We have been in Mali for a little over a week now, but it is hard to process what I am experiencing here. My mind is a little cloudy, partly because the heat makes it hard to think, but also because we are experiencing so many new things. For me, journaling is a good outlet to help me process what I am going through. Here is a part of my journal from the beginning of the week:

Life here is not exactly easy. There are fewer luxuries than we have in the states and having to learn another language is hard. I was thinking about if I could do this for the rest of my life, not necessarily here (in Mali), but wherever God calls me. It would be very hard at times, but doesn't the reward offset what we have to sacrifice and give up? Jesus didn't promise a comfortable life, but an abundant one and abundance comes from bringing the Kingdom to earth. That is why we much consider the cost, forsake all, and leave mother and father. Is Jesus worth it? He gave all for me, and I can give my life and the work of my hands back to Him as a living sacrifice. I think I have counted the cost and it is worth it to me to know Christ and to be apart of His work, and we will know Him better through His sufferings. Nothing else is going to last but that. I want my life to mean something and make an impact for eternity. I am still learning, still growing, still trying to be bold and move out in confidence. Jesus will equip me to what He calls me to. I know He is at work in me, changing my heart, and bringing me from glory to glory. I think what I struggle with is overcoming selfishness and the flesh that wants to do what I want to do and not giving myself to others, considering them better than myself. I want to learn how to be more intentional with time and people. I want to love better, to love like Jesus; to have a deeper understanding of His love and to live out of an overflow of that. This is a process, and a constant struggle. We will not fully reach that kind of love in this life, but we still need to long for it. I also long for more of a boldness of speech, not being ashamed of the gospel, and to have a deeper confidence in Him and who I am in Him.

The day before I left, I was at church and I received some encouragement. A man came up to me and said that the Lord had given him 1 Peter 1: 7-8 for me and my teammate that was with me. That passage says, "that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory." I meditated on this for a few days and believe that my time in Mali will be a testing of my faith and it will be hard, but through it I will know Jesus better and for that I am excited and encouraged. I now see the importance of this time here because before I left I was a little unsure of the purpose of this trip even though I knew that God had called me to this. This will be a time of learning and growing spiritually and academically. I am excited to see how God will work and reveal Himself.

One week...

Today is the one week marker until we leave for Mali! It hasn't set in yet that this is really happening and probably won't until the night before or when we actually get there.

I haven't updated lately about my funds, but I am technically FULLY funded! The night that I posted about still needing $322 I received a text from a family member saying God was leading them to pay for the rest of my trip! God is so good. I keep saying that but it's so true and I feel like there are no other words to describe what He has done in this situation other than He is always faithful and is our Provider. I have heard that there is more money being sent in as well and that is awesome because we as a team are still short. One of our team mates is still about $3000 short, so if you feel lead to give to her checks can be sent to:

Grace University
Development Offices
1311 S 9th
Omaha, NE 68108

and the checks made out to Grace University and in the memo Christian Olson Mali EDGE 2010

Thank you to all who have prayed with me in this and for those who have given! God chooses to work through His people and allows us to be apart of His Kingdom building and His work, which I think is wonderfully humbling knowing that our all powerful God would choose to use us for His purposes and allow us to be apart of it.

Well, today was the day that the loan needed to be turned in. God is faithful and has provided $943 this week! So that puts me down to $1,322.48. My parent's decided just to add $1,000 to the school loan, so that means I still need to raise $322.48, but God is good and I have faith that He will provide. There is still 10 days before all of the funds need to be in, but if God can bring in that much in a week I don't doubt that He can bring this in. I will keep praying and believing.

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

Jehovah Jireh (The Lord who provides) and a Lesson in Faith

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:7-11

This past week has definitely been a lesson in faith and learning how to completely rely on Jesus. Last Monday I talked with my dad about the reality of my finances for my trip to Mali. At that time I still had
$2,2278.48 to raise by the end of January. I had no prospects of more support to come in, so that left us with the option to add the amount to my school loan, which my parents are paying for. My dad responded, "I knew you couldn't raise all of the money and that we would have to pay for the rest of it. This is how it's going to be the rest of your life. This is why you need to find a job where you make an income." We have had several talks about my future and how I will not be able to support myself. I have told my parents several times that God will provide for me and I firmly believe it. But for my parents I think they need to SEE it. After he said this God came over me and I knew I needed to take a step of faith and ask Him to provide the rest of the money before the loan needs to be turned in. I immediately messaged friends to ask them to pray and believe with me. I want my parents to see God's power and provisions.

God began working already that night! I talked with a friend that I haven't talked to in almost year and she said that I have been on her mind lately, mostly at night when she goes through her prayer list. She asked if I needed prayer for anything, I replied YES and told her what was going on. She began to pray for me and my family. Then a few days later she called me and said that God did not put me on her heart for no reason, so she is sending me $300! What a wonderful God we serve, He knows our needs even before we express them. I have several more stories of brothers and sisters stepping up and supporting me. It has been incredible to see God working. I am so overwhelmed by His love and favor, He is a good Father.


The passage I posted at the beginning of this entry has become truth for me. You know how you can read something several times, but until you experience it it doesn't take on the same meaning? That's how this was for me. Sure I have asked God for things before, but never something this big. Asking Him to provide in this way made me really exercise faith and believe that He would. I felt completely vulnerable, but He loves when His children ask of Him because it shows dependence on Him. As Jim Yost, a missionary in Indonesia, said, "we need to live our lives in such a way that if God doesn't show up it's not going to work." I intend to live like that.

As of today I have received $513 and there is more coming! I am excited to tell my parents of all that God has done. All the glory goes to Him!

I was unpacking and setting up my room at home because the semester is over and I will be living at home for the next 2 months until I leave for Mali, West Africa. As I was unpacking I came across old journals so I decided to flip through and read some old entries. I am so glad that I have kept journals over the years. It is a great way to see how prayers have been answered and how God has been at work.
I read entries from my last few days in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa and the next few weeks of being home. It was in Jeffreys Bay where God first started speaking to me about changing my major and consequently changing the course of my life. I had forgotten how scared and unsure I was at first about making the switch and all of the trials I went through with my parents; because now I have so much peace and can’t see myself at any other place or doing anything else. Looking back, my main fear was leaving friends and family and everything that is comfortable and familiar to me. God is so good and has calmed those fears and has taught me to trust Him with my relationships. They are His anyway, not mine to keep a hold of and I have come to realize that distance and time cannot tear apart those who are knit together in the Lord. Jesus and bringing His Kingdom to the broken, the hurting, and the lost is worth laying down those relationships and taking a risk.
For me, Nursing was a safety net, something that had a lot of security in it. I had to lay it down and trust God with my life, for Him to provide for me. He has been faithful in that and I want to continue to be obedient to anything He calls me to.
So, now I am an Intercultural Studies major at Grace University, preparing to leave for Mali, West Africa for 6 months of studying and living among the Malian people. I never would have envisioned my life like this, but that is what happens when you let God take control of your life. He brings you on a crazy adventure with Him, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.