much to say...

So much has happened since my last post...where to start?? Its Feb. 1st today, the beginning of a new month and more importantly the release of my favorite band...THE CIVIL WARS...first CD comes out today!!!! WOHOO!!!! I have been waiting for this day a long time and its finally here! Here is a little taste of this amazing duo:) all i can say is WOW. their harmony is unbelievable. I cannot get enough of them!! I am actually going to Athens to hear them in concert on Feb. 7th with some of my good friends and cannot wait!! you can download their EP online for free and listen to you tube videos galore of them in concert.
ok...I MISS AFRICA. Sawyer emailed me yesterday and updated me on all the activities that they had done over the last two weeks. Please continue to pray for the village of Macha and MICS. She said it is harder to connect and communicate than she thought. Their are seven beautiful little girls that are boarding that we will take care of and the lady that is over the boarding children is named Sylvia. Please pray for Sylvia that God will soften her heart and allow her to have HIS joy. Sawyer said smiling is a rarity for her and she treats the children harshly. Pray for wisdom and grace for Sawyer and I as we try to minister to Sylvia and the rest of the staff at MICS. Sawyer and Joe are teaching 5th and 6th grade math and get to help out with a theme day that they have every Friday. Last week was SNOW DAY. Most of the children of MICS have never seen snow before so they were able to watch videos and make snowflakes out of paper and finished out the day with a snowball "paper" fight:) This Friday is going to be Valentine's Day theme!!! Please continue to pray for the teachers and administration and staff at MICS and for Gil and Rhonda Krause, Sue and Joel Bolthouse, Joe and Sawyer. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel and live out their faith visibly to the Zambians. I cannot wait to be re-united with them in two weeks!
I had my pre-opp yesterday and that went really well. I am looking a ok for surgery. I have my radioactive dye shot today and I am a little nervous. The doctors will shoot an injection of dye right into the mole on my hairline and this radioactive dye will travel to whichever lymph node needs to be removed. Pray for least pain possible and that the lymph node will either be in my neck or behind my ear. This will be the easiest for the doctors to get to. This appt. is at 3:30 this afternoon and then my surgery is tomorrow at noon. I will have to go into the hospital early tomorrow morning to get the results of the dye read and then they will preform the surgery. I also have contracted a sore throat starting yesterday please pray that that will heal up AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I cannot be sick!!

Zambia is in blue:)

My precious Olivia!

Emory and Olivia Thompson:)

My girls!

The Lord continues to show his faithfulness and goodness to me and my family. While I was napping yesterday, my dear friends, the Thompsons came over and delivered delicious cupcakes from the new store "Hello There Cupcake" in Macon and made me precious cards. Olivia and Emory are the little girls that I babysat regularly in Macon before we moved. Olivia is why I have such a heart for special needs children, Olivia has down syndrome. She just turned 8 years old and is the sweetest girl you will ever meet. Her Joy is contagious and her attitude towards life is so inspiring. Her mother Katherine was discipled by my mom while she was in high school and babysat for me and my brother alot. She is like a big sister to me and I thank God that she entrusts me with her children every now and then. They are such a blessing and have changed my life so.
He is good so good... thank you for continued prayer and interceding for my family and I. I will def update tomorrow after the surgery!! Love you ALL!
Psalm 91
rach