I have had has been incredible. I have had many people offer their homes for me to stay at. I am truly thankful for this. I have plenty of places to stay if needed. I am 75% financially supported and I only have 25% more to go before I am fully funded. Praise God! I am speaking tomorrow about Mali at a women's convention. I am also setting up a table in the foyer at my church this weekend and next weekend. This will be a great opportunity for me to meet more people within my church and to share about Mali with them. My good friend is baking some goodies for me to sell at the table. I am soooo thankful for this opportunity. In addition, I will be selling my fundraising t-shirts and the tap teaching dvds too. Hopefully, this will help me to gain more financial support. Thins are moving along as planned...I am leaving for Dallas, TX on June 18th and staying for two weeks of training until June 30th. July 1st I plan to have a climbing or hiking day in the mountains with friends and then July 6th I plan to have a pool party for all of my friends and supporters as a way to say thanks. I still need to get my plane tickets for NJ which I hope to visit family and friends there in July. After that, it all depends on the politics of Mali and how stable things are out there. If it is safe and stable and Wycliffe approves me leaving in July, then I will be going with my church's VBS trip July 18th - Aug 1st. If Wycliffe doesn't approve me going at that point...then, I will have to wait until August. If it still is not stable by August, then I will be going to Burkina Faso (the country south of Mali) and I will be teaching missionary kids there until Mali is safe and stable enough to return to. I have been taking care of last minute things on this end. Doctor visits, shots for Africa, etc. The biggest thing I am still needing at this point in time is someone to take over my contract with Verizon. In order for me to cancel I'd have to pay $250 cancellation fee unless I find someone to take over my contract. So, if you are interested in helping with this - please let me know. I am truly thankful for all of the support. For the donations of things I have received. To list a few...I received an ipod, kindle, laptop, and a tablet. Thank you to everyone who also shared recipes! Thank you to all of my prayer and financial supporters who have come beside me in prayer and financial partnerhsip! I am truly humbled and encourged by the support I have received during this time. The past few weeks, I've been trying to savor the moments with friends and in Colorado. It is beautiful here and I know I won't have the majestic mountains to see on a daily basis while in Mali. So, I have been trying to soak it all in. I am selling T-shirts and tap dance instruction videos as a way to raise more funds for Mali. If you are interested, please let me know. Thank you for all of your continued prayers and support. God bless each and every one of you. Trusting Him, Rebecca Oryniak

I am trusting in Him every step of the way!

Well, here I am closer and closer to departure date. God is amazing! I am trusting Him every step of the way! He has been linking me up in partnership with the most amazing people! I am in awe of all that He has done in the past month. I have had many people donate things like suitcases, dvds, cds, ebook, pictures and the list goes on and on and on. I have met wonderful people last weekend at a women's conference that I know God planned for our paths to cross. I have another womens retreat this weekend and I am excited to see what God has in store there. I have had several people in my work places go up and beyond to show they are willing to help. In the month of May, I have several home visit presentations that I will be doing too. Praise God! I have had some people ask how they can help in addition to prayer and financial support. Here are just a few ideas: 1. Send out a letter to your friends and family members informing them of God's plans for me in Mali and asking for support. 2. Talk to your church or mission committee at your church and ask if they would be willing to help support me. 3. Host a small group meeting at your house where I will do a presentation about God's leading to Mali. 4. Ask your business or corporation if they would like to "match donations". 5. Have a sports group, High school group, girl scout troop do a car wash, bake sale, garage sale, talent show, dance-a-thon to help raise funds/donations. 6. Climb a mountain or run a race to raise money/donations and have sponsors donate per mile. 7. Maybe you have an idea that I haven't mentioned...let me know. I'm always looking for new ways to build my partnerships. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Trusting in Him, Rebecca Oryniak

Speaking at Home Group Meetings....

Hello,

I am looking for opportunities to talk to groups about Mali. I am hoping to build my partnerships with people. If you would like to help, please consider having me speak at your home group/small group. So far, I have raised 40% of my monthly expenses for Mali but I am needing to raise 100% of my support before I can leave for Mali in July. Therefore, the more partnerships I develop with financial and prayer partners, the more likely I will be able to raise all of my funds by July 2012.

Please email me at dancer.rebecca@yahoo.com if you would like to set up a time for me to talk at your house/group.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

Rebecca Oryniak

Little things that I'm looking for....to help make my "quiet" and "alone" times in Mali a little more comfortable.

Hello everyone!

Thank you for your support! God has been amazing! I have listed a few little things I am looking for to help make my "quiet" and "alone" times in Mali a little more comfortable. Please share with others.

I am looking for dvd's. If you or anyone you know has a bunch of dvd's that you are looking to pass on...please pass them my way! As you can imagine, Mali may get a little lonely in the evening hours (being single and living alone). Therefore, it would be great to have a mixture of dvd's to pop into my laptop and watch on those lonely nights.

I am looking for Music cd's/music/IPOD Listening to the radio won't be the same in Mali as it is here. I listen to several hours of KLove and worship music and I am trying to prepare myself for getting music to bring out there to listen to since the radio won't be readily available all the time. If you or someone you know has an older IPOD that you don't use anymore or that you have upgraded from and you would like to pass it on... please consider passing it on to me. I would greatly appreciate it!

I am looking for a standard Nook It would be really hard to load up a ton of books in my suitcase but now-a-days with the electronic book readers...it makes traveling easier. I have been looking at the most standard Nook...Barnes and Nobles sells it between $79-$99. It is the originial one with the black and white ink and no color. I was wondering if anyone upgraded to a newer Nook or Kindle and is not using their older Nook. If that is the case, please consider donating your Nook to me. This will help me to continue with my reading while in Mali.

Please contact me at dancer.rebecca@yahoo.com if you would like to contribute or donate any of the above items.

God Keeps Putting Things In Place!

Hello everyone!

God keeps lining everything up. I have sold my car and I have had two people volunteer to loan their car to me to use until I leave for Mali. Praise God!

Now, I am focused on my condo. I am trying to get things lined up and get my condo repairs done, lease agreement, all the fine little details. Praise God that I have had a dear friend of mine volunteer to "look after my place" while I am in Mali.

Currently, I am about 97%-98% funded/supported with my one time expenses and I am about 30% funded/supported with my monthly support. Many additional people have stated that they are planning on joining in financial partnership with me but haven't gone online to state the actual amount they are led to pledge. Therefore, my monthly support is probably much higher than 30%. I have been trying to ask my supporters to please go online and pledge earlier than later so I have a more accurate idea of how much support I really have.

I am so thankful to everyone who has joined me in prayer and financial partnership. I have felt truly encouraged and humbled by everyone's support. I am in awe of how great God is!

Every day is a journey and a reminder that God is in control and the support and the things that fall into place for Mali is ALL His doing!

Please keep praying for the support to continue to come in. Please continue to pray that I will have more opportunities to share God's leading me to Mali with other people and groups as well. In addition, please pray for the people in Mali as they are going through struggles due to the drought.

Thank you for your prayers!

Rebecca Oryniak

I have sold my car.....but I need a car first....

Well, God continues to work in my life everyday to open the doors to Mali, West Africa and close the doors in Colorado. As many of you know, I put an ad on Craigs List for selling my car and a couple ended up getting back in touch with me who just came from living in Bamako, Mali. Since their return to Colorado, they had a baby girl and they are getting back plugged in here. They are looking to buy the same car that I am looking to sell. Well, I met with them again today and it is official...they are going to buy my car. Praise God! We will take care of the paperwork and make the sale official by the end of February 2012.

However, I will need a car to "use" or "borrow" for the months of March, April, May and June - basically, to get around from the time I sell my car to the time I leave for Mali, West Africa. It doesn't quite make sense for me to buy another car therefore, it would be great if I could use a "loaner". For example, if someone has an extra car around that they aren't using and would be willing to let me use it. I'd pay for full coverage car insurance while using the car. I'd also be willing to pay anywhere from $100- $150 per month for me to use the car since I'd be putting mileage on the vehicle. I'd also take it in for regular maintence like oil changes on a regular basis and I'd pay for that as well. Please let me know if you have an opportunity for me to borrow a car for the next four months. I know God is placing all the pieces together.

For me to get out of my car payments early really allows me to use the extra money towards preparation for Mali, West Africa. For example, I've been taking a French class that costs $250 and I will be taking another French leveled class as well. This is helpful for me to learn the language a little before leaving...however, it is added expenses like these that I could benefit from getting out of my car payments early (to put towards these preparations).

Please share with me if you know anyone or any resources or any situations that can help me with the issue of a "loaner" car. And...please pray for me as I am looking to God during this time and trusting Him every step of the way.

Thank you for your support and prayers!

Rebecca Oryniak