(This "thank you" is long overdue, but I knew I would finally write it out one day!)

As many of you know, prior to coming to Namibia I was working for an organization called MissionLab, a ministry of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. My time there was one of the most special, challenging, and rewarding seasons of my life.

A few years ago, during our Summer Youth Camp, we started something called "Change for Change". The purpose of this was to use the opportunity of having so many teenagers and adults coming through our program (with change in their pockets) to make a worldwide impact raising money for a specific ministry. MissionLab's motto is: "Learn missions. Do missions. Be a missionary." Through a customized missions experience, groups can come to New Orleans and have an incredible time both in God's Word and in ministering throughout the city. The heart of MissionLab doesn't just stop at caring for those in New Orleans... it extends to having a passion for people in need of God's love throughout the entire world. An organization we've raised money for in the past is called Blood:Water Mission, which largely focuses on building wells in Africa in countries where clean water is desperately needed.

Before I left for Africa, I got a call from my good friend Adam. He informed me that the MissionLab team had decided that I would be their "Change for Change" project for Summer 2009! They really felt called to raise money for my upcoming ministry in Namibia. I was floored, humbled, flattered... New Orleans--which includes the city itself, my precious friends there, the people within the various organizations and streets that I was honored to meet and build relationships with--has left a mark on my heart that will be there forever. My heart broke for the city of New Orleans before I ever stepped foot on its soil, and that brokenness has never left me. It was a special gift to realize that God was blessing me, yet again, through my amazing experience with MissionLab.

Adam had one request. He asked me to make a video sharing my heart for missions and my call to Africa. This video would be shown each week to the MissionLabbers. (Summer MissionLab runs for a total of 8 weeks, a new set of groups arriving each week.) My preference is always to be on the other side of the camera, so it was a pretty frightening thought to have to come up with a creative and inspiring video that would be shown to a few thousand people. I decided to leave the creative aspect out of it altogether, and just recorded the facts, shared my heart, and left it at that. Evan, a video editing mastermind, took the pieces of my recordings and merged them with a video produced by Africa Inland Mission. I must say, the video is pretty fantastic... not because of my words or my face taking up the entire screen, but because of the incredible job Evan did putting the whole thing together. Thanks, Evan! :)

So let this blog be a HUGE thank you to the MissionLab staff and all of the participants of Summer MLab '09! Words cannot tell you how appreciative I am for all of the prayers, encouragement, and support each of you have shown me these last several months. (For the MissionLab staff, that thanks is extended to the last few years!) The incredible folks of Summer MLab '09 raised nearly $4300 towards my work here in Namibia! That money will go towards my monthly support and other special projects that I get involved with here. I am so grateful of all the ways God has blessed me with financial gifts towards my ministry. I couldn't serve here without that support, but know that your prayers and encouragement are just as important (and even more so!). As was said by John Wesley, “Prayer is where the action is."

Here's the video if you're interested in watching it.

Watch this on Vimeo

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel."(Ephesians 6:18-19)